Free Comic Book Day 2009

Well, it's that time of year again. Yup, the first Saturday in May is looming on the horizon and the time for FREE (yes, you heard me correctly) comics is almost here! But with this great and awesome day and the idea of free comics comes the next hurdle that you have to jump: There are so many to choose from. Which ones are good? Which ones don't stack up or do much of anything? Which ones should you jump over the tables and beat back the endless masses of crying children and happy families with a samurai sword encased in bread to get your grubby hands on? Well, if you don't mind a little help from your friendly neighborhood Panteon, let's take a look at things and find out.




Owly & Friends
Creators: Andy Runton, James Kochalka & Christian Slade
Company: Top Shelf

It's not a Free Comic Book Day without a visit from everyone's favorite silent Owl and his best pal Wormy. This is one of those books that you can always count on being a hit with just about any member of the family. For the kids, it's a fun little story that teaches them something. For the grown ups and the artists out there, you get Andy Runton's always fantastic cartooning skills. And really, I dare you to read this and not be entertained in some way by it. To add a little bit more cool though, you've also got a fun new Boo story by the talented James Kochalka and another tale of Korgi, the fire-breathing dog, which is by all accounts a trifecta of some of the best Indie all ages books out on the market at the moment.

DC Kids Mega Sampler
Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Company: DC Comics

Like the Owly book, this Mega Sampler is a treat for anyone. The book consists of sample stories from Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Tiny Titans. For me, the Tiny Titans excerpt is enough for me to pick it up, as that title alone has the ability to make me laugh uncontrollably. Still, having the delightful art of Mike Kunkle on Shazam and the fun, brightly colored Dick Sprang-like Batman story as he teams up with Blue Beetle, isn't a deterrent. Really, the only book that would have made this outing better would be the inclusion of Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures In The 8th Grade. The little kiddies should keep an eye out for this one.

Transformers Animated/G.I. Joe
Writers: Chuck Dixon, Larry Hama & Marty Isenberg
Artists: Robert Atkins, Tom Feister & Dario Brizuela
Company: IDW Publishing

I'm a little biased here, what with these two properties being some of my favorite things in life ever since I was a little kid. But forget that. I will say that the Transformers Animated side of this book is definitely aimed at kids. The script has some finesse and substance to it, as does the art, but it certainly isn't going to connect with everyone. The G.I. Joe on the other hand, probably will. Basically, it's a reprint of two stories from the #0 issue (G.I. Joe & G.I. Joe Origins), which isn't bad. There's enough military action and intrigue in those two stories to garner an interest even if you know nothing about the characters. If you do though, and haven't given this book a shot, check this one out. Cast out your thoughts of the cheesy cartoon from the 80's and embrace the Tom Clancy-isms of this new version.

The Avengers
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Jim Cheung
Company: Marvel Comics

No bones about it, I have some trouble stomaching a lot of what Bendis has done to the Avengers title. One thing you can't argue though is that he's made the Avengers brand a huge money maker and a viable product for Marvel. As stories go, this one is a fairly decent outing. It has Thor, the New Avengers, the Dark Avengers and Ymir the Frost Giant. Oh, and tons upon tons of action and hard hitting artistic talent by Jim (Young Avengers) Cheung too. I will say, it was a very sneaky/good idea to make Spider-Man (a character who Bendis writes well) the central character that the reader connects with, as it fulfills both the need for a comic starring their best known and widely loved character and the need to introduce people to the new status quo of the Marvel Universe. This is their Gateway Drug!

Star Wars: Clone Wars
Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Company: Dark Horse Comics

The first of Dark Horse's two offerings, and this one, which puts forth a smattering of their All Ages titles is a nice example of just how diverse and good Dark Horse really is. Not only do you get an action packed story starring Master Jedi Kit Fisto, but you get a creepy little Usagi Yojimbo tale from Stan Sakai, and an Indiana Jones short story too that plays up the high adventure of the property. I missed having a Hellboy story thrown in there, but it's sort of nice to see some of the other stuff get the spotlight too.

Aliens/Predator
Writer: John Arcudi
Artists: Zach Howard & Javier Saltares
Company: Dark Horse Comics

Ah, Aliens and Predator. Just the two names alone hold so many good memories for me. Memories that bring forth feelings of blood curdling suspense and non stop, full throttle action of the highest caliber. This flip book gives readers a quick glimpse at both of these properties new titles (premiering a few months down the road if I'm not mistaken), and honestly, both have their pros and cons. The Aliens portion starts off a little slow, but I was reminded by a fellow Panteon member that that was how the old stories started, and he's right. Still, there are some novel ideas at work with it and Arcudi seems to have a good handle on the creep factor too. With Predator, the action is more up front and the mood is much more palpable. Selling both books even more is the art. Both Howard and Saltares have bucket loads of talent and each one of them shows off here, capturing the looks of Predators and Aliens with panache. Give this one a look, especially if you, like I, have any love for these characters.

Love & Capes #10
Writer/Artist: Thom Zahler
Company: Maerkle Press

This is another one of those books that I utterly look forward to every Free Comic Book Day, as writer/artist Thom Zahler has an uncanny knack for coming up with stories that make you laugh and contain gallon upon gallon of heart. For those not in the know, Love and Capes is, put simply, a superhero sitcom comic that focuses on a Superman/Lois Lane like relationship with its leads, The Cruasder and his lovely wife to be Abby. With this issue, the subject of superhero powers, the pros and cons of having such a gift, is explored. In doing this, Zahler nicely throws in fun and comical references to both Marvel and DC history all throughout the issue, but its the overall heartfelt message that he delivers and the way that he does it that makes Love and Capes such a riotous good time. Not only check this one out folks, but pick up the trade too. Great stuff throughout.

Resurrection #1
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: Justin Greenwood
Company: Oni Press

Post apocalyptic comics are about a dime a dozen these days. Good ones are tough to find. Resurrection, written by Spider-Man scribe Marc Guggenheim, is one of the good ones. It's claustrophobic with its suspense, the story of a world where its alien oppressors just up and vanish is one that has instant appeal and Justin Greenwood's black and white art evokes all of the proper emotions. To one better themselves, Oni Press is offering the first trade (collecting the opening arc of the series) for a measly $6.00, which for this series, is a steal and a half.




Contract #1
Writer: Garan Madeiros
Artists: Kevin Sharpe, Rick Ketcham & Mark McKenna
Company: A First Salvo

I vaguely remember one of the members of the Panteon reviewing this when it first came out. If memory serves me correctly, the feeling for Contract was not that favorable. Let's just say that this story hasn't aged well. As mercenary/spy stuff goes, you would expect something action packed or intriguing or at the very least, something that gets the adrenaline pumping. Contract however, falls short on several different fronts and then limps into the "It's Forgettable" category.

Comics Festival! 2009 Volume 3
Creators: Emmanuel Guibert, Kean Soo, Ramon Perez, Various
Company: Toronto Comics Art Festival

It actually hurts me a little to put this one under the title of Not So Good. In the past, Comics Festival has been nothing short of fantastic, what with the inclusion of things like Monster Cops and Scott Pilgrim. This year however, while there are some stand out stories in it (Ken Soo's Jellaby, Scott Chantler's Three Thieves & CTON's Jelly vs Peanut Butter, to name just a few), much of the rest of them just kind of coagulate into a single mass and sort of become forgettable. I wish that wasn't the case though, and I (as I love it so) certainly wish there had been a Scott Pilgrim story somewhere in here. Ah well, you can't be the best every year.

Sonic The Hedgehog: Evolution Of A Hero
Writer: Ian Flynn
Artist: Tracy Yardley
Company: Archie Comics

I may have missed the boat with Sonic. I played the countless Sega Genesis games, not to mention the Sega Game Gear games, as a kid but somehow I never succumbed to the hypnotic messages that Sonic, Tails and Knuckles whispered like a lot of other people did. That said, for those who have already besmirched your soul and fallen to it, and for parents looking for a bit of harmless fun for the kiddies, this complete issue that acts as a "catch-up" on the past and present of all things Sonic is a pretty decent offering.

The Wizard Hot List
Creators: Various
Company: Wizard Entertainment

If memory serves me correctly, last year Wizard released a Top 100 graphic novels of all time. That actually had a lot of oomph and interest to it as it gave useful information to people that could possibly make them come back and find more comics at a later date. This release, their Hot List as they call it, doesn't have the same bit of success. It's basically filler, advertising bits and pieces of stuff from their books like Twisted Toyfare and the How to Draw columns. Some of the stuff is okay, but honestly, there's not much of anything interesting to be found with this one.

Wolverine: Origin Of An X-Man
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Gurihiru
Company: Marvel Comics

Not a terrible outing, as free comic books go. Fred Van Lente dishes out a mildly entertaining Wolverine story, ala Wolverine First Class style, that pits the runt against an almost techno-organic/alien race who is taking over a small town in Canada. It's a somewhat interesting story notion and artist Gurihiru, best known for his stuff on the all ages book Power Pack, revitalizes Wolverine a little and gives him a bit more energy and finesse as we watch him hack and slash his way through the problem. That isn't the problem with this title though. No, the problem here is pretty simple: Wolverine Overload. There are so many titles bearing the name Wolverine or star Wolverine that at some point, all of the stories feeling alike. And as gifted as a writer as Van Lente is, there's nothing too notable about this book that would make it a standout.

Arcana Studio Presents
Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Company: Arcana Studio Press

I have to say, while most of this Arcana sampler didn't quite grab my interest, there was one story in it called Creepsville that did. The main reason for that is the Brandon Graham art. If the name doesn't ring any bells for you, I might suggest picking up the furiously funny and imaginative King City or Multiple Warheads. The art in Creepsville has the same level of creativity that his other work has, but the story...The story, written by Bill Rude and Chris Wyatt, is pretty good too. It isn't earth shattering or anything, but the fun nature of high school life in a place where zombies are running around, vampires live next door and werewolf uprisings are daily occurrences has a lot of possibilities.



Blackest Night #0
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ivan Reis
Company: DC Comics

I don't know about you, but the Green Lantern books have been some of the most downright enjoyable comics that I have had the pleasure of reading as of late. This issue, which is the primer for the next blockbuster DC event, Blackest Night, ratchets that feeling up a few more notches. It's true that this one is relatively light on story, but in the twelve pages that Johns has, he's able to tell an effective character-centric story that not only entertains but also provides people who may not have been picking up any of the Green Lantern, or much of the DCU's books in general, with enough information that the goings on don't carry a feeling of inclusiveness. The remaining pages of the book are devoted to giving a breakdown of the different colored Lantern groups, and while it sort of is an info dump, it's a particularly good way to do it. Also, Ivan Reis's stuff is damn good. He's got a Pacheco type look to his stuff, but man is Reis really stepping things up, letting his non stuffy, photo realistic style capture your imagination and going to town. I definitely recommend picking this one up if you have any interest in it whatsoever.

Atomic Robo And Friends
Writer: Brian Clevinger
Artist: Scott Wegener
Company: Red 5 Comics

Okay, I'll be up front about this, this collection of three titles from the Red 5 Comics guys would have probably been on the Good list if not for the inclusion of Atomic Robo. The two other "primer" stories are merely okay, putting forth some new material that will come out a couple of months down the road, one a Sci-Fi suspense story and the other a Buffy/Savage Brothers like story called We Kill Monsters. The Atomic Robo story however, cleverly titled, "Why Atomic Robo Hates Dr. Dinosaur," had me rolling on the floor. It's that unique blend of smarts, humor and action that creators Clevinger and Wegener have melded together that makes this thing so damn good. Pick this up, especially if you have never read the title. If that's the case, I almost guarantee you'll want to pick up the two trades that are print right now.

TMNT #1 25th Anniversary Reprint
Creators: Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman
Company: Mirage Studios

Just the fact that they are reprinting this issue, not to mention this is only the start of the reprints of this series, is an F-ING amazing thing. As a kid, my brother bought this comic and it was dark, violent and so well crafted that it's one of those books that can be read again and again, each time taking something new away from the experience. Eastman & Laird were the masters of the Turtle Kung Fu and this no ads, black and white, reprint of the exciting first issue that introduced Splinter, Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo, Michaelangelo and the Foot Soldiers is proof of that. If you've never read this before, this is the one book that I recommend over all of the other ones. That's just how good it really is.