It should come as no surprise that Free Comic Book Day is one of Loser City’s favorite times of the year. We love comics, and free comics are a temptation we can’t resist. But we know that it can be hard to figure out what to pick on Free Comic Book Day, which is why Nick Hanover and Dylan Tano have put together some recommendations for you and feel free to explore the previews on FCBD’s site.
What It Is: It’s an anthology approach to FCBD. Contained within will be mini comics from Peanuts, Garfield, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Steven Universe, and Hero Bear and the Kid. These are all ages comics with an assortment to delight both the young at heart and the young in age. KaBoom is also unveiling a new all-ages comic in this one!
Why You Should Get It: Surely you’re a fan of at least one of those comics. I dare you to find someone who didn’t enjoy Peanuts or Garfield as a kid. I even dare you to find a kid now that doesn’t love Adventure Time, assuming their parents let them watch it and if they don’t then you need to fix that immediately. Personally, I recommend Hero Bear and the Kid, it has absolutely stunning art and has a timeless feel to it.
What It Is: A sampler of 2000 AD material from the anthology’s incredible history, featuring work by the likes of Chris Burnham (Batman Inc.), Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), John Wagner (A History of Violence) and more.
Why You Should Get It: If you saw the sorely underrated Dredd and wanted to explore more Judge Dredd material but weren’t sure where to begin, the annual FCBD offering from 2000 AD is a great thing to pick up. Dredd isn’t all 2000 AD has to offer, though, and these FCBD releases are perfect for getting a taste of the diversity of the 2000 AD roster as well as showing why the magazine has long been a breeding ground for the best talent in comics, from Alan Moore to Grant Morrison to Brian Bolland and beyond. –NH
What It Is: It’s Rocket Raccoon. It’s an anthropomorphic Raccoon that has a talking tree for a best friend. He’s a weapon’s specialist that teams up with the Guardians of the Galaxy. You may have heard of them, they have a movie out this summer. Joe Caramanga, who letters for Marvel and writes for various comics publications, pens this tale with art by Adam Archer.
Why you should get it: Did you read that previous paragraph?! It’s a talking raccoon that shoots big guns and goes on space adventures. He’s also getting his very own on-going series this summer drawn by Scottie Young and this would be a great way to get acquainted with the character! – DT
What It Is: A one-shot featuring a reprint of a classic Buck Rogers Sunday strip by Russell Keaton, as well as bonus material by Howard Chaykin and others.
Why You Should Get It: Buck Rogers may have been out of the spotlight for a while, but as Dynamite’s new Flash Gordon series has shown, comics’ early sci-fi heroes still have a lot of life to them. Howard Chaykin’s take on Buck Rogers for Hermes Press unfortunately didn’t quite the attention it deserved and thus wound up canceled fairly quickly, but maybe this free release will help stir up some renewed interest in Chaykin’s revival and the archival material Hermes has been collecting for some time. – NH
What it is: It’s an all ages comic centered around a robot created by Nikola Tesla who has adventures in ACTION SCIENCE. Written by Brian Clevinger and drawn by Scott Wegener, this comic has consistently delighted me through 9 volumes. It’s a load of fun for everyone. Each volume is designed as a stand alone story and their Free Comic Book day issue is always a lot of fun.
Why you should get it: It’s a talking robot who performs action science. There is also an appears of a character called Dr. Dinosaur. Any Atomic Robo fan will tell you that if Dr. Dinosaur is along for the ride then it’s going to be hilarious. It’s a great comic for kids and adults. It isn’t overly violent or sexualized. The writing is smart but won’t make you feel dumb. It’s been one of my all time favorites since volume one. – DT
What It Is: An anthology to raise awareness for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a vital non-profit that protects comic creators and fans and was instrumental in saving “Brandon X” from overzealous Canadian customs law.
Why You Should Get It: Aside from the awesomeness of the CBLDF on the whole and the hard work they do protecting comic rights, they also know how to put together a great promo anthology as their Liberty Annuals have consistently shown. This FCBD release is comic strip-oriented, with work by Sergio Aragones, Cully Hamner, Chris Roberson and more, all on the subject of free speech. – NH
What It Is: Based on the animated series by the same name, Teen Titans Go is a stand alone comic not anchored to the main DC line. Your usual cast of heroes is there; Robin(not sure which one), Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven. Written by Sholly Fisch and Merrill Hagan and drawn by Ben Bates and Jorge Corona, it’s an all ages romp that’ll leave you wishing for a time DC wasn’t so “edgy”.
Why You Should Get It: Well, there is a pizza monster on the cover, which means there is a pizza monster in the issue! DC traditionally has some pretty awesome all-ages stuff, even when their main line is a bit of a let down. It’s the classic Teen Titans team as well, which means plenty of hijinks. It’ll give you a few laughs and probably leave you wanting some pizza. – DT
What It Is: A one-shot featuring a couple self contained stories from Ed Piskor’s epic Hip-Hop Family Tree, which Fantagraphics has released two volumes of.
Why You Should Get It: Many people don’t realize how interconnected hip-hop and comics are, but a brief scan through the alter egos of some of hip-hop’s giants (Ghostface Killah/Tony Stark, Hellfyre Club and MF Doom, for starters) makes it clear how close the two are. Ed Pisko’s Hip-Hop Family Tree began as a webcomic published on Boing Boing but it has evolved into one of the greatest works on hip-hop history in any form. This one-shot should help convince you to pick up the Fantagraphics releases immediately. – NH
What It Is: SPOON! I’ve always had a soft spot for The Tick. I loved the TV show and was initially introduced to the characters via the 1994 Fox cartoon. He’s an absurdist spoof of Comic Book Heroes, which means he’s funny and well… a bit dumb. Kind of like Leslie Nielsen’s Character from the Naked Gun series but for super heroes.
Why You Should Get It: When the sidekick’s battle cry is, “Not the face! Not the face!” you know you’re in for something different. If you’re a fan of spoofs or satire then this should be a must get for you. Every issue is a delightful way to poke fun at comicdom as a whole, which thankfully doesn’t take itself too seriously. – DT
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