LUCIDMEDIA

Reviewing Free Comic Book Day

Written by Adam A. Donaldson Monday, 05 May 2008 10:06

ARCHIE'S PAL JUGHEAD by Craig Boldman & Stan Goldberg

A pretty typical Archie & Co adventure, this issue finds Archie and Jughead serving as night watchmen at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, which is a real place in Baltimore. Think of it as Night at the Entertainment Museum as the guys witness some strange happenings as someone is replacing Geppi’s treasures with authentic looking phoneys. Best line in the book: “This isn’t Jughead! It’s a real dummy!”

BONGO COMICS FREE-FOR-ALL! by Matt Groening & Various

I’ve never really gotten into Simpsons Comics because it’s impossible for them to be as sharp as the actual show, even in its current state. The comics are usually enjoyable, however, and this fact was no different for this FCBD special. Inside is the return of Stretch Dude and Clobber Girl and bonus points go to writer Ian Boothby for turning Judge “Boys will be Boys” Schneider into the super-villain Judge Mental. The best part though is Nina Matsumoto’s interpretation of the Simpsons and friends as Manga characters.

HELLBOY/B.P.R.D. by Mike Mignola & Various With Hellboy II: The Golden Army coming this July, a Hellboy special was an obvious selection on FCBD for publisher Dark Horse. These three stories offer little bits of flourish for HB fans and is an excellent entry point to current events in the Hellboy/BPRD universe. The best of the three stories is “The Mole”, which offers some frighteningly bizarre insight into Hellboy’s inner demons. You’ll never look at a stray mole on your person the same way again.

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1 by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely

This is the big re-issue for FCBD 2008, and it justly deserves a little bit more attention shined upon it. The team of Morrison and Quitely invokes the great simplicity and optimism of the Superman world while mining the mythology to tell a story both familiar and fresh. Unlike its over-hyped counterpart All Star Batman and Robin, this book never fails to deliver and fans that may have missed it can now see what all the fuss is about.

PROJECT SUPERPOWERS by Alex Ross & Jim Krueger Project Superpowers is not strictly a Ross work, but his influence can be felt throughout this intriguing introduction to a unique new superhero universe. Meant to be a bridge from PS #0 and the first arc of the ongoing regular series, Ross and Krueger give us a superhero tale with a pulp feeling and a little B-movie sci-fi worked in. Also include are preview pages for other, future Dynamite projects like Matt Wagner’s Zorro and Christos Gage’s Man with No Name.

TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED

With a look influenced in equal parts by the Transformers movie, Japanese anime and what I’m pretty sure is the Powerpuff Girls, this book will surely be popular amongst the kiddies. Spun off from the CW animated series, and adapting one of the stories of the same, Transformers Animated is flashy to look at and dynamically laid out.

BROKEN TRINITY PREVIEW by Ron Marz & Stjepan Sejic

If you haven’t read your Top Cow comics in a while, or checked out any of their fine titles like Witchblade or The Darkness, then this is your opportunity to play catch-up. Although presented in the dually unoriginal formats of the flashback and the writing of a newspaper article, the story brings you easily up-to-date on goings on of the Tow Cop Universe and conveniently just in time for the crossover event of the same name this summer.

X-MEN by Mike Carey & Greg Land

Featuring the Astonishing X-Men team of Cyclops, White Queen, Wolverine, Colossus, Beast and Nightcrawler, this book from X-Men: Legacy writer Carey ties into the ongoing “Divided We Stand” storyline, but it’s also a fun, standalone. A former student at Xavier’s gets caught up trying to defend her town from monsters only to be overwhelmed and forced to call in reinforcements. Carey knows the characters and Land evokes the work of Cassady on Astonishing.

THE STRANDED/DAN DARE FLIP-BOOK Two previews from Virgin Comics make up this entry. On the one hand you get The Stranded, a kind of X-Files meets X-Men about a group of young people who find out that their whole lives have been manufactured. Meanwhile Dan Dare is the name of a 50s British icon who’s part Capt. Kirk and part Wyatt Earp. So if a snappy space western doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, allow me to add that this book is written by Garth Ennis. Yes, that Garth Ennis.

SHONEN JUMP MAGAZINE SAMPLER by Various

This is everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the Manga series Shonen Jump and then some with previews for three different stories and a full colour pin-up of the characters.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #1 by Mike Gallagher & Dave Manak

The cynics are snickering, but you shouldn’t dismiss this right away because this is actual comic book history. Sonic has been running (pun intended) in four-colour print since 1992, and that was during his heyday on Sega Genesis. After the surprise success of the Sonic Archives series, the decision was made to make this reprint of issue #1 available on FCBD. It’s kid’s stuff to be sure, but kind of a lost gem nonetheless.

Reviewing Free Comic Book Day

Featured here are various outtakes from the Aspen books co-created by Michael Turner. The worlds of Soulfire and Fathom are brought back once again, but really this one is more about the art than anything, not that there’s anything wrong with that, because it is exquisite. Michael Turner’s still got it, definitely, but can he keep it up on deadline?

DEL REY & DABEL BROTHERS PREVIEW by Various

The touch of the Dabel Brothers is sorely missed in Marvel’s Anita Blake series (even though I think they over-sexualized Anita just a tad), but this preview shows that there’s some great stuff to come from this studio. My favourite is the preview of the original Dresden Files story written by Jim Butcher exclusively for the medium, but frankly I like what I see of all these coming projects including George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards and Dean Koontz's Frankenstein.

TINY TITANS #1 by Art Baltazar and Franco

How adorable! Actually, it kind of is. Whether it’s the sight of Deathstroke in a suit and tie while still wearing his one-eyed mask, or Robin asking Speedy if his name means he can run really fast, or Wonder Girl getting made fun of for using jeans in a superhero costume, this book should definitely tickle young fans. Especially those that loved the dear departed Saturday morning, anime-style Teen Titans.

LOVE AND CAPES #7 by Thomas F. Zahler Think to yourself: What would Superman be like if it were a romantic sitcom à la Mad About You or Friends? Well Love and Capes is the answer with an often hilarious look at a superhero trying to please his bookstore owning girlfriend while saving the world and ducking his ex, an Amazonian princess. Sound familiar? Honestly, this has some sharp writing and really great, light-hearted art work.

MARVEL ADVENTURES: IRON MAN by Jeff Parker & Paul Tobin, & Alvin Lee

If the current state of the Marvel Universe has got you down, then this is the book for you. It might be a cold day in Hell for Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Hulk and Ant Man to team-up now, but in this story, together against the Mandarin, let’s just say there’s a new Fantastic Four in town. Sure, one half of this group is only here to cross-promote their eponymous films, but what the hay. This was a fun one and Alvin Lee’s art has got some great zip to it.

MAINTENANCE #1 by Jim Massey & Robbi Rodriguez

Now we’ve all seen evil scientists sit around and plot world domination, but what about the guys that look after the upkeep of their evil layers. Thus is point of Maintenance where custodians Doug and Manny just try and stay out of trouble and don’t really succeed. It’s a hilarious, black and white comic that shows the ugly side of super-villainy.

AMELIA RULES! COMICS AND STORIES by Jimmy Gownley

This is another book for the kids and taken straight from the very popular Scholastic series from Eisner and Harvey award-nominated creator Gownley. It’s a cute comic about one girl’s idyllic childhood and the typical problems she faces in dealing with friends and adults.

KIDS LOVE COMICS! COMIC BOOK DINER by Gallagher, Sava, Faber & More!

This one’s full of excepts from John Gallagher's Buzzboy Scott Sava's Dreamland Chronicles Patrick the Wolfboy and Roboy Red Banana Tail which finds the shoe on the other foot for one, poor monkey. The book has an added bonus of offering drawing aids to artistically inclined children and a list of child friendly comics for Mom and Dad.

NASCAR HEROES: ALL-STARS SPECIAL by Diamond, Gallagher, & Cassan

I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that a) NASCAR is expanding into comics, b) the book is filled with characters named like Jimmy Dash and Jack Diesel, or c) the obvious nod to the old Speed Racer cartoon on the cover. Nope, can’t decide. Next…

OWLY AND FRIENDS by Andy Runton, Christian Slade, James Kochalka, & Corey Barba

Another sample plate of all-ages tales make up this FCBD contribution from Top Shelf. Each story has a different art style and narrative, plus it’s a really quick read thanks to the simplicity of the delivery; it’s clean and easy to follow.

COMICS GO HOLLYWOOD

Not a comic per se, this entry is filled with all sorts of fascinating interviews, stories and trivia. Included is a look at the storyboards for the New Frontier animated series, a talk with Heroes executive producer and comic writer Jeph Loeb, Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas’ attempt to launch an X-Men movie in 1984, Jack Kirby’s Hollywood inspired artwork and a timely look back at Batman nemesis: The Joker.