Pencilbot:

Greetings all, Pencilbot here, in the spirit of FREE COMIC BOOK DAY we wanted to throw down some ones that you should not miss and some that, given the choice of only one in some totalitarian comic shops, you should definitely steer clear of. I tried to read more to let you all in on what’s good and whats not but came up a tad short. Here’s what I did get done though. Here we go –

– The Stuff of Legend Preview –

By far the best ones that are out there on FCBD comes from these newcomers Th3rd World Studios; it’s a cross between Toy Story, Indian in the Cupboard and Lord of the Rings or Golden Compass. It’s about a boy that gets kidnapped by the Boogyman and is brought to his own world “The Dark” (The closet), and a faithful G.I. Joe like figure rallies the other hesitant toys to go into The Dark and rescue the boy. The layout is original and inventive and echoes artistry of late 19th/early 20th century children’s books comparable to E.H. Shepard or John Tenniel. Definitely don’t want to miss this preview and be sure to order your copy soon, these are sure to sell out. I’ll be giving a review of Book One that Th3rd World was generous enough to send over to BSR!, so keep a look out for that.

– Love & Rockets: New Stories –
Yep. You read that correctly. The Hernandez Bros. are back in the game and doing it with a new format. Though there aren’t any erections and nipples in this one, I have a feeling they edited some of those out for a more mass consumption. I dig the new direction of these tales that are presented so far though, definitely check ’em out if you get a chance.

– Shonen Jump ‘special’ –
Fairly queer read, it’s worth its weight in gold simply for the ridiculous/awesome manga depiction of Stan Lee poster inside.  He’s pimpin out his newest creation Ultimo, a manga about a Good and an Evil science lab experiments.

– Attack of the ALTERNA ZOMBIES! –
This one gets the highest kudos for production value alone. It’s almost like a mini-tpb, it comes with a small tale of a modern-day Jesus and Abe Lincoln kicking some zombie ass, then show’s previews of all their other books. Definitely the most stories and the most bang for your non-buck.

– Wolverine: Origin of an X-MAN –
I know what you’re thinking; Who is this Wolverine and where does he come from? Well, apparently he’s a Canuck part of X-Men and he has these blades that blast out of his fists. I guess he’s got a tv show and a movie out now so I think they’re trying to push this guy out there for consumers. This book however, has a deceiving title; it’s not so much an origin as much as it is a mission while Mr. Wolverine tells everything we already know about him in thought bubbles. Good for anyone who hasn’t heard of this “Wolverine” fellow.

– Contract #1 –
Do you remember Meg Foster in Oblivion and Oblivion: Backlash? I skimmed through this one but this space western seems to be a bit in that vein. The difference is that it’s about bounty hunters with a busty leader who deputizes herself to form The Stellar Rangers! -ers! -ers! -ers! It’s a good read, it has more origin in this book than others that claim they’re origin. 😛

 
– Star Wars | The Clone Wars –
This is usually Swank! territory but since he’s a lazy bastaad, I’ll just mention that this is a good one for kids AND it’s also comes with Usagi Yojimbo, Emily Strange, Beanworld and Indiana Jones shorts too. Another one that is the most bang for your non-dollars.

Clang! Boom! Steam!

– Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer Preview –
Creative Team: (W) Mark Waid (A) Kenneth Rocafort
Publisher: Image Comics/Top Cow Studios

A prelude to a major Top Cow crossover event this summer, Cyber
Force/Hunter-Killer is one of the nicest looking Image books I’ve seen
in a long while. Though I haven’t read it in a while, Cyber Force was
my favorite Image book at the time of it’s launch and the striking,
unique artwork in this preview is nudging me toward getting back into
it. Mark Waid doesn’t hurt either. Great looking comic which doubles
as a sourcebook to bring the layperson up to speed.

Two thumbs up

– Savage Dragon #148 –
Creative Team: (W/A) Erik Larsen
Publisher: Image Comics

Eric Larson was kind (or smart) enough to plop this freebee right into
continuity compete with a 1 page summary of the major events of the
last 147 issues. As energetic as it’s ever been, this issue of the
Savage Dragon (re)introduces a Golden Age hero called Daredevil (no
relation to Matt Murdock or Marvel) who has fallen into the public
domain. A 2 page Daredevil bio/history of sorts caps off the issue to
clear up any confusion as to who the Hell he is and what he’s doing in
a Savage Dragon comic.

– Aliens/Predator –

Creative Team: (W/A) Various
Publisher: Darkhorse Comics

The bread and butter titles in the early years of Dark Horse are back.
(Did they ever leave?) This comic provides a small glimpse into these
relaunching titles that I have such fond memories of back in the early
90’s. Though the 2 for 1 deal provides little space for fleshed out
stories, it does give you a reminder of just how and why these
creatures scared the crap out of you back in the day. One thing is
certain, these comics will certainly outshine the AVP movies ten fold,
though the same could probably be said about Archie Comics.

Clang! Boom! Steam! Out!

Mandroid

– Blackest Night #0 –

We all know I’ve an unabashed love for all things Geoff Johns and Green Lantern, but I also love like nothing more a good universal Crisis that gets the DCU posse together for a big throw down.

The issue it’s self is more of a quiet moment setup for the series, mostly focusing on the life of Bruce Wayne/ Batman (probably the closest thing to a funeral you’ll see in the DCU). Also, there’s great character interaction between Barry (the Flash) and Hal (Green Lantern) as they discuss Bruce’s life and their own “deaths” and “resurrections”. Overall, I’ve got to say it’s a bit of a tease for things to come in the mini-series, and a good jumping in point to DCU. True, it can be a bit overwhelming at times to jump into DCU, but in my opinion you’ve got to go with it and sink or swim.

Plus, the added bonus of the various Lantern Corps giving a breakdown, character listing, and info is nice for new readers and current readers.

– Avengers –

Ok, in frank honesty, as a stand alone issue presented to someone as an intro to Marvel U Avengers, it’s got great writing by Brian M. Bendis, fantastic art by Jim Cheung, great action far beyond any movie you’ll ever see, and fun dialogue. So really, I’ve got to give it good marks as a FCBD book introducing kids and teens (and possibly adults as well) into Marvel.

My problems with the book? It’s a story post-Civil War I’ve read at least five times already. Without spoiling the story, the “Illegal” Avengers (IE actual “heroes” who are non-registered) get involved in a battle with a big baddie. Of course the “Legal” Avengers (villains posing as heroes) show up and big fight ensues. By my own admission, I’m being overly critical here, but I just want something new out of it. So really, this is a book for new readers and as an existing comic reader, it’s just not for me.

FCBD Checklist (some books are previewed digitally @ www.freecomicbookday.com):

Avengers
Blackest Night #0
Bongo Comics Free-For-All!
Disney/Pixar’s Cars #1
Resurrection #0
Savage Dragon #148
Shonen Jump Presents: Ultimo
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
The Mighty Archie Art Players
Transformers Animated/G.I. Joe
Aliens/Predator
APE Cartoonapalooza #2
Arcana Studio Presents
Atomic Robo And Friends
Attack Of The Alterna-Zombies!
Comics Festival! 2009 Volume 3
Contract #1
Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer Preview
Dabel Bros. Showcase
DC Kids Mega Sampler
FCHS
Fist Of Justice #1
Gold Digger #101/Prince Of Heroes
IMPACT University Volume 5
Love & Capes
Love & Rockets Sampler
Mercy Sparx: Under New Management
Nancy & Melvin Monster
NASCAR Heroes: Origins #1
Owly And Friends
Radical 2009 Preview
Sonic The Hedgehog: Evolution Of A Hero
Studio 407 Sampler
The Stuff of Legend
The Wizard Hot List
TMNT # 25th Anniversary Reprint
Warhammer Fantasy
William Shatner Presents #1
Wolverine: Origin Of An X-Man
Worlds Of Aspen #4
Additional Items
FCBD 2009 Minimate
Magic The Gathering: Agents Of Artifice Sampler