Tag Archives: Free Comic Book Day

Flashpoint #1 Cover

The Aquaman Shrine posted this image of the full cover for Flashpoint #1, with full logo and credits.

Flashpoint #1 ships next week, along with Flash #12, the “final” issue of the series. (We’ll just have to see see how DC relaunches it afterward.) A preview will also appear in DC’s Green Lantern special for Free Comic Book Day this Saturday.

In related news, USA Today writes about Flashpoint, “Not the DC heroes you know,” interviewing Dan Didio, editor Eddie Berganza, artist Andy Kubert, and comics retailer Brian Hibbs. Kubert talks about redesigning Wonder Woman and Batman, and Didio talks about the way DC is trying to combat event fatigue.

Green Lantern/Flashpoint for Free Comic Book Day

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Well, that was fast. Just yesterday I pondered the likelihood of DC releasing a Flashpoint prelude for Free Comic Book Day, and today they announced a Green Lantern/Flashpoint special for the event.

This is the perfect jumping-on point for new readers who can’t wait to see the “Green Lantern” major motion picture from Warner Bros.! Discover how and why Hal received the power ring that changed his life forever with this reprinting of GREEN LANTERN #30, a pivotal chapter of the Green Lantern: Secret Origin graphic novel. No comic fan can afford to miss this exclusive first sneak peek of FLASHPOINT, DC’s blockbuster event of 2011, by the all-star team of Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert.

So instead of a lead-in, we’re getting a preview, and it’s playing backup to a Green Lantern movie tie-in.

Free Comic Book Day is held the first Saturday of May.

Speed Reading: Flash Deaths, Sightings, Pricing and More

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Some linkblogging from the past couple of weeks:

Flashy Links

Newsarama interviews Francis Manapul on his work on The Flash.

Comics Bulletin presents the Top 10 Flash Deaths in order of how long they lasted.

A reader at Silver Age Comics discovers that Flash Comics #13 is different on Earth-One.

You’ve probably read about the thief who took Free Comic Book Day a bit too literally and tried to steal a $150 X-Men Omnibus…and was foiled by Spider-Man, two Jedi, and the Flash.

Speaking of FCBD, Chris Samnee has posted a FCBD sketch gallery featuring both Flash and Quicksilver.

Super Heroes

Comics Worth Reading’s Johanna Draper Carlson has some ideas for how to make super-hero comics interesting again

4thLetter’s David Brothers encourages you to focus on the stories, not the canon. Don’t buy something you don’t like just because it’s “important,” and don’t pass up other good stuff because it’s not.

Comics Alliance has a thought-provoking article on the racial implications of running legacies backward.

Grumpy Old Fan ponders the role of secret identities in DC comics from the Silver Age through the present.

Once Upon a Geek also reviews the DC Fandex guide (my review went up on Monday).

Comics in General

Westfield Comics’ KC Carlson explains how to meet artists without being talked about afterward, and offers suggestions for convention behavior.

LIFE has a photo gallery of people reading classic comic books from the Golden Age through the 1980s, including a boy reading Flash Comics in 1949. Nitpick: By 1949, the feature wasn’t about a “college student” with super-speed. Jay Garrick graduated during his origin story. (Link via Xian)

Collected Editions considers an increasingly common problem: the trade you want is out of print.

Multiversity Comics analyzes the impact of the shift from $2.99 comics to $3.99.

Flash Signings for Free Comic Book Day

United States

Arizona

Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver sign at Atomic Comics in Mesa

California

Mark Waid and Marc Guggenheim sign at Collector’s Paradise in Winnetka from noon-3pm
Mark Guggenheim will also appear at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles from 4-7pm.
Todd Nauck (Young Justice) signs at 4 Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga

Florida

Paul Pelletier signs at Heroes Haven in Tampa

Maryland

Greg LaRocque signs at Super Villains Comic Shop in Baltimore

New York

Todd Dezago (Impulse) signs at Excellent Adventures in Ballston Spa

Canada

Ken Lashley (Flash: The Fastest Man Alive) signs at Comic Connection in Hamilton, Ontario

Notes

Humberto Ramos (Impulse) canceled an appearance at Comicpalooza this weekend.

The FCBD website has a list of more creator signings on Saturday. I may have missed some Flash-related names.

Why Blackest Night #0 is a Free Comic Book

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I took a quick look at a site where people were discussing scans of a few pages of Blackest Night #0, one of DC’s offerings for Free Comic Book Day. While there I noticed a discussion as to why this continuity-heavy lead-in to the big 2009 event was not suitable for a new reader who has just wandered into a comic store for the first time (or the first time in several years) to check out the free stuff (that being the primary purpose of FCBD).

Here’s the thing: I don’t think it’s intended for that audience.

I think DC has realized that Free Comic Book Day brings in a lot of regular comics readers looking for something free, like a sale, and they’re going after that audience. This isn’t aimed at people who have never read a comic book. It’s aimed at people who are at least somewhat familiar with DC Comics but maybe haven’t been reading Green Lantern and need a primer for the multiple Corps and the Blackest Night prophecy so that they can jump into the event. It’s aimed at people who read some DC Comics, but weren’t planning on picking up the next big event, but hey, since this one’s free, why not take a look?

And given that it sounds like DC’s entire line is going to be involved in this event over the next 8 months or so, it still works as an introduction to their output.

Speed Force

Tracking the Flash – the Fastest Man Alive