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Free Comic Day!
turkeywrap writes "Today is Free Comic Day! Go to your local comic store, pick up some free comics, and support the comic industry. Check and see if there are any special signings or events at a store near you." Ack! I'm in Warren at Penguicon this weekend, and nowhere near my precious comic store! I guess I'll have to pay for my comics ;)
Check your local bookstore, it's quite likely you'll find some trade paperback collections of X-Men comics in the graphic novel section. Essential X-Men, X-Tinction Agenda, and several others.
If you're new to the comics, I'd recommend the Essential X-Men (there are more volumes released since then as well) as a good starting point.
The big downside: it's in black and white, and not printed on the best quality paper. If you want the full experience, you would still need the comics. (except for some like the X-Tinction Agenda which were reprinted in better quality trade paperbacks)
Actually, yes. Marvel has been releasing complete collections of the early XMen comics, along with other comics, for a while as bound, telephone-book sized collections. I can't remember the name, I believe it was "Absolute Xmen," but they may have gone out of print by now. (The first printing was some time around 1997)
If your looking for them, go into a comic shop, and ask them about the Xmen "trade paperback." (A trade paperback is just a collection of the comics in one large volume)
There are many such bound series available...but since we are talking upwards of 1000 comics in the X-Universe...
5 108459/qid=1051974731/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-108143 4-6039167?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
1 35988X/qid=1051974807/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/104-108143 4-6039167?v=glance&s=books
To start off, I would look at Uncanny X-Men Masterworks http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/078
And the New X-Men Masterworks is also a good place to start http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/087
There are several volumes available, and are a good way to begin your journey into the X-Universe
Though I'll have to politely disagree with you over the quality of X-Men movies, I'll point you in the right direction for comics. X2 was sort of based off an graphic novel called "God Loves, Man Kills" by Chris Claremont. It's an alright book. If you want intense x-men action, try to get the newer x-men trade paper backs with Grant Morrisons name on them. His stories are better than anything in an x-men comic in decades and his other comics are what The Matrix is heavily based off of.
It's not exactly free. I noted milk and cheese comic a few months ago in prevus and asked my local guy to order it for me with the rest of the ones I usually pick up. He apologized and told me that he couldn't do it. In order to get it (the free comic book that is) he had to either by $70 of comics in some way, either by purchasing these "free comics" or by sales of other books from the supplier totalling $70. He never explained it and I never thought to ask further.I kind of wish I had now. .. so I don't get my milk and cheese. So depressing. I think I'll go to the fridge now and get the milk and cheese out and make cool action figures that go sour in the sun.
MURDER MAYHEM MERV GRIFFIN!!!!
One suggestion is to go looking for the original "God Loves, Man Kills" X-Men graphic novel. It's from the 1982, and the storyline is fantastic and puts a lot of the more recent stuff to shame. As well, I have heard from friends that the main villian has been reworked to appear in the X2 movie (Stryker).
I believe Marvel has just reprinted the story in normal comic book form as well.
The idea is to get people interested in comics that may have not looked into them before.
p
The official blurb:
**
On Saturday, May 3, thousands of comic book shops around the world will celebrate the unique American artform that is comic books. The day has been dubbed "Free Comic Book Day," and its goal is to introduce as many people to the wonders of comic books as possible.
There are comics for children, for families to enjoy together, for adults, and especially for people who think they would never read a comic book. Come by on May 3rd and let us change your mind - for free!
Regular updates, information about comic books, and lists of participating publishers
(and their comics) are all online at http://www.FreeComicBookDay.com.
**
It is Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), and yes, there are free comics to be had. Stores like ours do have to pay for these promotional issues, and we give them out for free to get people interested in comics. Here are the titles to be given out today:
Alternative Comics #1 - FCBD Edition
Archie & Friends - FCBD Edition
Avatar Graphic Novel Sampler - FCBD Edition
Batman Adventures #1 - FCBD Edition
Christa's 100% Guaranteed How-to Manual For Getting Anyone To Read Comic Books! - FCBD Edition
Courtney Crumrin & The Night Things - FCBD Edition
Frank Miller's Robocop / Stargate Sg1- FCBD Edition
Keenspace.com 2003 - FCBD Edition
Keenspot Spotlight 2003 - FCBD Edition
Landis #0 - FCBD Edition
Leave It To Chance - FCBD Edition
Metallix #1 - FCBD Edition
Peanutbutter & Jeremy #4 - FCBD Edition
Rocket Comics: Ignite - FCBD Edition
Skinwalker #1 - FCBD Edition
Slave Labor Stories - FCBD Edition
The Best Of Dork Storm Number 1 - FCBD Edition
Transformers: Armada - FCBD Edition
Ultimate X-men #1 - FCBD Edition
Walt Disney's Donald Duck Adventures - FCBD Edition
Way Of The Rat Movie - FCBD Special #1
If you need help trying to find a store, please check out:
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/fcbd_locator.as
Enjoy!
A-1 Comics, Inc.
1850 Douglas Blvd., Suite 514
Roseville, CA 95661
E-Mail: a1roseville@a-1comics.com
Web: http://www.a-1comics.com
Phone: (916) 783-8005
Fax: (916) 783-8040
Nope, you've got it wrong, Valiant never horded their comics in warehouses. Here's the real story: Back when Valiant first started publishing, their books were printed in limited supply because no one bought them, they were just an unknown startup. Then once they started getting popular, people chased after the older books which drove them up in price. Seeing that the old books were worth so much, a bunch of speculators entered the market, buying hundreds of copies of the newer Valiant books hopinh to flip them for $100 or more in a year. Valiant just increased their print run to meet demand. Of course, these books didn't increase in value any because everyone that wanted them just bought for the cover price, and the speculators were stuck with a bunch of comics that they had to dump to almost no buyers. See Turok #1, it's the classic example. You can buy this comic today for a nickle. Cover price? $3.95!!
Anyway, Valiant wasn't all bad. Harbinger up to 25 was great, so was X-O up to about 30, and the origional Rai series rocked. Actually the older Harbingers and Rais are still worth something, not as much as before of course. See Ebay.
Luckily, most publishers have seen the error in this and have gone back to the point where the writing and art are at the main sellers of comics, along with the characters themselves. It is far more honest and far less flash this way.
That being said, I personally think if you consider yourself a reader more than a collector then buying the collected editions or trade paperbacks of the series' you enjoy is deffinately the way to go. You will usually save a few bucks buying the trade paperback version versus what you would spend on the single issues as well. Unless of course it is only available in a hardcover version, which I personally despise.