THE PHANTOM: 80TH ANNIVERARY SPECIAL FCBD 2016 EDITION
Publisher: HERMES PRESS(W) Joe Gill (A) Don Newton, Jim Aparo (CA) Jim AparoTo celebrate the 15th anniversary of Free Comic Book Day and the 80th anniversary of the original masked hero,”The Ghost Who Walks” known as The Phantom, Hermes Press presents four classic tales by legendary comic artists Jim Aparo and Don Newton! All this, plus documentary materials and other surprise to make this a truly noteworthy celebration of two important anniversaries. Don’t miss it!
Rating: All Ages
Yup… The Ghost Who Walks is older than Captain America and Superman! This volume includes some fun reprints, but it’s not high on my list.
THE PINK PANTHER #1 FCBD 2016 EDITION
Publisher: AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY PRODUCTIONS(W/A/CA) S. L. GallantHe’s been the coolest cat in all of cartoondom for over 50 years! The Pink Panther is back in brand new adventures to tickle your funny bone and test the sanity of The Little Man. Join all of Pink’s pals from the DePatie-Freleng stable including The Inspector and The Ant and the Aardvark as we welcome The Pink Panther to 21st Century comic books in style! This special FCBD issue is chock full of fun with new and classic Pink Panther adventures including the hilarious antics of The Mighty Pan-Thor! 2016 is the year of the Pink Panther and it all starts here on Free Comic Book Day!
Rating: All Ages
A new worldless story shows what happens when the Pink Panther wields the mighty hammer! You won’t believe the twist ending! The Ant and the Aardvark have a one-pager, and there’s a reprint from 1994(!? Ah….Harvey Comics.) Plus a sneak peek at the pencils for an upcoming story. If you enjoyed the old Gold Key comics from the 70s, pick this up!
Publisher: PAPERCUTZ(W) Eric M Esquivel, Stefan Petrucha (A) Sam Spina, Andreas Schuster (CA) James KaminskiThe hottest new stars on Nickelodeon – Sanjay and Craig and Harvey Beaks – co-star in this comic collecting complete stories from Nickelodeon Magazine and from the Papercutz graphic novels. In “Lord of the Pipes”, everyone’s favorite talking snake, Craig, literally goes down the drain on an epic quest to fetch Sanjay’s father’s wedding ring… and has some close encounters with the strange beings he meets there. Then “Fight the Future with Flavor” dramatically depicts the shocking connection between Sanjay eating a seemingly harmless samosa and the total annihilation of the entire world by Martians! Also, Harvey Beaksproves he’s a “First Class Finder” when his mad Hide-and-Seek skills lead him to finding a big scary monster!
Rating: All Ages
I don’t know either franchise, but the stories are fun! Perfect for your favorite middle schooler!
SCIENCE COMICS FCBD 2016 EDITION
Publisher: :01 FIRST SECOND(W/A/CA) Maris Wicks, Jon ChadGet to know your universe with Free Comic Book Day’s Science Comics! Do you want to know more about how the world works – what’s going on under our feet and in our oceans? With two action-packed, full-color non-fiction science stories – one by Maris Wicks (author of Human Body Theater and Coral Reefs) and one by Jon Chad (author of Leo Geo and the upcoming Volcanos), Science Comics shows off what’s fun, weird, and crazy about the Earth we all inhabit!
Rating: All Ages
We get a brief biocomic from Maris Wicks explaining why she’s the perfect person to create a comic about Coral Reefs!
Then there’s a brief intro to volcanology!
If you want to learn something, and have fun, grab this!
Publisher: ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS(W/A) Various (CA) Jamal Peppers, Gary MartinGet the best of both worlds with the Sonic Sampler! Hot on the heels of the all-new epic Sonic comics event, “Panic in the Sky,” comes a supersonic sampling of stories for Free Comic Book Day! Join Sonic and friends as they band together to save the world from the evil ambitions of Dr. Eggman in these select stories from Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Universe! Plus, get a sneak peek of what’s to come with a special “Fast Forward Feature” that you’ll have to see to believe!
Rating: All Ages
Sonic is one of the longest running series out there (#280 in April!), but I really have no idea what’s going on. There’s a Maguffin called a Gaia Key. Then Eggman battles other nasties. If you’re a fan, or know one, grab it!
Publisher: UNITED PLANKTON PICTURES(W) Evan Dorkin, Israel Sanchez (A) Evan Dorkin, Ramona Fradon (CA) Gregg Schigiel, Rick Neilsen32 pages of all-original comics from United Plankton Pictures! In “Renegade Arms,” SpongeBob must grow extra appendages to deal with a huge influx of Krabby Patty orders. But without the proper training, the new arms are wreaking havoc! Then, in a brand-new Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy adventure – “Bedlam! In Bikini Bottom!” – the diluvian duo faces a fish egg… from space?! All this, plus deep truths about sea trenches from Maris Wicks, SpongeFunnies from James Kochalka, and more!
Rating: All Ages
As always, Spongebob delivers fun on Free Comic Book Day! There’s also a Mermaid Man adventure by Dorkin and Fradon! And James Kochalka! And an educational centerfold on undersea mountains by Maris Wicks! Grab it!
STAN LEE’S THE UNKNOWNS / HOWARD LOVECRAFT FCBD 2016 EDITION
Publisher: ARCANA STUDIO(W) Sean Patrick O’ReillyComic book legend Stan Lee’s newest creation, The Unknowns, makes it’s world debut on Free Comic Book Day! Two average teens help alien protectors disguise themselves as a touring rock group in order to take out undercover cells of invaders! Also included is the next chapter in the Howard Lovecraft series (just in time for the animated feature film, Howard Lovecraft & The Frozen Kingdom), as everyone’s favorite Cthulhu teams up with young H.P. Lovecraft in Howard Lovecraft & The Squid Kids! 32 pages of all-ages animated fun!
Rating: All Ages
Okay… image H.P. as young boy. And Cthulu is his pet Elder God of the Universe.
I gotta admit… this sounds crazy, and the animation designs leave me wondering, What’s wrong with their eyes? Stan Lee’s creations offer a neat twist on the old “touring band fights crime” trope.
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE #0 FCBD 2016 EDITION
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING(W) Georgia Ball (A/CA) Amy MebbersonStrawberry Shortcake returns to comics! It’s a berry special re-introduction to Strawberry Shortcake and all her pals and – maybe – a certain not-so-nice purple someone as well?!
Rating: All Ages
A fun story with great art by Amy Mebberson (can’t wait for her Disney comics!), plus there’s a character guide in the back, and dunDunDUN…
