Free Comic Book Day 2018

Gold Sponsor Comics


I continue reviewing this year’s Free Comic Book Day titles! Today, I showcase the Gold Sponsor comics… these are the twelve titles which all stores get. Many publishers will offer both Gold and Silver comics, using the Gold title to promote an event or launch a new series or graphic novel.


RIVERDALE 
Archie Comics

(W) Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Ross Maxwell, Will Ewing (A) Joe Eisma (CA) Photo

Set in the same universe as the hit CW series, this issue gives us a peek into all the secrets Pop Tate overhears in his day-to-day business, told through four vignettes in four different booths!
Teen Audiences.

A fun read. I wonder… has Sabrina appeared in Riverdale yet? Oh, right… she’s got a Netflix deal.


MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS SPECIAL
BOOM! Studios

(W) Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott (A) Diego Galindo (CA) Jamal Campbell

Featuring an all-new, original Power Rangers story exclusive to this Free Comic Book Day issue, this has ties to the “Power Rangers: Shattered Grid” event storyline, taking place in the pages of BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers comic series! Zordon turns to the Morphin Masters for help in the Power Rangers’ darkest hour as they battle Lord Drakkon – an evil version of Tommy, the Green Ranger, from an alternate reality – as he threatens every Ranger in all of existence.
Teen Audiences.

Whoa… Epic!  I was never a fan, although it’s a fun show, reminiscent of the live-action Saturday morning fare from the 1970s. 


OVERWATCH/BLACK HAMMER
Dark Horse Comics

(W) Andrew Robinson, Joelle Sellner, Jeff Lemire (A) Wilfredo Torres (A/CA) Kate Niemczyk

Two different worlds, two compelling tales! In Overwatch, agent Zarya is sent to eliminate an elusive hacker, and she is at her wit’s end. She reluctantly teams up – and butts heads – with an omnic hacker. As they hone in on their target, Zarya realizes that she will have to reassess her worldview about omnics. Then, in the world of Black Hammer (but a thousand years in the future), a collection of teenage superheroes, inspired by the legendary heroes of Black Hammer Farm, are determined to solve the riddle of what happened to those last great heroes of the twentieth century.

Again… I’m not a fan, but I did enjoy the animated shorts and the digital comics from when the game launched.
The backup series is an analog of DC’s Justice League and Legion of Superheroes.
Both stories are enjoyable.


TOP SECRET GOLD BOOK
DC Entertainment

(W) Shea Fontana (A/CA) Yancy Labat

Featuring a chapter from the original graphic novel, DC Super Heroes: A Date with Disaster! Catwoman is out on the prowl one night when – KABOOM! – an explosion at S.T.A.R. Labs rouses the heroes from their slumber. Star students Batgirl and Lois Lane both know the lab incident is fishy, and they meet later to share clues. But nothing could’ve prepared Batgirl for what they see next: Batgirl’s dad out on a date!? DC Super Hero Girls Free Comic Book Day 2018 #1 is written by Shea Fontana with art and cover by Yancey Labat.
Rating: ALL-AGES

This is a preview of a longer graphic novel. The series is fun, and I do recommend their YouTube channel!
Also, it should be noted: This is DC’s only FCBD issue this year, and the first DC Gold title to be aimed at kids, instead of older readers foaming over the next event in the DCU.


COMICS FRIENDS FOREVER
:01 First Second

(A) Hope Larson, Ben Hatke, Shannon Hale, LeUyen Pham (A/CA) Vera Brosgol

Comics friends forever! First Second presents an amazing Free Comic Book Day anthology that celebrates kids comics, girl power, and the amazing work of creators Vera Brosgol, Hope Larson, Charise Mericle Harper, Ben Hatke, and Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham. Don’t miss out on this comic filled with the power of friendship that’s great for every kid reader in your store.
All-Ages.

It’s First Second. Yes, these are all teasers, but why not get ahead of the curve, and reserve a copy at your local library?!  And while you’re waiting, you can catch up on Zita, and all the other titles featured in the back of this comic! But don’t dawdle…Summer Reading starts soon, and all of these titles will be checked out by ravenous hordes of young readers!


TRANSFORMERS: UNICRON: THE DARKEST HOUR #0
IDW Publishing

(W) John Barber (A) Alex Milne (CA) Sara Pitre-Durocher

Not a whimper, nor a bang-the end comes with a squall of entropy shrieking from the ravenous maw of death itself. The message is clear: Unicron has arrived. The Transformers lock into a desperate bid to save Rom’s homeworld from the world-killer – but why has Unicron chosen this world on his path to Cybertron… and Earth? The biggest story in the history of Transformers starts now: for Unicron’s arrival can mean nothing less than the end of a universe.
Teen Audiences.

The beginning of the end.  Thirteen years of Transformers comics from IDW! I watched the cartoons when I was a teen, but this…WOW…IDW has taken a licensed property, and created an epic! There’s a guide in the back which explains how we got here, and lots of trade collections to help you explore the various storylines!


BARRIER #1
Image Comics

(W) Brian K. Vaughan (A/CA) Marcos Martin

From the Eisner Award-winning team behind The Private EyeBarrier is an unconventional drama about violence, language and illegal immigration with a shocking sci-fi twist. After debuting on PanelSyndicate.com, this critically acclaimed five-part miniseries finally comes to print exclusively from Image Comics. And to help celebrate everything that makes serialized comics great, the massive, 53-page first issue will be available to mature readers for free on Free Comic Book Day, with the next four issues being released weekly throughout the rest of May! Printed in its original “landscape” format (side-stapled for convenient shelving!) and graced with gorgeous cardstock covers, each comic is meant to be a durable work of art, and there are no plans for these print issues to ever be collected, so the only way to own your own copies of this groundbreaking story is by supporting your friendly neighborhood comic shop!
Mature Readers.

The first issue, which sets the story in motion.


DISNEY PRINCESS: ARIEL SPOTLIGHT
Joe Books

(W) Paul Benjamin, Patrick Storck, Geoffrey Golden, Megan Kearney, Amy Mebberson (A) Egle Bartolini, Dylan Bonner, Brianna Garcia, Chris Dreier, Wes Dzioba, Paul Little (A/CA) Amy Mebberson

The FCBD edition of Joe Books’s best-selling Disney Princess comic will put the spotlight on Ariel for the very first time! Collecting both new and fan-favorite strips, this exclusive comic book will contain giggles aplenty as everyone’s favorite mermaid seeks out sunken treasure, tries to figure out human gadgets and gizmos, and embarks on new adventures with Flounder and Sebastian. Featuring FCBD exclusive cover artwork drawn by Disney Princess artist Amy Mebberson.
All-Ages.

Comic strip gags, all based on The Little Mermaid and friends! Fun stuff! Three collections exist, as well as an omnibus!


MARVEL AVENGERS/CAPTAIN AMERICA
Marvel Comics

(W) Jason Aaron, Ta-Nehisi Coates (A) Sara Pichelli, Leinil Francis Yu

Free Comic Book Day 2018 is your perfect chance to dive into the Marvel Universe! With a story from Jason Aaron and art by Sara Pichelli, Marvel’s FCBD title debuting this May features stories that set the stage for an epic new direction in the Marvel Universe.
Teen Audiences.

Marvel One Million…BC. T’Challa visits Odin, and learns a dark secret, that sets up Avengers #1 (2018), but not a big event.
In the backup, we get a preview of Captain America #1 (2018), where Captain America is once again beset by the Zeitgeist, and a secret cabal filling the vacuum left by HYDRA. [I believe Captain America holds the record for most series #1 issues: 1941, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018]


INVADER ZIM: FLOOPSY BLOOPS SHMOOPSY
Oni Press

(W) Jhonen Vasquez (A) Warren Wucinich, Fred Stresing (CA) Aaron Alexovich

Remember that funny green alien you used to watch on TV? No, not that one. No, no, the other green alien. Okay, it’s ZIM, alright? Invader ZIM! Well, ZIM sometimes watches TV too! And sometimes it’s bad TV. Very, very bad TV. So now, you can watch ZIM watching a very bad show called Floopsy Bloops Shmoopsy! All 385 seasons! 24/7! Never stopping! Reprints Invader Zim #20.
All-Ages.

Silly, stupid, fun! 


DOCTOR WHO #0
Titan Comics

(W) Nick Abadzis, John Freeman, George Mann, Jody Houser (A) Giorgia Sposito, Arianna Florean, Christopher Jones, Mariano Laclaustra, Rachael Stott (CA) Photo

Join the Doctor on May 5 for a free and new-reader-friendly tour through the Doctor’s many incarnations, packed with action, heart, and adventure, and tales that tease 2018’s epic journey!
CATCH A FALLING STAR
Artist and dreamer Gabby Gonzalez has long travelled with the Tenth Doctor, but her latest adventure may be her last – unless the Doctor can break every law of time!
THE ARMAGEDDON GAMBIT
The Seventh Doctor and Ace test their mettle against a planetary invasion! Leads into the new Seventh Doctor series, “Operation Volcano,” launching in June!
MIDNIGHT FEAST
The Eleventh Doctor follows his Time Lord tastebuds into an all-night diner, for madcap meals and unorthodox diplomacy!
Plus:
o A complete reader’s guide to the Doctor Who comics collections!
o The first appearance in Titan Comics by the Thirteenth Doctor, written and drawn by her new creative team!

Nice self-contained stories, featuring a multitude of Doctors, including the little-seen Seventh.


POKÉMON: SUN AND MOON / POKÉMON: HORIZON
Viz Media

(W) Tenya Yabuno, Hidenori Kusaka (A/CA) Satoshi Yamamoto

Pokémon Horizon: Akira’s summer vacation in the Alola region heats up when he befriends a Rockruff with a mysterious gemstone. Together, Akira hopes they can achieve his dream of becoming a Pokémon Trainer and learning the amazing Z-move. But first, Akira needs to pass a test to earn a Trainer Passport. This becomes even more difficult when Rockruff gets kidnapped! Pokémon Sun & Moon: Sun dreams of money. Moon dreams of scientific discoveries. When their paths cross with Team Skull, both their plans go awry!
All-Ages.

Did you know there were Pokemon comics? Yup… ever since the franchise hit our shores in 1999 and saved the comics industry, Viz has been publishing Pokemon comics! Gotta read them all!



1 COMMENT

  1. I picked up Barrier 1, all excited, then immediately crestfallen to find that half the book was in untranslated Spanish. Not my thing to be using a translation app to read a comic.

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