By Nalini Haynes
What is FCBD? It’s Free Comic Book Day, one day in the year when comic book distributors hand out free comics like candy because THEY ARE GATEWAY DRUGS. These dealers want you to purchase more books and more books and, for a change, MORE BOOKS. They are evil, I say, EEEEEVIL.
Can I get free comics after FCBD? Apparently yes. Impact Comics has a link to download some digital comics.
What are these things called ‘comic books’? They’re stories in paper or electronic format that usually use pictures to tell a story, sometimes with or without words. For more detail, see Jason Franks on Comics 101. I’ve only had my desktop magnifier for a few years so, up until now, I’ve read very few comics and those had to be pretty accessible (fair-sized print with clear images). Now I can read smaller print and examine images in greater detail, I’m exploring this weird and wonderful medium.
How can a story be told in such a small volume? TBH these FCBD volumes are tasters, intended to suck you in. This is why CLIFFHANGERS ARE COMMON. You have been warned.
Why are people giving Dark Matter Zine MORE things to review? Actually, FCBD books are free for everyone so I’m under no obligation to actually write reviews. I just thought I’d jot down a few thoughts about the day and the comics in a series for DMZ because two-for-one.
Impact Comics is my local comic book store, an icon in vibrant Canberra, Australia’s capital city and home to a diverse geek culture. Canberra is much smaller than Melbourne or Sydney but I have a comic book store, a gaming bar (PC and console gaming, no pokies) and a board-games restaurant with regular Fireside Gatherings all within walking distance of my apartment. Beat that, Melbourne. 😛
On the first Saturday in May I headed down to Impact Comics in Garema Place (Canberra’s ‘inner city’ precinct) to acquire some free comics and check out the inevitable cosplayers. Some of the 501st were there, waving the Imperial flag, as well as a few others having fun.
Family-friendly comics were outside in a marquee while comics for slightly older audiences were inside, some comics intended for adults only. The minion and I gathered a bundle of interesting titles, purchased volume one of the gorgeous Locke and Key by Joe Hill because I had already fallen in love with The Fireman, and headed out the door to watch Civil War the movie then on to The Guild before returning home.
Today I read Civil War II with great trepidation because I’m not a fan of the movie.
To be continued…
Pictured below: epic loot from the day
