IGN has the first look at the new X-O Manowar from Valiant Comics.  This Valiant 2012 issue is set to debut on Free Comic Book Day 2012.    According to IGN, the publisher also has plans for Bloodshot and Harbinger.  The cover for the FCBD issue is by Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic.   Free Comic Book Day is set for May 5, 2012.

Other comics already announced for Free Comic Book Day include the comics from the 10 Gold Sponsors: Avengers 12.1, Bongo Free For All, DC Comics – The New 52 FCBD Edition, Image 20, Mega Man: Let the Games Begin; Mouse Guard, Labyrinth and More HC Flipbook; Peanuts/Adventure Time Flip Book; Star Wars/Serenity Flip Book; Transformers 80.5; and Yo Gabba Gabba: Free Comic Book Time.

There will be 35 silver sponsors for Free Comic Book Day in 2012, so more announcements on coming books are no doubt on the way.

- Matt Price

Scene from "The Amazing Spider-Man."

“The Amazing Spider-Man” won’t be released until next July 3, but Sony has already scheduled a sequel, Entertainment Weekly reports.

The date of May 2, 2014 has been selected for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”

No further information was provided, but it is likely Andrew Garfield would return in the lead role of Spider-Man.

The first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day, in which comic book shops and participating locations around the world will give away comics to customers and visitors.

Free Comic Book Day was created by Concord, Calif., comic book retailer Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff.
“I love the way Hollywood has increased the awareness of the First Saturday in May as the international holiday for

Joe Field

comic books with Free Comic Book Day,” Field said. “With the release of The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012, representing a new silver screen take on the wondrous wall-crawler, I know this will give an extra lift the Free Comic Book Day. FCBD: This time it’s AMAZING!”

Field is the president of ComicsPRO, the comic-book retailer trade organization.

The first Free Comic Book Day in 2002 was timed to the release of the first “Spider-Man” movie starring Tobey Maguire. Free Comic Book Day moved in 2004 to time its release with “Spider-Man 2” before returning to the first Saturday in May. “Spider-Man 3” was also released on Free Comic Book Day weekend in May 2007. Other superhero films to be released on the first Saturday in May include “Iron Man” 1 and 2, and this year’s “Thor.” “Avengers” is set for the first weekend in May of 2012, and “Iron Man 3” is penciled in for that weekend of 2013.

- Matt Price

Free Comic Book Day logo

It’s the 10th annual Free Comic Book Day!  Comic book shops around the country will be giving away comic books to fans who come in today.   Free Comic Book Day creator Joe Field said about 2.7 million comics will be available for giveaway Saturday. Retailers have given away more than 25 million comics since the first giveaway in 2002.

9 a.m.: It’s an hour til kickoff at Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, OK.

9:30 a.m.: 30 minutes til kickoff!  Comics are set out and ready to go.  Reports of “Thor” box office from Friday may bode well for people thinking about comic-book characters.

9:40 a.m. Lines are forming!

9:50 a.m. Parking lot is full… pretty decent line of folks waiting to enter.

10 a.m. And it begins!

10:25 a.m. Wow!  That was a rush. Nearly 100 people in the first 15 minutes!  Lots of kids in the group.

10:45 a.m. Lots of people talking about having seen Thor – pretty good reports so far.  People are excited about getting free comics!

10:55 a.m. The stickers have been a fun addition – this is the first year we’ve had them at Speeding Bullet, anyway.  Kids like to get stickers for things!

11:10 a.m. If I had to guess, I’d say Captain America/Thor has been the most popular giveaway in the first hour.

11:30 a.m. Great weather this year for Free Comic Book Day – traffic has been steady throughout.

11:45 a.m. Betty and Veronica has also been a popular choice so far.

12 p.m. The Sonic the Hedgehog issue has “sold out,” and Robert Kirkman’s “Super Dinosaur” is almost gone.

12:25 p.m. Darkwing Duck and Avatar have now “sold out.”

12:45 p.m. Starting to heavily supplement the free comics with additional giveaway comics  – several of this year’s comics won’t end up lasting the entire day.  At 5 comics per person, a group or family with several kids can really clean up today in reading material.

1 p.m. The heavily ordered Spider-Man and Green Lantern will probably last the day – not sure any of the other “new” Free Comic Book Day issues will.   There will be comics to give away here until 7 p.m., though.   Lots of people here excited for the Captain America film – and the Captain America/Thor giveaway is down to just a handful.

1:15 p.m. Speeding Bullet is on pace to have as many people in as any day in history – breaking last year’s record.  The staff tells me they don’t think it will happen, though: They’re anticipating a slowdown when the Thunder game starts at 4.

1:45 p.m. Adam West’s comic from Bluewater has “sold out.”  So has Mouse Guard from Archaia.

1:55 p.m. Kung Fu Panda, Baltimore and Atomic Robo have sold out, as well.

2:10 p.m. A rough, quick count indicates Speeding Bullet has given away as many comics as any year except 2010 – and that’s still in reach depending on traffic the rest of the day!

2:30 p.m. The relatively breakneck pace of the morning has slowed down just to “busy.”   Some of the people who have seen “Thor” have picked up “Fear Itself,” which prominently features Thor and Captain America.

2:35 p.m. Out of “Elric” and “Young Justice/Brave and the Bold.”

3:05 p.m. The store has exceeded its 2009 traffic totals and comic giveaway totals!  Still behind the 2010 record – but four hours remain in the day, so we’ll see!

3:10 p.m. Just had in some customers who have been in each year of the 10 Free Comic Book Days!  It’s kind of amazing it’s been going on for 10 years now.

3:30 p.m. Green Lantern/Flashpoint FCBD edition looks to be the top giveaway so far this year. It was also one of the most-ordered, so there are still some to go!

3:40 p.m. Traffic has started to thin out, really for the first time – making me wonder if the “Thunder theory” is accurate — people tried to get their free comics before the basketball game today!

4 p.m. The heavily ordered Spider-Man and Green Lantern FCBD issues are the last new-to-this-year issues remaining to give away; they’re also the top 2 new giveaways this year.

4:30 p.m. With things kind of slowing down, I’m going to wrap up the live-blog.  Speeding Bullet will remain open until 7 p.m.  Traffic and giveaway totals probably won’t top 2010, but still it’s beaten every other year in FCBD’s 10-year history.  And Free Comic Book Day is almost always the top traffic day of the entire year.  Hope everyone had a wonderful Free Comic Book Day!   Thanks again to Joe Field, Diamond Comics and all the sponsors of this fantastic event!

- Matt Price

CHRIS HEMSWORTH STARS IN THOR, READIES FOR THE AVENGERS

“Thor” star Chris Hemsworth talks getting ready for the Avengers and a possible Thor sequel.

Chris Hemsworth (AP)

“I had such an amazing time … can’t wait for Avengers, and the idea of doing more of them is incredibly exciting. I really do love the character, and I’m excited to see what other directions we could take it,” Hemsworth said in a phone interview.”I’ve hung out with Chris Evans a few times, and talked about the film and how excited we are, and the same with Downey, I’ve bumped into him at a couple of events,” he said. “We’ve all seen these characters come to life individually, and now to mesh it all together is going to be a fun ride.”

NEW GREEN LANTERN TRAILER

Warner Bros. has released a new trailer for “Green Lantern,” opening June 17 and starring Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, chosen to be a Green Lantern, a member of an intergalactic peacekeeping force. Warner Bros. seems to be upping the epic feel for this one, as you get a sense of Hal Jordan as the newest member of this awesome peacekeeping force.

Speaking of Green Lantern, he’ll have a comic book featured in Saturday’s

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

For the 10th year, comic book shops and participating locations around the world will give away comics to customers and visitors. This Saturday marks the 10th celebration of Free Comic Book Day. Characters such as Spider-Man, Thor, Green Lantern and the Smurfs star in special comics, sold at low cost to stores, to be given away free on this special day.

Free Comic Book Day was created by Concord, Calif., comic book retailer Joe Field, ComicsPRO trade organization president and owner of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff.

Field said about 2.7 million comics will be available for giveaway Saturday. Retailers have given away more than 25 million comics since the first giveaway in 2002. More than a dozen stores in the Oklahoma City area are participating.

REVIEW FILE: Axe Cop 3, Fear Itself 2.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 594  Still to go: 1417

For the 10th year, comic book shops and participating locations around the world will give away comics to customers and visitors. This Saturday marks the 10th celebration of Free Comic Book Day. Characters such as Spider-Man, Thor, Green Lantern and the Smurfs star in special comics, sold at low cost to stores, to be given away free on this special day.

Free Comic Book Day was created by Concord, Calif., comic book retailer Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff.

Field said about 2.7 million comics will be available for giveaway Saturday. Retailers have given away more than 25 million comics since the first giveaway in 2002. More than a dozen stores in the Oklahoma City area are

Joe Field

participating.

“My hope is that this comics ‘holiday’ inspires more people of all ages and interests to support their local comic shops,” Field said in a recent interview. “I hope FCBD can inspire all of us who work in comics and everyone who loves comics to use FCBD as a launchpad for introducing thousands more readers to the sublime wonders of comics!”

Free Comic Book Day 2011 will be celebrated in 40 countries around the world this year. Field estimated between 300,000 to 500,000 people visit comic shops each year on Free Comic Book Day. Field is also the president of ComicsPRO, the direct-market trade organization for comic shops. More information about the organization is available at www.comicspro.org.

This year, many of the characters starring in summer films also will star in Free Comic Book Day offerings. Thor and Captain America co-star in “Captain America/Thor: The Mighty Fighting Avengers.” The comic book is by the creative team of the critically acclaimed “Thor: The Mighty Avenger,” writer Roger Langdridge and artist Chris Samnee. It features a time-traveling Captain America from World War II thrown into King Arthur’s Court, where he meets up with Thor, also displaced in time.

Green Lantern also is getting in on the action this year with the “Green Lantern Flashpoint Edition.” It reprints “Green Lantern” No. 30, part of the “Secret Origin” of Green Lantern. The issue also will include a sneak peek at

Green Lantern Flashpoint edition

Flashpoint, DC Comics’ summer event by writer Geoff Johns and artist Andy Kubert.

Though his film is a year away, Spider-Man also has a Free Comic Book Day title, “Amazing Spider-Man” Free Comic Book Day edition, by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos.

DC Comics’ second Free Comic Book Day title features comics based on the animated television programs “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” and “Young Justice.”

If superheroes aren’t your thing, other comics available will feature Archie Comics’ Betty and Veronica; the Smurfs and Geronimo Stilton; Kung-Fu Panda; Mickey Mouse and more.

For more information about Free Comic Book Day, or to find a participating store near you, visit www.freecomicbookday.com.

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

The 10th annual Free Comic Book Day is Saturday, May 7.   Oklahoma City-area shops will join with comic book stores around the world to give away millions of comic books.   Click past the cut for a list of participating shops in the Oklahoma City metro area.  Look for more coverage of Free Comic Book Day at Nerdage, including a live-blog of the event on Saturday, May 7.

- Matt Price

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

Be sure to check out the Nerdage live-blog of Free Comic Book Day this Saturday.   For the fourth straight year, I plan to live-blog the events of Free Comic Book Day from the sales floor of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, OK.  (Full disclosure note: I am one of the owners of Speeding Bullet Comics.)

Every year, it’s a lot of fun, and I look forward to seeing comic-book fans new and old throughout the day!

- Matt Price

Warner Bros. has released a new trailer for “Green Lantern,” opening June 17 and starring Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, chosen to be a Green Lantern, a member of an intergalactic peacekeeping force.

Want to get fired up for Green Lantern in advance? DC Comics has selected a Green Lantern comic to give away this Saturday, May 7th as part of Free Comic Book Day.

Warner Bros says: Get ready for the movie by learning how Hal first discovered his ring of power in this exclusive reprint of Green Lantern #30, backed with a bonus all-new collectible Flashpoint story, this summer’s hottest comic book story!

Find a comic shop near you at www.freecomicbookday.com.

- Matt Price
Click past the cut for images.

The Joplin, Mo.-based artist recently signed an exclusive contract with Top Cow, to take over as the artist of “The Darkness.”

“The Darkness” series stars mob hit man Jackie Estacado. On Estacado’s 21st birthday, the terrible powers of the Darkness awaken within him and put him in the midst of a supernatural war.

The character was created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis, and David Wohl, and first appeared in 1996.

“‘The Darkness’ is one of my favorite properties that we’ve ever created at Top Cow,” Silvestri told The Oklahoman in a 2006 interview. “Not only just in concept, but quite frankly to draw. … Jackie’s kind of an alter ego for me and a lot of other guys. We get to act out our frustrations through this guy; it’s a lot of fun.”

Haun, 35, who previously has drawn “Detective Comics” for DC Comics and “Civil War: Iron Man/Captain America” for Marvel, is hoping for a long run on the antihero.

“It looks like with issue 96 I’m going to come on, and I’m going to stick around basically until they kick me off the book,” he said.

An upcoming "Artifacts" cover with art by Jeremy Haun

He said part of what makes Jackie Estacado interesting is that dark inner conflict.

“It’s a good character, it’s had a lot of good iterations,” he said. “He’s a great antihero. He’s basically the essence of chaos in a lot of ways. I think it’s very cool seeing a character that in any other story would be a villain, but he does have his own moral sense. We all have a dark side within us, and seeing someone who rides that line as close as Jackie does is pretty interesting.”

Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik said it’s a joy to sign up Haun, both for his experience and talent, and his friendship. “This is one of those rare, fortunate incidents where the stars align,” Sablik said in a news release. “Jeremy and I have been friends for years and working together has always been a blast. When I brought up the possibility of having Jeremy work for Top Cow exclusively, Marc Silvestri, Matt Hawkins and I all immediately thought he would make an ideal regular artist for ‘The Darkness.’”

The Darkness will also be the star of Top Cow’s Free Comic Book Day book for 2011. A prequel comic to the new “Darkness” video game will feature the origin of Jackie Estacado and the saga of The Darkness video game to date.

The Free Comic Book Day issue will be written by Sablik and illustrated by Michael Broussard, with a cover by Matt Timson. It’s based on a story by Matt Hawkins and Sablik and will be released on Free Comic Book Day, May 7.

Before starting on “The Darkness,” Haun will draw the third arc of Top Cow’s crossover series, “Artifacts.”

“Artifacts” will bring together the 13 mystical artifacts that guide the fate of mankind in the Top Cow Universe.

“‘Artifacts’ is a series that I as a reader was excited about,” Haun said. “Whenever we talked about the possibility of me coming over and working as an exclusive artist for Top Cow, eventually the conversation went to ‘Artifacts.’”

Haun will begin on “Artifacts” with issue No. 9.

DC Comics' 2011 Free Comic Book Day comic book

DC Comics has announced via its Source blog what its comic book for Free Comic Book Day 2011 will be: A Green Lantern special edition also featuring a preview of the new series “Flashpoint.”  Both will be written by Geoff Johns.

Ivan Reis is the artist for the “Green Lantern” story, which reprints “Green Lantern” #30.   Andy Kubert is the artist on the “Flashpoint” preview.   Free Comic Book Day is May 7, 2011.   The “Green Lantern” film is set for a June 17 release.

- Matt Price

While some of the exact titles are still under wraps, the Gold Sponsors and most of the Gold Sponsor books for Free Comic Book Day 2011 have been announced, via Facebook and FreeComicBookDay.com.   Ape, Archaia, Archie, Boom!, Dark Horse; DC, Image, IDW, Marvel and Papercutz are the Gold Sponsors.

Titles include Richie Rich/Kung-Fu Panda; Dark Crystal/Mouse Guard; Avatar the Last Airbender/Star Wars; Betty and Veronica; Darkwing Duck; Locke & Key; Spider-Man and the Smurfs.

Additional sponsors and titles will be revealed in the January issue of PREVIEWS, on sale Dec. 29.

- Matt Price

Free Comic Book Day Logo

I’m live-blogging this year’s Free Comic Book Day from Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, OK.  (Full disclosure note: I am one of the owners of Speeding Bullet.)

9:15 a.m. Doing some last-minute preparations before the doors open at 10 a.m.  Speeding Bullet is pushing literacy this year as part of the FCBD promotion, and as so is hoping to see a lot of kids in the door.   There’s a slight drizzle here, which I hope doesn’t hurt the turnout any.

9:30 a.m. Already a bit of a line developing.  Annette Price, who’s spearheaded Speeding Bullet’s Free Comic Book Day initiatives (and who is, full disclosure again, married to me) explains the store’s FCBD plan for younger readers as follows:  Anyone 12 or under who gets a free comic book today, and returns to the store with a report on the book, either written or drawn, by the end of June, will receive a free Batman all-ages graphic novel.  (If the Batmans run out, other all-ages GNs will be substituted.)  The hope is, this gives kids one more reason to start their summer reading, and rewards those who are working on the all-important reading and communication skills.  She’s calling this the “War on Illiteracy,” playing off the “War of the Supermen” Free Comic Book Day comic book by DC Comics, co-written by James Robinson and Oklahoma native Sterling Gates.

10 a.m. The deluge begins! A few dozen people in line as Free Comic Book Day gets started. The parking lot is full.

10:05 am One of the employees said he had to park around the block.

10:15 a.m. About 100 people in so far! Lots of kids, people having fun with it.

10:20 a.m. The traffic to my Nerdage blog has crashed the site. Free Comic Book Day drives traffic on the web and in the stores!

10:30 a.m. I’m going to say the rain has not hurt turnout at all, or at least I don’t see how it could have.

10:40 a.m. As far as sales go, noticing a lot of “Brightest Day” No. 0 sales.

11 a.m. Kids seem to be excited for Toy Story and Shrek comics. War of the Supermen seems to be moving well with everybody.

11:10 a.m. Still very full here, though there’s a little more room to breathe than there was for the first hour. Several people talking about anticipating the second Iron Man movie.

11:30 a.m. Already more people in the door than 2008 – and there’s a lot more day to go! On pace to pass 2009 at this rate, as well.

11:35 a.m. And Nerdage is back up!

11:50 a.m. Mouse Guard/Fraggle Rock also getting a good response.

12:30 p.m. Weather-wise, it’s really turned nice, and it’s been a nearly nonstop crowd of people through the door.

12:35 p.m. Corey Ayers from the Oklahoma History Center points out the trailer for their new Okie Cartoonists exhibit, opening June 12:   http://okiecartoonist.org/

1:30 p.m. Some technical difficulties here, but it hasn’t stopped people from shopping.  All the all-ages comics from this year are going out the door at a rapid pace – it’s really cool to see young kids with a John Stanley comic!

2:30 p.m. A good chunk of the FCBD comics have found a new home!   Lots of kids saying they’ll take on the reading challenge.  Mouse Guard/Fraggle Rock and Shrek have all run out.  Superman is still probably the most popular choice, though some still remain.  Both Iron Man books are moving at a rapid clip.

2:40 p.m. Archie Comics selections – both the Summer Splash and the Sonic issue – have “sold out.”  Archie’s been doing a good job of keeping interest up in their line, and it’s continued today.

2:50 p.m. Larry Hama’s return to G.I. Joe has run completely out, as has Jim Shooter’s return to Solar, Man of the Atom and Magnus, Robot Fighter.  Probably a good sign for both of those properties.

3 p.m. The last of the Fractured Fairy Tales and YOW! have moved out the door.  Good to see the interest. Speeding Bullet has replenished with some additional comics to keep the free stuff coming.

3:30 p.m. Even though “The Losers” and “Kick-Ass” may have disappointed at the box office, there are still some fans picking up the related comics and graphic novels at Free Comic Book Day.

3:45 p.m. The last of the Irredeemable and Green Hornet comics have made their way out the door.  Irredeemable seems to be a good choice for superhero fans; not for kids, but it’s a great read.

4 p.m. The last of the Marvel Comics have gone out the door.  Given the interest in “Iron Man” and the little extra push of interest Marvel gave “Thor” this weekend, it’s no surprise to see them do well.  Lots of people talking about the movie, too.

4:20 p.m. The staff tells me all the new Free Comic Book Day books have gone out the door, with the exception of the heavily ordered War of the Supermen.  They estimate “War” to be their biggest mover overall, but orders were heavy enough that they still have some to give away.   They’re still giving away 5 comics per person here until 7 p.m., though, supplementing with additional comics and some leftover Halloween giveaway comics.  Crowds have settled down, but still a steady trickle of people through the door.   Does the recession make “free” more appealing to people, or is it a combination of publicity and appeal of the event?  Certainly there has been a high level of excitement throughout the day.

5:10  p.m. Still hasn’t really been a dull moment around here.  Great to see so many kids who are excited about reading.  Comic retailers having a good turnout and a good time today should definitely thank Joe Field, of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff in Concord, Calif., who came up with the idea for Free Comic Book Day in the first place.

6 p.m. About an hour left in the day here at Speeding Bullet Comics and I’m going to wrap up the live-blog. I’m told with an hour to go, it’s already set a new record for people in the store.  Hope everyone had a fantastic Free Comic Book Day!  Feel free to share your own experiences in the comments!

At DC Comics’ Source Blog, the company has provided previews of “War of the Supermen” 0 and “DC Kids Mega-Sampler,” both of which will be available for Free Comic Book Day tomorrow, Saturday, May 1.

“War of the Supermen #0 kicks off a massive Superman story, one that we’ve been working towards in the Super-books for the last two years,” co-writer Sterling Gates tells the Source. “James and I are excited and proud to bring you the opening salvo of the war on this year’s Free Comic Book Day, one of the most exciting days on the comic book world’s calendar!”

I really enjoyed “War of the Supermen” 0, which I recently read.  I think it’s a great Free Comic Book Day issue and a great Superman comic – and I recommend picking it up at your local store on Free Comic Book Day.

- Matt Price

Archie Comics has provided this preview of the Free Comic Book Day edition of “Sonic the Hedgehog” for 2010.   FCBD is Saturday, May 1!

Archie Comics has provided the following preview of “Archie’s Summer Splash”  #1, one of the company’s offerings for Free Comic Book Day 2010, which is Saturday, May 1.

WORD BALLOONS

Comic book stores around the world will celebrate the ninth annual Free Comic Book Day on Saturday.

Classic superheroes such as Superman and Iron Man will join favorites including Archie, Toy Story and Shrek.

“We are thrilled to be a part of Free Comic Book Day,” DC Comics Co-Publisher Jim Lee said in a news release. “This is a great opportunity for comic shops to showcase their stores and celebrate all the creativity and excitement comic books have to offer.”

DC Comics will offer “War of the Supermen” No. 0 as one of its Free Comic Book Day releases. The issue is co-written by James Robinson and University of Oklahoma graduate Sterling Gates.

“I’m really excited to be writing a Free Comic Book Day issue,” Gates said. “Getting a chance to help put the focus on the world’s most recognizable superhero on comics’ greatest holiday is a complete thrill.”

Prior to “War of the Supermen,” a group of superpowered aliens from Superman’s home planet founded New Krypton, in orbit around Earth’s sun. But not everyone on Earth believes the two planets can live in peace. In “War of the Supermen,” those tensions explode.

“As you can imagine, writing a comic that’s going to have such a huge circulation is a huge responsibility,” Gates said. “We wanted to tell a great Superman story, something that would lead in to May’s Superman event, ‘War of the Supermen,’ but still be accessible for anyone who picks it up.”

“War of the Supermen” launches with an issue numbered “0” on Free Comic Book Day. Each Wednesday in May will feature a new issue of “War of the Supermen,” with the series completing at No. 4 on May 26.

“To be a part of an event like this is a huge honor, and James and I have done our best to write a Superman story that really fires people’s imaginations.”

- Matt Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

The following is a list of Oklahoma City-area comic book stores participating in Free Comic Book Day on May 1.

All-Star Comics, 6900 N May Ave., Suite 10; 842-7800.  11 am – 7 pm

Atomik Pop #1, 918 W Main, Norman; 329-9695.  11 am – 7 pm

Atomik Pop #2, 7884 S Western; 635-0848.  11 am – 7 pm

Bibliotech, 123 E Main, Shawnee; 275-9494.  10 am – 6 pm

Book Rack Midwest, 1717 S Air Depot, Midwest City; 737-3781.  10 am – 6 pm

New World Comics, 6219 N Meridian; 721-7634.  9 am – 9 am May 2.

New World Games & Comics, 4435 SE 29, Del City; 677-2559.  11 am – 6 pm

Second Chance Books & Comics, 3909 N MacArthur Blvd., 603-7151.  10 am – 9 pm

Speeding Bullet Comics, 614 N Porter, Norman; 360-6866.  10 am – 7 pm

Vintage Stock, 7201 SE 29, Suite 208, Midwest City; 732-1140.  10 am – 10 pm

Wizards Games, 749 Jenkins, Norman; 292-4263.  11 am – 9 pm

Bookgasm has reviewed several of this weekend’s Free Comic Book Day books.  Get an idea what the high points are before stepping into the comic shop on Saturday.

According to the site, “YOW! Drawn & Quarterly Presents a John Stanley Library Grab-Bag” is the weekend’s best choice. Writer Rod Lott also has positive words for “War of the Supermen” No. 0, which kicks off DC’s upcoming miniseries:

WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #0 — On New Krypton — a planet full of people just as powerful as Superman — Gen. Zod has ordered his residents to attack a little planet called Earth. Superman swoops in to stop him, but he’s too late, in this prequel to DC’s four-issue miniseries, written by James Robinson and Sterling Gates. This ballsier-than-usual Superman tale is so well-written that it’ll hook many into the storyline; even I’m curious to see how the Man of Steel is going to save us this time.

For Lott’s take on other titles, including Iron Man/Thor, Iron Man Supernova, Doctor Solar/Magnus, Mouse Guard/Fraggle Rock and more, check out the whole article at Bookgasm.

- Matt Price

Free Comic Book Day is this weekend! Plus, Batman is on his way back, and Superman’s at war in this week’s Planet 46 Comics podcast.

In movie news, Planet46.com will kick off a week of “Iron Man 2” coverage on Monday.

Iron Man 2 opens in theaters May 7, and in the run-up to the film, Planet 46 will feature interviews from Jon Favreau, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle and Robert Downey Jr.

What other Marvel heroes could soon see a silver screen? Edgar Wright’s long-in-the-works adaptation of “Ant-Man” could finally begin production at the end of this year.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Superhero Hype that once Edgar Wright finishes promoting “Scott Pilgrim,” he’d like to get him on to “Ant Man,” maybe at the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011.  But he’d expect the film wouldn’t come out until after “The Avengers.”

COMICS SURGE
Batman, the original that is, is on his way back, starting in Return of Bruce Wayne. The first issue comes out May 12. Writer Grant Morrison says a time-hopping Bruce Wayne will move to various sequences of time throughout the series.

“For me, the time thing is to take Bruce Wayne to the limit of what he is as a character, because he’s thrown back into prehistory with no memory and no uniform and no tools apart from the fact that he’s got his belt,” Morrison told Comics Alliance.  “I like of the idea of exploring Batman with this time travel story, but to do it quite convincingly and realistically so that he’s really at the edges of what Batman can possibly be.”

This Weekend is Free Comic Book Day! For the ninth time, you can go to your local comic-book store and pick up selected comic books absolutely free! Mouse Guard/Fraggle Rock, GI Joe, Shrek, Toy Story, Iron Man/Thor are among the comics available. Check out Nerdage or FreeComicBookDay.com for a complete list.

Perhaps the most anticipated book is “War of the Supermen” No. 0 by James Robinson and Oklahoma’s Sterling Gates. Following up on “Last Stand of New Krypton,” war is on the way between Earth and New Krypton. This series continues with a new issue each Wednesday throughout the month of May.

In the review file this week, Kyle Roberts and Matt Price look at Superman 699, Last Stand of New Krypton 3, Invincible Iron Man 25 and New Avengers 64.    Click past the cut for more from “Iron Man 2″ and a preview of “Last Stand of New Krypton” #1.

Marvel Comics has provided the following preview of their Free Comic Book Day comic, “Iron Man: Supernova,” featuring Iron Man and Nova.   It’s written by Paul Tobin with art by Craig Rousseau.

The solicit info reads:

What happens when an armored billionaire teams up with a hot-headed, cosmic-powered teen to fight a trio of massively-powered super-apes? Find out when Iron Man and Nova take on Red Ghost and The Super-Apes! Out-numbered, the Golden Avenger and the Human Rocket will have to trust an apparent traitor in the gorillas’ midst if they are to survive and save an entire city. Will they succeed or are they being played? Find out in this all-new, action-packed adventure, which happens to be FREE!

Marvel has provided a sneak peek at its Free Comic Book Day edition of “Iron Man/Thor,” starring the two characters next appearing as Marvel movie headliners.   The comic is written by Matt Fraction and drawn by John Romita Jr.

“It’s exciting to see two of our most popular heroes paired with two of our top creators for Free Comic Book Day,” said David Gabriel, Senior Vice President of Sales & Circulation, in a news release. “Marvel is proud to be part of this annual event — kudos to all the retailers who make this event happen year after year with outstanding success.”

- Matt Price

As Free Comic Book Day nears, check out this preview of the Mouse Guard/Fraggle Rock flip-book from Archaia.  David Petersen is the writer/artist of Mouse Guard.  The Fraggle Rock comic book story is by writer Nichol Ashworth and artist Jake Myler.

- Matt Price

Vote for which Free Comic Book Day books you are most anticipating below!  I’ve broken them into “gold sponsors,” which will be available at every store while supplies last, and “Silver Sponsors,” which are available at the discretion of the stores.

Free Comic Book Day Logo

Free Comic Book Day is less than a week away!   Over the next week, I’ll try to talk to some participants in Free Comic Book Day, and take a look at some of the comics coming out for the comics celebration on May 1.  May 1 will be the 9th annual Free Comic Book Day, in which comic-book stores receive special, low-priced copies from publishers, and pass those comics on to visitors to the store for free!

It’s a great idea, and it’s thanks to Joe Field of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff in Concord, Calif., who came up with the brainstorm that became Free Comic Book Day.

This year, Free Comic Book Day titles include War of the Supermen, Iron Man/Thor, Toy Story, Shrek, Green Hornet and more!

- Matt Price

If you’re in the Los Angeles area for Free Comic Book Day, you could meet a Fraggle Rock Fraggle.

Archaia, which is publishing a Free Comic Book Day flipbook of “Fraggle Rock” and “Mouse Guard,” announced that Red Fraggle will make a FCBD appearance at Meltdown Comics in L.A. on May 1.

Red and world-renowned puppeteer Karen Prell appear courtesy of The Jim Henson Company, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Archaia Entertainment and Meltdown Comics.

“This is such a nice treat for fans, and we couldn’t be happier to be able to work with the great folks at The Jim Henson Company, Lionsgate and Meltdown to make this possible,” said Archaia Marketing Manager Mel Caylo in a news release. “Karen and Red’s appearance at San Diego Comic-Con was highly anticipated and well attended, so we’re excited for them to come to Los Angeles and share their special magic in celebration of the release of our Free Comic Book Day issue.”

Archaia’s Mouse Guard/Fraggle Rock Free Comic Book Day flip book will feature a Fraggle Rock story by writer Sam Humphries and artist Jeremy Love.  Both Humphries and Love will be on-hand at Meltdown on FCBD.

Also in the flip book will be an original Mouse Guard story by David Petersen, and another Fraggle Rock story, written by Nichol Ashworth and drawn by Jake Myler (Undertown).

Red Fraggle is one of the five main characters of the “Fraggle Rock” TV show, an award-winning television series launched by The Jim Henson Company in 1983.

The event begins at 11 a.m. local time on May 1, 2010 at Meltdown Comics (7522 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90046, (323) 851-7223, www.meltcomics.com).

- Matt Price

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:

WORD BALLOONS

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A yearlong event involving all the supernatural characters of the Top Cow universe is the company’s big comic-book event for 2010, Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik said at the ComicsPRO annual members’ meeting in Memphis.

The series will kick off with an issue on Free Comic Book Day, set for May 1.

“Our goal here is to make this a completely accessible series,” Sablik said.

“Artifacts” will bring together the 13 mystical artifacts that guide the fate of mankind in the Top Cow Universe.

And when those are brought together, “something really, really bad happens,” Sablik said.

The 13-issue series written by Ron Marz “is by far the most ambitious thing I’ve ever attempted on the publishing end,” Sablik said.

It will reveal how various pieces of the Top Cow universe fit together and should be appealing to Top Cow’s long-term fans, Sablik said. But the company also is making it new-reader friendly, with the Free Comic Book Day book aimed at introducing the characters of the Top Cow universe. The No. 1 issue of the series will follow in July.

The series will be broken into four-issue arcs, with the first arc drawn by Michael Broussard. There will be a second and third arc of four issues with separate artistic teams, and the final 13th issue will be “something special,” Sablik said.

The book will feature variant cover incentives, as well as an incentive across the series for a set of exclusive playing cards.

Sablik said he hopes even if readers don’t know about the mythology of the characters, they will buy into the human story behind “Artifacts.” Two of Top Cow’s main characters, the Witchblade and the Darkness, have a daughter named Hope.

“In Issue 1, the main villain, this mysterious villain, is going to kill somebody and kidnap Hope,” Sablik said. “For new readers, we hope the emotional story of two people, a father and a mother, trying to find their only child is going to suck them in and hopefully propel them through the rest of the series.”

- Matthew Price

A page from the Free Comic Book Day Mouse Guard book.

David Petersen’s “Mouse Guard” joins “Fraggle Rock” as Archaia’s entry into Free Comic Book Day.  His story will be 11 pages, with the other half of the book launching Archaia’s take on the “Fraggle Rock” property.

Petersen has participated in Free Comic Book Day on his own the past three years without a specific tie-in.

“I’ve participated in Free Comic Book Day, just going to local stores, doing signings, sketching, just being part of the whole thing,” Petersen said.  “In the past, because I haven’t had a free book like we do this year, a participating book, at my own cost I would always generate a print and hand that out for free in the spirit of Free Comic Book Day.   I felt really awkward being there saying, ‘Hi, I’m here and I’ll sign your books, but you have to buy them on Free Comic Book Day.’  So I always made sure that I had something for free.”

This year, what he’ll have for free is the official Archaia Free Comic Book Day book.

“This year Archaia said we want to do a Mouse Guard and Fraggle Rock combined Free Comic Book Day book.  And I was all for it, because I think it’s a great event, and obviously it helps my book, it helps Archaia, it helps Fraggle Rock, so how could I say no?”

- Matt Price

DC Comics Source blog has provided a preview of the Free Comic Book Day comic book “War of the Supermen” No. 0, written by James Robinson and Tulsa’s Sterling Gates, with art by penciller Eddy Barrows and inker J.P. Mayer. I believe this is the first time that an Oklahoman has been a writer or co-writer on one of the Gold Sponsor Free Comic Book Day books, which are available for free at thousands of comic book stores across the world on the first Saturday in May.

Today happens to be the birthday of Gates, the writer of DC Comics’ “Supergirl,” and here at Nerdage HQ, we’re wishing him a happy one.

- Matt Price

The Free Comic Book Day web site has a 7-page preview of the Marvel all-ages Silver level Free Comic Book Day Book, “Iron Man: Supernova.”  The issue looks to be a team up between Iron Man and Nova.  Kind of cool to see Nova getting this kind of top-level exposure!  Given the creative success of the “Nova” series under Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, I wonder if there has been discussion of a Nova motion picture.

- Matt Price