By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
For the best picks, please arrive at your local comic book store early. Each title offered is while supplies last.
Today is Free Comic Book Day and May the Fourth Be With You! It’s not every year where the several major geeky events take place. This particular one is a somber one as Peter “Chewbacca” Mayhew passed away. This gentle giant of a man will be missed. #RIP.
Fans of Star Wars should take a moment, if they have not already, to remember Mayhew, this weekend. I may need a tissue when I read the comic featuring Chewie and Solo in an all-new adventure in a galaxy far, far away. The style has me thinking it’s on par with the Resistance animated series, and that’s okay.
For this particular weekend, it’s also Wizards of the Coast‘s official War of the Spark release and Open House Weekend where card game enthusiasts can either partake in the latest set or learn how to play.
My plan is to enjoy a bit of everything. The morning will be picking up the comics, the afternoon will be a few rounds of the card game (drafting the set or playing with free packs; I haven’t decided yet) and the evening plan is a viewing of the definitive fan-edit of Empire Strikes Back a good friend says he has.
In no particular order, my picks are:
(W) Jeff Lemire, Ray Fawkes, Jody Houser
(A) David Rubin, Ibrahim Moustafa (CA) Chun Lo
Tales from two diverse worlds!
In Stranger Things, Eleven and the Demogorgon have disappeared from Hawkins, IN. Steve and Nancy try to cheer Mike up, encouraging him to get the adventuring party back together again.
Then, in the world of the Eisner Award-winning Black Hammer series, Madame Dragonfly takes the reader on an EC-style tour through her mysterious Cabin of Horrors to witness two groups of brand-new Black Hammer heroes from the past!
(W) Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz
(A/CA) Dave Watcher
The road to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ 100th issue begins! New York City has just erupted into a war as Splinter battles Karai for control of the Foot Clan with the Turtles caught in the middle! Find out how the Turtles got to this point as they battle some of their fiercest foes in this special FCBD offering!
(W) Lauren Myracle, Kami Garcia
(A) Gabriel Picolo (A/CA) Isaac Goodhart
When fifteen-year-old Selina Kyle becomes homeless, she must confront questions of who she is and who she will become. From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Myracle (ttfn, ttyl) and artist Isaac Goodhart, comes a story about a teenage Catwoman as she struggles to find her own identity while living on the streets of Gotham City. This FCBD special edition features a chapter from DC Ink’s upcoming original graphic novel, UNDER THE MOON: A CATWOMAN TALE plus a sneak peek at TEEN TITANS: RAVEN, another DC Ink graphic novel by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kami Garcia and artist Gabriel Picolo.
Please Note: This title includes adult language, scenes of abusive behavior and a scene of animal cruelty. It is recommended for readers ages 15 and up. Resources for preventing self-harm and abuse are included in the back of the book.
(W) Roye Okupe
(A/CA) Sunkanmi Akinboye
Following years of moving in the shadows, Malika’s past forces her out of hiding. After receiving a mysterious vision, Malika journeys to Egypt, where she must simultaneously do battle with the past and the presents as she tries to retrieve the FireFrost stone, a relic that holds the combined power of two ancient dragons, from the hands of an absolute evil!
(W) Pat Shand, Mike Wolfer
(A/CA) Eric Shanower
Casper the friendly ghost, the friendliest ghost you know! Join Casper, Hot Stuff, Wendy, the Ghostly Trio, Spooky, Nightmare, and more as this all-star cast of characters tackle magical adventures and tickle your funny bone. Casper’s Spooksville FCBD Edition is the perfect introduction for fans of all ages to the entire Casper cast and leads directly to the first official issue of the new monthly series in stores this April! Eisner Award-winning artist Eric Shanower beautifully illustrates the new series and takes you on a voyage to discover the joy of Casper with brand new stories and classic tales that celebrate the Harvey heritage!
(W) Joey Weiser
(A/CA) Joey Weiser
A new graphic novel from the Eisner Award-nominated creator of MERMIN that deftly navigates loss, vengeance, and acceptance! Truff is the ghost of a young boar, fueled by fury towards the hunter who shot her down. She has a lot to learn about her new afterlife, and thankfully the forest spirits Claude and Stanley are there to guide her!
However, they soon find that her parents, along with their fellow animal villagers, have been kidnapped by the malicious mountain demon Mava! Truff wants to help, but… the hunter is finally within her grasp, and if she lets him go, she may never get her revenge!
(W) Christopher Preist, Kurt Busiek
(A) Arthur Adams (A/CA) Ergun Gunduz
July 2019 is the 50th anniversary of Vampirella, and to celebrate, Dynamite is relaunching the title that very month, with a very special preview to come in this year’s FCBD special, Vampirella #0! Featuring work by legendary Vampirella creator Forrest J. Ackerman along with legends in the own right, Mark Texiera, Ty Templeton and Bruce Timm, Vampirella #0 will also unveil our lights-out new creative team as they present the prologue to a story so big, we had to hold it for Vampi’s birthday!
(W) Tom Taylor, Saladin Ahmed, Donny Cates
(A) Cory Smith, Ryan Stegman, Jay Leisten, Ryan Stegman
Everyone knows Miles Morales, who rose to fame in Marvel’s acclaimed animated sensation Into The Spider-Verse – and with a second feature film arriving this year, Peter Parker will once again suit up to save the world with his web-slinging super powers! In a special FCBD story, creators Tom Taylor, Saladin Ahmed, and Cory Smith take these superstar heroes of the Spider-Verse in a shocking new direction, with a story that will build to one of Marvel’s most fantastic and epic tales later this year!
And prepare for absolute terror within the pages of FCBD, as an original Venom story by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman sets the stage for what will become one of the most fearsome events in the Marvel Universe…
Nearly a year after the epic red-hot arc of the Red Goblin, Venom’s dynamic creative team is bringing you a story that’s been brewing since classic Spider-Man tales like Amazing Spider-Man #252, The Spectacular Spider-Man #90, Marvel Team-Up #141 – a saga so big and so absolutely action-packed, it will deliver the most dramatic story in all of FCBD history! Fans will be well aware by the summer of 2019 that “everyone is a target”…and the 1st Saturday in May, Marvel invites you to experience the threat for yourself!
(W) Don Handfield, Scott Chitwood
(A) Rod Thornton, Leonardo Rodrigues
In 2019, a gray haze descends on planet earth and reduces every known metal to worthless piles of rust. With no technology remaining, humanity reverts to a violent feudal system ruled by knights of wood, stone, and plastic, this is the new Dark Age. Also included is the return of Afterburn, soon to be a major motion picture! After a solar flare wipes out half the earth, Jake and his treasure hunters raid what’s left behind. Post-apocalyptic mayhem is unleashed in Russia in this original short story.