Thursday Morning Superhero: Free Cmio

We are rapidly approaching the first Saturday in May which means that it is almost Free Comic Book Day!  I will be celebrating in a new city and am curious how things are going to flow, but at the end of the day I am going to enjoy free comics and support my local comic book store.  Here are my most wanted books and to find a store near you click here.

Year of Valiant 2022 - I will admit that I have fallen behind on the Valiant universe and have been a bit underwhelmed by their foray into the movie theaters, but I feel it is time to revisit some amazing characters.  This book features original stories for Bloodshot, Archer and Armstrong and Ninjak. It is rated Teen so you may want to keep some younger eyes off of these titles.

Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters - This is a reprint of a fantastic all-ages series that centers around Rainbow's quest for her missing sister, Jonna.  There are mysterious monsters that appeared right around the time of her disappearance who are now roaming all over.  Volume two came out recently and it is a great time to introduce this story to your younger readers.

Fuzzy Baseball - This book is a fantastic example about why I love Free Comic Book Day.  I don't know if I would normally explore a topic like this, but it has animals, baseball, ninjas and robots all in one title.  I enjoy all of those things and this is from John Steven Gurney who illustrated the Bailey School Kids books in addition to some other amazing titles. 

Avengers X-Men - Not to leave out any of the big studios, this title had me on board when I saw it included a story from Gerry Duggan.  It is the set-up for the big summer event, and while I am typically not too interested in the big events, they do manage to find their way to my shelves at home and I am entertained in the end.

10 Ton Tales - This book promises a modern day Gumby and Pokey, a story about a freed Genie and the people who attempt to enslave him once again in his oil lamp, and a prequel to an upcoming Foo Fighters autobiographical comic that features Dave Grohl between his time with Nirvana and before the Foo Fighters were formed.

There are so many other amazing books.  See the full line-up here, and consider buying something when you enjoy Free Comic Book day because the books are free for us, but not participating stores.  They foot the bill to allow us to enjoy the wonderful world of comics.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Free Comic Book Summer

The current pandemic has moved San Diego Comic Con and other conventions online, but there is no stopping Free Comic Book Day! Traditionally held the first Saturday in May, Free Comic Book Day was delayed as COVID-19 prevented many stores from opening their doors.  In response Free Comic Book Day has expanded into Free Comic Book Summer to bring tidings of joy in a difficult time.

The books that are typically available at the same time will be shipped six issues per week along with your store's weekly shipment of comics.  There are 45 titles that we get to enjoy this year from publishers including Image Comics, Boom! Studios, IDW Publishing, and more.  To mix things up a bit I will highlight one book from each week of this event.

Shipping July 15:

FCBD 2020 My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - My Little Pony came across my radar when I attended my first SDCC over 10 years ago.  I was fascinated by its passionate fan base and after giving the series a try with my kids and some of its spin-offs it is truly delightful and has a positive message that I appreciate. This book picks up where the television series ended and I am always on board for a new chapter of Ponies.

Shipping July 22:

FCBD 2020 Dark Ark: Instinct - It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who enjoys my post that I am excited about any book from Cullen Bunn.  I enjoyed this series when it ran last year and am looking forward to a new title.  This book is about the other ark (not Noah's) that was filled with demons, monsters, and other spooks.  While this is not a book I would recommend to readers of all ages, I recommend this to everyone else.

Shipping July 29:

FCBD 2020 Stranger Things and Minecraft - While I am not too excited about Minecraft (my kids probably are), I am stoked to have some new Stranger Things stories to read as I wait for Season 4.  I have enjoyed the previous Stranger Things comic books and I am on board for any story involving the Scoops Ahoy crew.  This one is rated for all-ages and should be a fun family read.

Shipping August 5:

FCBD 2020 Lumberjanes Farewell to Summer - This is a series I have really enjoyed and need to read more of.  This is an all new story and will be an appropriate read as the summer winds down and I start preparing my kids for another school year.  This is another amazing all-ages book that is great to read as a family.

Shipping August 12:

FCBD 2020 Blade Runner - I don't really know much about this book, but am intrigued as Michael Green, the writer for Blade Runner 2049, is co-authoring this one.  It kicks off a new chapter in this series and makes me wonder if I should go back and see what I've missed.  I definitely have the time for some increased reading this summer.

Shipping August 19:

FCBD 2020 Disney Masters Donald Duck Special - This is a collection of rare Donald Duck stories from years past, including "It's Bats, Man" and "Much Ado About Telepathy".  My family is a big Disney fan and it is always fun to read the old comics. While the image says that this is rated Mature, it is definitely an all-ages book.

Shipping August 26:

FCBD 2020 Only Matter of Space Time - Written by Jeffrey Brown, who wrote the delightful Darth Vader and Son series and started the Jedi Academy books, this book is a sneak preview to a new graphic novel that he has coming out soon.  If it is anything like his other books, be prepared to laugh.

Shipping September 2:

FCBD Owly: The Way Home - This is the book that started it all!  One of the first kids' comics I purchased for my kiddos, Owly is very accessible as it doesn't require you to be able to read to tell the story.  Andy Runton uses symbols in place of text when his characters are speaking to one another.  It really opens up your imagination and allows you to create your own dialogue and allows small children the ability to read this on their own.  I highly recommend this series.

Shipping September 9:

FCBD 2020 Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Splatoon Squid Kids - With a daughter named Zelda it should come as no surprise that my family enjoys the Legend of Zelda.  My son has devoured the graphic novels and assures me that this is a stellar pick for your final book of the Free Comic Book Summer.  Cheers!

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Free Comic Book Day Edition

The best Saturday of the year is nearly upon us!  This year it is extra special, because in addition to being Free Comic Book Day it is Star Wars Day!  May the 4th be with you all. I hope you all get the chance to make it out to your friendly local comic shop (FLCS) and pick up some free books for you and your family.  To find a participating store near you click here.  In my annual tradition, I will share my top five picks for FCBD in no particular order.

Stranger Things and Black Hammer - Two for the price of zero!  Dark Horse is shipping this book that features both Stranger Things and Black Hammer.  I have personally loved the Stranger Things books due to the insight it has provided from Will's perspective.  Black Hammer is an Eisner Award winning series that is well worth checking out. 








Grumble vs. The Goon - This title has the creator of Chew, John Layman's, official stamp of approval and I am immediately interested. This crossover comic takes the characters from Grumble and puts them in the world of The Goon. Grumble features a hustler who was turned into a pug, partial demons, and a threat from evil forces that threaten the fabric of existence. I will admit that I have not read any of this series yet, which is why I love FCBD and the opportunity to check out something new.

Star Wars Adventures - I have really enjoyed this all-ages series and am thrilled that a new group of fans will be able to check out this series on Saturday. The FCBD version features a story in which Han and Chewie race against pirates as they hope to find one of three droids that are the key to finding a legendary treasure. This series has a lot of heart and humor and you should definitely check it out.  I also think that since FCBD is lined up with Star Wars day comic book stores will force you to take this title.






Starburns Presents - If you are looking for a strange collection of stories that include a beer drinking Sasquatch, an alien planet called Wrestletopia, and the granddaughter of Satan himself, look no further from this title. Rated Teen, this is not recommended for all-ages, but based on previous work from Starburns it is guaranteed to entertain.

Ghost Hog - Another all-ages title that I hope to check out is this title from Joey Weiser. This series centers around the ghost of a young boar who is navigating the afterlife after being gunned down by a hunter.  Initially fueled by rage toward her killer, she quickly learns that there is a mountain demon that she must confront. 








POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Free Comic Book Day Edition

This Saturday marks the annual return of Free Comic Book Day! One of the best days of the year and a great excuse to visit your local comic book shop. Click here to find a participating location near you and you might even want to put on a costume! A lot of shops run other promotions and it really is a lot of fun. It is an annual tradition for me to recommend my top 5 books for Free Comic Book Day and they are presented in no particular order.

Shadow Roads #1 - The duo that brought us The Sixth Gun (Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt) are back together in an all new series from Oni Press. It is set at the Crossroads and is dubbed the spiritual success to The Sixth Gun.  It is actually set in the freaking Sixth Gun universe and takes place after the events from the end of that series. This is a must read!







Starburns Presents #1 - From the company that brought us Rick and Morty and other delights comes its first venture into the world of comics. This issue features a contribution from Patton Oswalt and part of a new series called Gregory Graves. Curious how the approach of inviting stand up comics to write fantasy comics will work out, but I am very intrigued and look forward to checking this out.

Star Wars Adventures - This series has rapidly become one of my favorite Star Wars titles on the market. Not only is it a great all-ages book, but it is perfect for all Star Wars fans. This is an all-new story set before A New Hope featuring a pair of bounty hunters and apparently a man and his wookiee friend.







Avengers Captain America - It might be cliche to go with a Captain America comic, but I am a big Cap fan and after thoroughly enjoying Infinity Wars it makes sense to read some Avengers comics. This book is a collection of stories that are a prelude to this summer's big event written by the great Jason Aaron. If anyone is looking to start reading some Marvel comics after the movie this is a great jumping on point.

DC Super Hero Girls - This is a series that I have enjoyed sharing with my daughter. My son might pretend he doesn't like it that much, but he has enjoyed both the comic and the television show. The free comic book day copy in this series includes a chapter from one of the graphic novels set in the Super Hero Girl universe (DC Super Heroes: A Date with Disaster).







You can check out all of the books that will be available here and remember to buy something when you visit your LCS. These books are free to us, but the participating stores purchase them on our behalf.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Free Comic Book Day Edition

This Saturday marks the annual return of Free Comic Book Day!  In one of the greatest days of the year, many comic book stores across the country hand out free comics, hold costume contests, and celebrate another great year in comics.  To find a participating store near you click here.  As I do every year, I am going to talk about my top 5 selections from this year's titles.  They are in no particular order.

Secret Empire #1 - The next big Marvel event is here and this is your introduction to the chaos.  Captain America, under the control of a cosmic cube, believes he is an agent of Hydra and is waging war on the Marvel Universe.  While I tend to be skeptical of the summer events, this one has me on board and hopeful at this point.  I personally enjoyed the Captain America is a sleeper Hydra agent arc and look forward to where this one goes.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess/Ocarina of Time - Anyone who knows me understands that I am a huge Zelda fan.  I have been able to play many of the titles with my son, and we have both read some of the manga, but not too much of it.  This book features excerpts from both the Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time manga from Viz Media.  My only concern is that this will lead to the inevitable purchase of the whole series.

DC Super Hero Girls Summer Olympus Preview - I love sharing my love of comics with my kids and they have both enjoyed the DC Super Hero Girls line.  One thing I have enjoyed with this series is that it allows you to see flaws in some of the heroes and the good in some of the villains.  By examining these characters when they are in high school really sheds valuable light into their true character.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Prelude to Dimension X - A new Turtles event is dropping this August and this book serves as the prequel to this five-part series.  I am a huge fan of the IDW reboot of this series and cannot wait to see what we have in store.  Sounds like a good jumping on point for any Turtles fan who has not checked this series out yet.

All New Guardians of the Galaxy #1 - With the new Guardians movie opening this weekend, I have no other choice than to check out the new comic.  The icing on the cake is that this series is penned by the hilarious Gerry Duggan and I cannot wait to read this title.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Free Comic Book Day Edition

Another year has passed and it is once again time for our special Free Comic Book Day edition of TMS.  This Saturday, May 7, you can snag some free comic books at participating stores.  It has become an annual tradition with my family and is a great event for fans of all-ages.  There are often costume contests and other fun activities to celebrate another great year of this industry.  To find a participating location near you click here.  Here are my top five titles that I hope to snag this Saturday.

Captain America #1 FCBD Edition - Celebrate the return of Steve Rogers as Captain America!  He is returning this month and this is your first chance to see him once again wielding the shield (sorry about that).   While I have enjoyed Sam Wilson filling the void, I look forward to the return of Rogers.  If you haven't had a chance to read Nick Spencer's take on Cap then this is a great opportunity.  Spencer has injected a political take onto the series that is most welcomed.





DC Super Hero Girls #1 FCDB Edition - This is a great all-ages title that allows the female characters to shine and enjoy the spotlight.  This is something I want both my son and daughter to see, and the cartoon this is based on has been a lot of fun.  The focus is on friendship, hard work, and growing up and carries some basic lessons that are relevant to most kids.  While not the most engaging title for adults, anything that encourages my kids to read comics is good in my book.

Grumpy Cat (and Pokey) Special FCBD Edition - I have to admit that my family and I are a sucker for Grumpy Cat.  We watch her Christmas special every year, we waited over an hour to meet her at SXSW, and we have quite a bit of Grumpy Cat merchandise.  We don't have a Grumpy Cat comic book and plan on picking this sucker up this Saturday.  I am going to assume that it will be grumpy and will rely on cheap gags and my family and I will eat it up.








March Trilogy Sampler FCBD 2016 Edition - This is a great book that really shows what a powerful medium comic books can be.  Featuring excerpts from the entire March trilogy, readers will learn more about American icon John Lewis.  He is a member of congress (one of the good ones!) who was a powerful figure in the civil rights movement.  I have read the first volume and look forward to learning more about Senator Lewis and highly encourage you to check this title out.

Bob's Burgers FCBD 2016 Edition - You can't go wrong with three free Bob's Burgers stories!  Featuring the same humor that we all enjoy from the animated show, readers are treated to three short stories that are sure to amuse.  If you haven't had a chance to  read this series from Dynamite, it really is an entertaining series and will play well with fans of the series and anyone looking for a laugh.






POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Free Comic Book Day Edition

Welcome to a special Free Comic Book Day edition of Thursday Morning Superhero.  For those of you who don't know, Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday and participating comic book stores will be handing out comics for free!  Since 2002, Free Comic Book Day has encouraged reading via comic books by providing free comic books to the masses.  Many comic book stores make an event of it with costume contests, giveaways, and more.  To find a participating store near you click here.  This Free Comic Book Day is bittersweet to me.  While I am excited to be moving back to Austin soon, it will be my last FCBD at Comic Quest.  Comic Quest is an amazing store that I will truly miss.  In honor of Free Comic Book Day I present my top 5 books for 2015!

#1 - Kodansha Comics Sampler - You had me at Attack on Titan.  This anime had me hooked from the first episode and I have since completed season and am looking forward to catching a glimpse at the manga that inspired this amazing series.  I thought it lived up to the hype and is an amazing drama that I would compare to Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead. 

 #2 - Teen Titans Go! Scooby Doo Team Up - What is better than enjoying comics?  Sharing the joy of comics with your kids!  I love watching both of these shows with my kids and can't wait to pick this up and share the joy of reading comic books with them.  It looks like there are some special guest stars in the Scooby Doo story that should be fun, but I would have preferred the Harlem Globetrotters.

#3 - Valiant 25th Anniversary Special - This past year I have really grown to be a fan of the work that is taking place at Valiant Entertainment.  They boast some of the best talent in the industry, just inked a movie deal with Sony, and have big things planned for 2015 that begin with this issue.  Great time to hop on board a fast moving train!

#4 - Avatar: The Last Airbender - In addition to the Avatar story, this Dark Horse title includes a Plants vs. Zombies tale and a Bandette story.  I think I will enjoy this one more than my kids, as both Avatar and Bandette are two of my favorites.  Any book that I actually enjoy reading to Henry and Zelda is a huge bonus from my perspective. 

#5 - Secret Wars #0 - Marvel has a history of launching its blockbuster events with a FCBD #0 issue and this year is no different.  While I tend to be skeptical of big comic book events, I do enjoy a free issue to see what it is all about.  There is good buzz around Secret Wars and I look forward to checking it out.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Happy Free Comic Book Day

Happy Free Comic Book Day from us at Nerds of a Feather.  It is hard to believe that the first Saturday in May is upon us and nerds across the country are lining up to get piles of free comics.  If you are looking for a store near you that is participating than you can use this handy dandy locator by clicking here.  Most stores have a limit to how many books you can pick up so be sure to bring the whole family and make plans to attend multiple events.  A lot of time stores run other promotions so be sure to get their early and plan on having loads of fun.  I thought it would be fun to highlight five books that I hope to pick up at my LCS.

Archaia Hardcover Anthology from Boom! Studios - You read that correctly. Archaia is once again breaking out a hardcover anthology for Free Comic Book Day.  This anthology will contain stories from the Mouse Guard, Labyrinth, Rust, and others.  I still read mine from a few years back with my kids and can't wait to pick this up.

Teen Titans Go #1 Special Edition from DC - If you think there is a theme with the books that excite me you are correct.  One of the things that is great about being a nerdy parent is reading comics with your kids.  Teen Titans Go has been a series that I enjoy as much as my kids.  This is a must get in our family and we will venture to multiple stores to make it happen.

Valiant Universe Handbook from Valiant Entertainment - Valiant has had quite a year.  It is quickly becoming my favorite of the smaller publishers and the good folk there have recruited some amazing talent.  This handy book will give you the run down of the 2014 Valiant Universe so you know which titles you should check out.

Hip Hop Family Tree Two-in-one from Fantagraphics - Ed Piskor has published five volumes in this series and they never disappoint.  On Free Comic Book Day you can scoop this two-in-one and read two self-contained stories from the first two volumes in the series.  Good stuff.

Rocket Raccoon from Marvel - Rocket Raccoon is an intriguing character that I will admit I know little about.  I have been reading some Guardians of the Galaxy in preperation of the film, but would like to know more.  This is a self-contained, new story that pits the fiesty hero in a battle against the cosmos.

POSTED BY MIKE N. -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.