Showing posts with label The Tick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Tick. Show all posts

Sunday, 24 April 2016

Special: Free Comic Book Day 2016 Rankings

As the name implies, Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. This year it takes place on May 7, 2016 and I have you covered for all the books that will be available and what ones you should prioritize... On with the ranking!

50. The Phantom: 80th Anniversary Special FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: HERMES PRESS
(W) Joe Gill (A) Don Newton, Jim Aparo (CA) Jim Aparo
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Free Comic Book Day and the 80th anniversary of the original masked hero,"The Ghost Who Walks" known as The Phantom, Hermes Press presents four classic tales by legendary comic artists Jim Aparo and Don Newton! All this, plus documentary materials and other surprise to make this a truly noteworthy celebration of two important anniversaries. Don't miss it!
Rating: All Ages

49. Strawberry Shortcake #0 FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
(W) Georgia Ball (A/CA) Amy Mebberson
Strawberry Shortcake returns to comics! It's a berry special re-introduction to Strawberry Shortcake and all her pals and - maybe - a certain not-so-nice purple someone as well?!
Rating: All Ages

48. Doctor Who: Four Doctors FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: TITAN COMICS
(W) Nick Abadzis & Various (A) Eleonora Carlini & Various
Jump on board the TARDIS with FOUR all-new short tales of the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors! Whether you're a whizz with a Sonic Screwdriver or completely new to Who, this is the perfect Free Comic Book Day adventure for SF fans of all ages! Written and illustrated by the creative teams of the regular comics, this is the ideal place to start reading!
Rating: All Ages

47. World's Of Aspen FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: ASPEN MLT INC
(W) J. T. Krul, Joshua Hale Fialkov (A/CA) Jordan Gunderson
The crossover event every Aspen fan has been waiting for has finally arrived! Aspen Matthews is a woman of two worlds, the one above and the one below. Now, both worlds face certain annihilation at the hands of a supreme being from another universe - the Soulfire Universe! Prepare to experience the Worlds of Aspen as you've never seen before as Michael Turner's flagship creations, Fathom and Soulfire come crashing together for the first time ever! And the results will be nothing short of a new Aspen Universe altogether! This. Changes. Everything.
Rating: All Ages

46. Lady Mechanika #0 FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: BENITEZ PRODUCTIONS
(W) Joe Benitez (A/CA) Joe Benitez, Peter Steigerwald
Introduce new readers to this best-selling series, remarkably successful with female readers as well as fans of the popular "steampunk" genre! This special FCBD issue includes the original 14-page one-shot - introducing Lady Mechanika, a young woman in Victorian England with mechanical limbs and no memory of how she got them, searching desperately for the secrets to her past - plus excerpts from two Lady Mechanika trade paperbacks, on sale by FCBD!
Rating: Teen

45. Z2 Comics Lab FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: Z2 COMICS
(W/A) Ian McGinty & Various
Come one, come all, and read Z2's first FCBD anthology featuring all of your favorite Z2 characters in stories revolving around comic books! Can Kit and friends survive being thrust into the worst comic of all time? Read an excerpt from Amazing Adventure #3 the first appearance of Francis Carver. All of these stories and more!
Rating: Teen

44. Science Comics FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: :01 FIRST SECOND
(W/A/CA) Maris Wicks, Jon Chad
Get to know your universe with Free Comic Book Day's Science Comics! Do you want to know more about how the world works - what's going on under our feet and in our oceans? With two action-packed, full-color non-fiction science stories - one by Maris Wicks (author of Human Body Theater and Coral Reefs) and one by Jon Chad (author of Leo Geo and the upcoming Volcanos), Science Comics shows off what's fun, weird, and crazy about the Earth we all inhabit!
Rating: All Ages

43. Mooncop: A Tom Gauld Sampler FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: DRAWN & QUARTERLY
(W/A/CA) Tom Gauld
Penned by the cartoonist of Goliath and You're All Just Jealous of My Jetpack, this FCBD offering features an exclusive excerpt from Tom Gauld's all-new graphic novel Mooncop, plus a selection of short humor strips. Mooncop details the deadpan day-to-day adventures of the last policeman on the colonized moon. Support good comics and see why Tom Gauld has regular comics in the Guardian, New York Times and theNew Yorker! It's simple: he's brilliant and funny.
Rating: All Ages

42. Devil's Due/1First Comics Mixtape FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: DEVILS DUE /1FIRST COMICS, LLC
In this collection of short stories, we introduce new, never before seen Squarriors characters, reveal an original story of Mercy Sparx's youth from the world of Sheol as a prelude to Mercy Sparx: Year One, a short story featuring Badger vs. everyone's favorite shirtless world leader, and wrap with the Public Relations short "How to Dragon Your Train," where a train derailment PR disaster goes bad when a team of hungry dragons are sent to airlift out the victims.
Rating: Teen

41. Overstreet's Comic Book Marketplace FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: GEMSTONE PUBLISHING
(W) Robert M. Overstreet, J. C. Vaughn
Whether you're talking about new comics or classic back-issues, comic books are driving pop culture. Find out why as Overstreet's Comic Book Marketplace takes a look at the top 10 highest selling comics ever, as well as the worlds of cosplay, original comic art and movie posters! From Will Eisner's The Spirit to the "Mr. Fixit"-era Incredible Hulk artwork of Jeff Purves, and more, CBM has the insights! Cover by John K. Snyder III.
Rating: All Ages

40. Help The CBDLF... Defend Comics FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
(W/A) Lucy Knisley & Various (CA) Craig Thompson
An all-star, all-ages spectacular featuring the greatest in Kid's Comics! Stand up for your right to read with some of your favorite characters, and a cavalcade of great cartoonists! Fantasy, humor, adventure and more - all about defending the books we love the most! Cover by Craig Thompson (Space Dumplins, Blankets)!
Rating: All Ages

39. Bob's Burgers FCBD 2016 Special
Publisher: D. E.
(W/A) Various (CA) Sara Richard
The Belcher Family proudly celebrates this year's Free Comic Book Day event with three wild and zany adventures featuring those lovable scamps Tina, Gene, and Louise, plus guest stars Bob, Linda, and all your favorites from Bob's Burgers! It's the official Bob's Burgers comic book based on the fan-favorite (and Emmy Award-winning) Fox animated sitcom, jam-packed with the mouth-watering flavor that longtime fans and curious newcomers can enjoy!
Rating: All Ages

38. 2000 AD Special FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: REBELLION / 2000AD
(W) Paul Ens
Forty-eight pages of thrill-drenched Sci-Fi from Britain's greatest comic! Including exclusive new stories, digital strips, and a downloadable song from MC-1's favorite band! Creators include Alec Worley, Matt Smith, John Wagner, Alan Grant, Kek W, Barry Island, Hannah Berry, Peter Milligan, Eric Powell, Dani K, John Burns, Rufus Dayglo, Carlos Ezquerra, Henry Flint, Joëlle Jones, and Ron Smith.
Rating: Teen

37. Stan Lee's The Unknowns/Howard Lovecraft FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: ARCANA STUDIO
(W) Sean Patrick O'Reilly
Comic book legend Stan Lee's newest creation, The Unknowns, makes it's world debut on Free Comic Book Day! Two average teens help alien protectors disguise themselves as a touring rock group in order to take out undercover cells of invaders! Also included is the next chapter in the Howard Lovecraft series (just in time for the animated feature film, Howard Lovecraft & The Frozen Kingdom), as everyone's favorite Cthulhu teams up with young H.P. Lovecraft in Howard Lovecraft & The Squid Kids! 32 pages of all-ages animated fun!
Rating: All Ages

36. We Can Never Go Home/Young Terrorists FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: BLACK MASK COMICS
(W) Matthew Rosenberg, Matt Pizzolo (A) Various (CA) Amancay Nahuelpan
Here's what you'll find on Black Mask's "Mixtape" for FCBD 2016... SIDE A: We Can Never Go Home: "Dead Set On Destruction"-Madison is dangerous. And a little danger is all Morgan and Dale ever wanted. This story bridges the gap between WCNGH Vol. 1 and the upcoming new series. SIDE B: Young Terrorists: "Me Against The World"-Sera learns the hard way you can't build an army without fighting a few (hundred) cops. Welcome to The Sovereign State of Greater Detroit!
Rating: Mature Readers

35. Grant Morrison's Avatarex: Destroyer of Darkness FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: GRAPHIC INDIA PTE. LTD
(W) Grant Morrison (A/CA) Jeevan Kang
From legendary creative icon, Grant Morrison (Batman, All Star Superman, 18 Days), comes his newest hero! In Avatarex, the epic world of living myth collides with the mundane realities and cultural upheavals of contemporary India. What happens when an all-powerful super-being awakens to fight the Last War of the Age - only to discover he's been sent too early for the End Days and must somehow learn to exist in a world that's too small and too frail to survive his presence?
Rating: Teen

34. Love & Rockets Sampler FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
(W/A/CA) Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez
Love and Rockets is one of the most acclaimed and beloved series in comics history, and this summer, Fantagraphics has announced that the series will be rebooted as a quarterly comic book series beginning with a new #1 in July! To celebrate, Fantagraphics is offering up this one-shot sampler featuring classicL&R material by the great Hernandez Brothers, including an all-new cover and several other surprises! A perfect introduction to one of the most wonderful bodies of work in our medium's history.
Rating: Teen

33. Sanjay & Craig/Harvey Breaks FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: PAPERCUTZ
(W) Eric M Esquivel, Stefan Petrucha (A) Sam Spina, Andreas Schuster (CA) James Kaminski
The hottest new stars on Nickelodeon - Sanjay and Craig and Harvey Beaks - co-star in this comic collecting complete stories from Nickelodeon Magazine and from the Papercutz graphic novels. In "Lord of the Pipes", everyone's favorite talking snake, Craig, literally goes down the drain on an epic quest to fetch Sanjay's father's wedding ring... and has some close encounters with the strange beings he meets there. Then "Fight the Future with Flavor" dramatically depicts the shocking connection between Sanjay eating a seemingly harmless samosa and the total annihilation of the entire world by Martians! Also, Harvey Beaksproves he's a "First Class Finder" when his mad Hide-and-Seek skills lead him to finding a big scary monster!
Rating: All Ages

32. Rom #0
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
(W) Christos N. Gage, Chris Ryall (A) David Messina, Paolo Villanelli (CA) Zach Howard
He strikes from outer space... hurtling Earthward on his dead mission of cosmic vengeance! Rom is back for the first time in decades, and nothing can stop him! This introductory story re-introduces the character and leads into July's all-new, ongoing series! Plus, in an exclusive prologue to June's debut issue, the U.K.'s greatest weapon is on the warpath-and the fate of the world is in Action Man's hands... as usual.
Rating: Teen

31. Hilda And The Stone Forest FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: NOBROW PRESS
(W/A/CA) Luke Pearson
In the first Free Comic Book Day offering from Nobrow, the Eisner-nominated Luke Pearson tells the story of intrepid young Hilda's first adventure in the mysterious Stone Forest. Get ready for the body-swapping-est adventure this side of Freaky Friday! And keep your eyes peeled for Wiz and Mug, on their way to their next round of Fantasy Sports!
Rating: All Ages

30. Bruce Lee: The Dragon Rises #1
Publisher: DARBY POP
(W) Shannon Lee, Jeff Kline (A) Brandon McKinney, Zac Atkinson (CA) Bernard Chang
Bruce Lee never died. And he hasn't aged. But, he has no idea who he is, what's happened in the world in the past 40+ years, or why so many "thugs" want a piece of him. With the help of a fly BFF from the '70s - Joe Toomey, P.I. - and pair of precocious teens, Bruce will piece together a mystery more insidious than ever imagined, and find himself forced to do battle with both an enigmatic Villain and his very own conscience. The Dragon rises... and "walks on" once more! Co-written by Bruce's own daughter, Shannon Lee, and Jeff Kline (Jackie Chan Adventures, Indestructible)!
Rating: All Ages

29. The Stuff Of Legend Preview FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: TH3RD WORLD STUDIOS
(W) Mike Raicht, Brian Smith (A/CA) Charles Paul Wilson
Th3rd World Studios is proud to announce the return of the New York Times best-selling series, The Stuff of Legend, with this sneak peek into the much anticipated Volume 5, launching May 11th. In "A Call to Arms", our band of toys have been left scattered across the Dark in the aftermath of the Boogeyman's deceit, and they must pull themselves together or risk losing their boy forever. Also included is the original The Stuff of Legend story that started it all - allowing new readers a glimpse of the adventure that awaits our brave toys as they venture through their boy's closet...
Rating: All Ages

28. Grumpy Cat (and Pokey!) Special FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: D. E.
(W) Royal McGraw & Various (A) Ken Haeser & Various (CA) Ken Haeser
Grumpy Cat, the Internet's cutest curmudgeon, brings her hilarious brand of sass to comic shops everywhere with the official Grumpy Cat Free Comic Book Day 2016 special! Readers of all ages will love the misadventures of this killjoy kitten and her high-spirited brother Pokey! 8,000,000 Facebook likes and 306,000 Twitter followers can't be wrong - Grumpy Cat is a worldwide sensation and a (devilishly) delightful giveaway for comic shop fans and newcomers!
Rating: All Ages

27. Awake #0
Publisher: ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT
(W) Susan Beneville (A/CA) Brian Hess
In this prequel to the ongoing series, Awake, Regn learns to use her powers, and gets into trouble, with fellow cadet, Joppin, on the Dola training planet, Exterra, while Chay rescues young Picar from an angry mob!
Rating: All Ages

26. Graphix Spotlight: Dream Jumper Book One: Nightmare Escape FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: GRAPHIX
(W) Greg Grunberg (A/CA) Lucas Turnbloom
Trapped in a neverending nightmare... Ben has a gift. He can jump into other people's dreams.  So when his classmates start falling victim to an evil dream monster, he knows he has to do something. But can he get to them in time? With help from a mysterious companion, Ben just might be able to defeat the monster and save his friends... if he can harness the power within! Created by actor Greg Grunberg (Heroes, Alias, Felicity).
Rating: All Ages

25. Space Goat Presents: Dark Lilly & Friends FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: SPACE GOAT PRODUCTIONS
(W) Georgia Ball & Various (A) George Kambadais & Various
Fun for all ages from Space Goat Publishing for Free Comic Book Day! This title features the first appearance of Dark Lily, a character destined for her own title in 2016. Meet the fun loving characters ofMonster Elementary as they make their direct-market debut (coming to comic stores in 2016). TheMonster Elementary graphic novel won the Independent Book Award's First Place Gold Medal for "Best Humor Graphic Novel". Plus, young readers get a free glimpse at both Rocket Queen & The Wrench andMage, Inc., already in stores.
Rating: All Ages

24. Dark Horse Presents: Serenity/Hellboy/Aliens
Publisher: DARK HORSE COMICS
(W) Mike Mignola & Various (A) Tristan Jones & Various (CA) Sean Cooke
Need a reason to pick up Dark Horse Comics' 2016 Free Comic Book Day offering? Here's three: From Mike Mignola and Richard Corben, a lesson from Hellboy's past is shared. From Brian Wood, a peek into theAliens: Defiance series with an original tale. And from the world of Joss Whedon, a glimpse at the crew of the Serenity, following the film and the smash-hit series Leaves on the Wind!
Rating: Teen

23. Valiant 4001 A.D. Special FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC
(W) Matt Kindt & Various (A) Clayton Crain & Various (CA) Clayton Crain
The most ambitious Valiant event yet starts right here on Free Comic Book Day with a shocking new vision of the future in 4001 A.D.! The war for the fate of the 41st century begins here with an exclusive, never-before-seen prelude to the blockbuster comics event of the summer by New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt and superstar artist Clayton Crain. Rai! Eternal Warrior! X-O Manowar! Bloodshot! Geomancer!Armstrong! And more! The future of the Valiant Universe begins here! Plus: An all-new look inside Valiant's next hit ongoing series, A&A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong, from Rafer Roberts and David Lafuente; Divinity II from Matt Kindt and Trevor Hairsine; plus an all-new slate of top-secret teasers, special features, surprises, and a newly added excerpt from the series that has everyone talking - the one and only Faith!
Rating: Teen

22. Dark Horse All-Ages Special FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: DARK HORSE COMICS
(W) Michael Dante Dimartino & Various (A) Brian Churilla
Avatars, Dragons, and Zombies? What could be more friendly for all-ages than original tales from these prime Dark Horse worlds? Nothing. For Free Comic Book Day 2016, take a journey with the Avatar fromThe Legend of Korra, the dragon riders from How to Train Your Dragon, and the fundead of Plants vs. Zombies!
Rating: All Ages

21. DC Super Hero Girls FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: DC
Class is in session! Welcome to DC Super Hero High!
DC Super Hero Girls is an exciting new universe of superhero storytelling that builds character and confidence and empowers girls to discover their true potential. This special FCBD issue features two exciting, action-packed stories from the upcoming original graphic novel DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: FINAL CRISIS that readers of all ages will enjoy. It's the day before finals and the student body is hard at work...and nothing is going right! Wonder Woman spars with Cheetah in gym class as Batgirl and Supergirl watch from the sidelines. In the next class, the girls sit next to an empty seat. Where could Supergirl be? Don't miss this chance to meet the students as they find out that fun, friendship and hard work are all part of growing up!
Rating: All Ages

20. One-Punch Man/My Hero Academia FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
(W) One, Kouhei Horikoshi (A) Yusuke Murata, Kouhei Horikoshi (CA) Kouhei Horikoshi, Yusuke Murata
Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem - he just can't seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on! He is the One-Punch Man! Also: What would the world be like if 80% of the population manifested superpowers called "Quirks"? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20% percent who were born Quirkless?
Rating: Teen

19. Oddly Normal: Chapter One FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
(W/A/CA) Otis Frampton
Explore the magical land of Fignation this Free Comic Book Day with Oddly Normal, a ten-year-old girl with pointed ears and green hair - a half-witch who will be the first to tell you that being a little different doesn't make it easy to make friends at school! On her 10th birthday, Oddly blows out her cake's candles and makes a disastrous wish. Now, she must travel to Fignation to uncover the mystery of her parents' disappearance. Join beloved cartoonist Otis Frampton and the delightful Oddly as she navigates a strange new school, monstrous bullies, and Evil itself on an unforgettable fantasy adventure through this vibrant world!
Rating: All Ages

18. Street Fighter V #1 FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: UDON ENTERTAINMENT INC
(W) Ken Siu-Chong, Matt Moylan (A) Edwin Huang & Various (CA) Edwin Huang
Featuring the cast of the all-new Street Fighter V, Capcom's biggest video game of 2016! The new challengers from Street Fighter V make their first appearance in UDON's comics, as they collide with classic World Warriors in three new stories! This special one-shot is not to be missed by any Street Fighter fan!
Rating: Teen

17. March Trilogy Sampler FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: IDW - TOP SHELF
(W) John Lewis, Andrew Aydin (A/CA) Nate Powell
Top Shelf celebrates Free Comic Book Day with 32 pages of excerpts from March Book One, Book Two, andBook Three (coming summer 2016). The first graphic novel from a sitting member of Congress, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and American icon. John Lewis rose from humble beginnings to become a national leader of the civil rights movement. This is his story, from an Alabama farm to the March on Washington and beyond, co-written by Andrew Aydin and brought to astonishing life by Nate Powell in a graphic novel trilogy.
Rating: Teen

16. Junior Braves Of The Apocalypse FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: ONI PRESS INC.
(W) Greg Smith, Michael Tanner (A/CA) Zach Lehner
The Junior Braves Free Comic Book Day edition features a 24-page excerpt from Book 1 of the hit Oni Press survival horror Young Adult series! Perfect for readers who are a little too young for The Walking Dead, this zombie apocalypse epic follows a plucky band of scouts as they navigate the end of the world with only their combined smarts, teamwork, and good old fashioned camping skills at their disposal. And even then, they've still got other survivors to contend with! Will Tribe 65 make it out alive?
Rating: All Ages

15. Assassin's Creed FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: TITAN COMICS
(W) Anthony Del & Various (A) Wellington Alves & Various
Enter the shadowy world of the Assassins and Templars, two feuding factions who have battled over the centuries to decide the course of humanity! Two all-new short stories, written and illustrated by the creative teams of the regular comics, highlight a shocking event in the life of new Assassin Charlotte de la Cruz, and reveal the true extent of the mysterious Templar Black
Cross's terrifying skills! New readers or experienced fans: strap on your hidden blades, don your cowls, and blend into the crowd to discover secrets you won't read anywhere else!
Rating: Teen

14. Con Man's Spectrum #0
Publisher: AUTOMATIC PICTURES PUBLISHING
(W) Pj Haarsma, Alan Tudyk (A/CA) Sarah Stone
Firefly stars Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion present the first Spectrum comic from their highly successful webseries, Con Man! Our planet has been ravaged by two alien attacks and life on Earth is very different. Captain James Raaker is tasked with cleaning it up, but this is just a set-up to destroy everything he loves and quite possibly life on Earth itself!
The four-issue series from Automatic Publishing will be written by Tudyk and novelist/producer PJ Haarsma (The Softwire Series) with artwork by Sarah Stone (Transformers) and overseen by Shel Dorf Award-winning editor Shannon Eric Denton. The Free Comic Book Day offering is not a sampler or a preview, but the actual first issue of the series.
Rating: All Ages

13. Boom! Studios Summer Blast FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
(W/A) Box Brown & Various (CA) Kat Leyh
In the BOOM! Studios 2016 Summer Blast, read all-new, original short stories of David Petersen's Mouse Guard and Jim Henson's Labyrinth. Plus, get sneak peeks of the upcoming new Adventure Time: Comicsseries, the Lumberjanes: Don't Axe, Don't Tale special, and this summer's highly anticipated original graphic novel from Archaia, The Cloud. As a bonus, we've included preview pages from Goldie Vance, our newest BOOM! Box debut. There's something in this Free Comic Book Day issue for everyone!
Rating: All Ages

12. FCBD 2016 Viz Perfect Square Pokemon Pocket Comics
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
(W/A/CA) Santa Harukaze
To the forest! To the sea! To Legendary Island! Join our Pokémon pals on a quest through Unova for the Legendary joke - while testing your Pokémon knowledge and laughing all the way!
Rating: All Ages

11. Attack On Titan Anthology Preview FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: KODANSHA COMICS
(W/A) Various (CA) Hajime Isayama
Titans of Comics+Attack on Titan! The biggest manga of the decade, reinterpreted by the top talent in comics! Get a taste of this fall's upcoming Attack on Titan Anthology, a collection of original stories set in the world of Attack on Titan, from creators including Scott Snyder, Gail Simone, Michael Avon Oeming, Tomer Hanuka, Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, Babs Tarr, Faith Erin Hicks, Kate Leth, Kevin Wada, and many more!
Rating: Teen

10. The Pink Panther #1 FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY PRODUCTIONS
(W/A/CA) S. L. Gallant
He's been the coolest cat in all of cartoondom for over 50 years!  The Pink Panther is back in brand new adventures to tickle your funny bone and test the sanity of The Little Man.  Join all of Pink's pals from the DePatie-Freleng stable including The Inspector and The Ant and the Aardvark as we welcome The Pink Panther to 21st Century comic books in style!  This special FCBD issue is chock full of fun with new and classic Pink Panther adventures including the hilarious antics of The Mighty Pan-Thor!  2016 is the year of the Pink Panther and it all starts here on Free Comic Book Day!  
Rating: All Ages

9. Camp Midnight #1
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
(W) Steven T. Seagle (A/CA) Jason Adam Katzenstein
Add a touch of spooky to your Free Comic Book Day this year with the first chapter of Ben 10 and Big Hero 6 creator Steven T. Seagle and New Yorker Magazine cartoonist Jason Adam Katzenstein's Camp Midnight! Not wanting to please her "step monster," reluctant Skye is dead-set on not fitting in. But when she's accidentally sent to the wrong summer camp - Camp Midnight, where everyone attending is a full-fledged monster - Skye realizes that not fitting in will be the very least of her challenges! Camp Midnightis the perfect book for readers who love Raina Telgemeier's Smile but wish it had more bowls of gooey eyeballs in the lunch scenes.
Rating: All Ages

8. Spongebob Freestyle Funnies FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: UNITED PLANKTON PICTURES
(W) Evan Dorkin, Israel Sanchez (A) Evan Dorkin, Ramona Fradon (CA) Gregg Schigiel, Rick Neilsen
32 pages of all-original comics from United Plankton Pictures! In "Renegade Arms," SpongeBob must grow extra appendages to deal with a huge influx of Krabby Patty orders. But without the proper training, the new arms are wreaking havoc! Then, in a brand-new Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy adventure - "Bedlam! In Bikini Bottom!" - the diluvian duo faces a fish egg... from space?! All this, plus deep truths about sea trenches from Maris Wicks, SpongeFunnies from James Kochalka, and more!
Rating: All Ages

7. Bongo Free-For-All FCBD 2016 Special
Publisher: BONGO COMICS
(W/A/CA) Matt Groening
Get in line for the foremost Free Comic Book Day four-color giveaway of the year! Pieman and the Cupcake Kid take on a new crime team, Glutenus Maximus and his sidekick Gluten Tag, whose pastry-related misdeeds have led to a ban on all baked goods in Springfield! How will the heroic duo battle their foes without their arsenal of pies and cupcakes, and what's worse...what will Homer do without his daily dose of donuts? Then, after an unfortunate trip to the dentist, Principal Skinner is mistaken for a vampire. It doesn't help that Bart fuels the fire (and supplies the pitchforks) to an unruly mob uprising. All that and much, much more - and it's all free!
Rating: All Ages

6. The Tick Special FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: NEW ENGLAND COMICS
(W) Jeff McClelland (A) Duane Redhead, Ian Nichols (CA) Duane Redhead
The Tick celebrates FCBD 2016 with 32 pages of full-color comic book fun! In the all-new lead story, "The Council of Ticks", The Tick and Arthur discover that dimensional rifts have allowed dozens of different Ticks from alternate universes and realities to congregate in the "real" world! It's hard enough to hide and feed a hundred Ticks.... but an even bigger challenge rears its literally ugly head when a 50-foot tall Thrakkorzog breaks through the dimensional barrier! Can even a warehouse-full of multi-dimensional Ticks confront such a menacing... er, menace!? Plus, two back-up stories, including an all-new story with art by Ian Nichols! Great for fans new and old!
Rating: All Ages

5. Sonic Sampler FCBD 2016 Edition
Publisher: ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
(W/A) Various (CA) Jamal Peppers, Gary Martin
Get the best of both worlds with the Sonic Sampler! Hot on the heels of the all-new epic Sonic comics event, "Panic in the Sky," comes a supersonic sampling of stories for Free Comic Book Day! Join Sonic and friends as they band together to save the world from the evil ambitions of Dr. Eggman in these select stories from Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Universe! Plus, get a sneak peek of what's to come with a special "Fast Forward Feature" that you'll have to see to believe!
Rating: All Ages

4. Captain America #1
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Steve Rogers is returning to comics this May, and you can get your first taste on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. This issue will get you caught up just in time for the release of Captain America: Steve Rogers #1, coming to comics later in May!  Three Captain Americas fought shoulder-to-shoulder in AVENGERS: STANDOFF. Now, one rises to take his place at the forefront of the Marvel Universe! Nick Spencer and Jesus Saiz usher in a new beginning for the nation's greatest hero! But that's not all! FCBD CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 will also feature a second all-new story and a special prelude to DEAD NO MORE, giving fans their first look at the blockbuster storyline coming later this year. If you got a chance to bring back someone who died, would you? And how will CLASSIFIED deal when ones they thought long dead once again walk the earth? TOP SECRET and TOP SECRET unite to bring you the opening salvo of Dead No More, a major storyline coming in 2016!
Rating: T

3. Archie #1
Publisher: ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
(W) Mark Waid (A/CA) Fiona Staples
Comic superstars Mark Waid and Fiona Staples reimagine an icon in this special FCBD reprint of the best-selling first issue of Archie! Change has come to Riverdale in the can't-miss kick-off to Archie's new ongoing series! As the new school year approaches, you'd think Archie Andrews would be looking forward to classes and fun - but nothing is as it seems in the little town of Riverdale. Is this a one-off, or a sign of bigger changes awaiting America's favorite teens... and the entire town? Find out in this exciting, remarkable and critically acclaimed first issue!

2. Suicide Squad #1
Publisher: DC
Harley Quinn, Deadshot and King Shark lead a lethal team of death-row Super-Villains recruited by the government to take on missions so dangerous - they're sheer suicide! Don't miss this first issue of the hit series before the upcoming major motion picture, SUICIDE SQUAD!
Rating: Teen

1. Civil War II/All-New All Different Avengers
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Marvel peels back the curtain on their can't miss FCBD 2016 title, CIVIL WAR II #1! Before hero stands against hero, Brian Michael Bendis and Jim Cheung bring you a snapshot of the conflict that will split the Marvel Universe in two! But that's not all! Beware the sting of the All-New Wasp! FCBD CIVIL WAR II #1 will also feature a special second story from All-New, All-Different Avengers writer Mark Waid and legendary artist Alan Davis. Be there as this mysterious new character makes their big debut! Are they friend or foe? How will their coming impact on the lives of the All-New, All-Different Avengers? The answers may surprise you, True Believer! Not only do you get a lead in to the escalating conflict of Civil War II, but you'll also be introduced to a big new character as the All-New Wasp rockets into the Marvel Universe.
Rating: T+

Sunday, 14 June 2015

Special: Top 10 Superhero Shows We Need Back

Hey folks. In honour of Niagara Falls Comic Con this weekend I decided to spotlight some Superheroes that need to come back on the small screen, either by continuation of their original series or by reboot. In any event to be considered I needed to believe that there was still more stories to tell with the characters, for example I originally considered Batman Beyond but I remembered an interview with the executive producer stating that they really couldn't go much more than three seasons or else the Bruce-Terry dynamic wouldn't work since at some point Terry would've learned everything and I agreed so I kept it off. The other consideration is that the characters must not have a current TV series on air, so if I wanted a continuation of the 1986 TMNT series it couldn't be on here since there is an ongoing TMNT series at Nickelodeon. Anyway on with the list.

10. X-Men: Evolution

Aired: 2000 - 2003
Station: Kids WB

No, I do not want Wolverine And The X-Men back, it was a great show for what it was but what I really want to see is Xavier's school duking it out with the Brotherhood on a weekly basis, hell even now the direction the comics have gone you can add Cyclops group and make it a three way fight for mutantkind. It'd be a welcome sight to see a slightly darker corner of the Marvel Universe in cartoon form as their current offerings tend to focus around happy heroes that save the world, not struggle to adapt to themselves as people.

9. The Powerpuff Girls

Aired: 1998 - 2005
Station: Cartoon Network

Okay so this is the longest running show on this list and for good reason, it was immensely popular, unfortunately the audience started to grow up and the ratings fell causing Cartoon Network to pull the plug. But the time is right for the Girls to come back. Comic culture has never been more popular and there are no shows that feature only female protagonists in a lead role so the Powerpuff's could make huge waves in today's market. Apparently Cartoon Network agrees as we have a new series in development that we'll likely see in 2016.

8. Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes

Aired: 2006 - 2007
Station: Cartoon Network

This is more so a wish than anything. Marvel has recently made a point to discontinue anything featuring the Fantastic Four in hopes of getting the movie rights back from Fox at some point. So until that happens, which I do believe will happen, just maybe not as soon as I would like, we'll be without any FF comics, toys or TV series. The good news? Once Marvel gets the rights back it's going to be one huge freaking party and I'm sure a TV series will be one of their first priorities, let's just hope it's not like the lame 60's show and more like this kickass show that unfortunately only got 1 season.

7. Dragonball Z

Aired: 1996 - 2003
Station: YTV (Canada) Cartoon Network (US)

Maybe not "superhero" in the traditional sense but I don't think anyone can say that what Goku, Piccolo and Krillin (yes I said Krillin, he's awesome) isn't super and that they aren't heroes so they qualify and much like The Powerpuff Girls there is a show coming down the pipeline unfortunately it's not here yet so we wait more, let's hope it's all worth it.

6. Justice League: Unlimited

Aired: 2004 - 2006
Station: Cartoon Network

It's a damn shame that this only lasted 39 episodes, when the Justice League cartoon was being redone everyone figured it would fail in the vein of the New superman Adventures but Unlimited, although it's limited run, had more heart and story than the old League could muster over it's entire run. The last season on it's own is possible the best thing DC Animation had ever done up to that point. It's a shame, and even surprising that given all of the failures on the small screen that DC has encountered over the years they never tried to push a new Justice League cartoon, okay so now they have Gods And Monsters Chronicles which ties into the film by the same name but that is not even close to the same League we all know and love.

5. Darkwing Duck

Aired: 1991 - 1992
Station: Disney Channel/ABC

The early 90's were a great time to watch Disney, they had the best cartoon's anchored by Duck Tales, Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers and Tailspin. They even dabbled in the superhero genre a bit and one of those shows was the great Darkwing Duck. Darkwing struggled to balance his egotistical craving for fame and attention against his desire to be a good father to his daughter Gosalyn and help do good. Most episodes put these two aspects of Darkwing's character in direct conflict, though Darkwing's better nature usually prevails, but not before the audience got a good laugh or two at his expense.

4. The Tick

Aired: 1994 - 1996
Station: Fox Kids

What more can be said about The Tick? It was a great show for kids and adults alike, even though the latter found the show long after cancellation, to describe The Tick as anything other than a cult classic would do it injustice, and to that I say "SPOOOOOOOOOOOON". In today's society we love superheroes, we even love funny superheroes, so why don't we try The Tick again and see if there is a market for dumb superheroes who are funny without realising it? Let's make it happen!

3. Gargoyles

Aired: 1994 - 1997
Station: Disney Channel/ABC

For many of us kids that grew up in the 90's the cancellation of Batman: The Animated Series left a void for us seekers of dark animated justice, a void Disney was more than happy to fill with Gargoyles. The story followed a clan of Gargoyles who were stone by day but at night they were fighting to survive the modern world, and saving it from all kinds of supernatural threats. Goliath and company have continued their popularity to this day appearing on all kinds of merchandise thanks to their cult following 20+ years after their debut.

2. Batman: The Animated Series

Aired: 1992 - 1995
Station: Fox

That's right kids the show widely considered one of, if not the best cartoon of all time isn't topping this list. Sure we could use more Batman: The Animated Series episodes but I mean we did get 85. I think what hurts the most is that we haven't gotten a truly great Batman series in the last decade plus. Let's hope Cartoon Network has learned from their Beware The Batman screw-up and one is coming up the pipeline, if not, we'll always have The Animated Series and Beyond box sets to go back to.

1. Young Justice

Aired: 2010 - 2013
Station: Cartoon Network

It still hurts to think about this show being cancelled. I'd call it damn near perfect show but that would be an understatement, as soon as I finished watching the first few episodes I was hooked, when I got to season 2 I wanted nothing more than to get to the end to see what happens, little did I know that would be the end. After 2 spectacular seasons this critically acclaimed masterpiece was pulled from the air to be replaced by Beware The Batman and Teen Titans Go (Green Lantern was also cancelled). It's good that the Titans came back but they are not a good replacement for this excellently scripted action packed show about sidekicks coming into their own.

Sunday, 17 May 2015

Special: Free Comic Book Day 2015 Reviews

Another Free Comic Book Day is in the books and I was fortunate enough to grab 38 books this year. So here's the 38 books I got, reviewed and ranked including it's pre-reading rank but first let's list the 12 books I didn't get along with their pre-FCBD ranking:

Dr. Who Special (50)
World's Of Aspen (49)
The Phantom Special (48)
Steampunk Goldilocks (47)
Defend Comics (46)
Lady Justice (45)
Chakra The Invinceable (44)
Cleopatra In Space (43)
Ice Bayou Blackout (42)
Comics Festival (40)
2000 AD Special (33)
Kodansha Comics Sampler (29)

Now onto the list!

38. Overstreet Comic Book Marketplace (35)


I really liked when Bleeding Cool used to release a magazine for FCBD. It had great tidbits, interesting info and lots of great guides. I expected the same from Overstreet as it was high up on my list a couple FCBD's ago but I wasn't able to get it, I heard bad things so it fell on this year's list and now I can safely say that it was well earned criticisms as it was the worst FCBD book I read.

37. Super Mutant Magic Academy/Step Aside Pops (31)



I'm not sure what made me rank this so high pre-FCBD, maybe it was the name and Super Mutant Magic Academy had a few decent moments but overall the story was still poor, add in the awfulness of Step Aside Pops and this really deserves to be at the bottom of this list but Overstreet wasted so much more of my time.

36. The Stuff Of Legend/Thanatos Diver (41)



Thanatos Diver was more than bad but the tweet wouldn't let me fit any more than a 4 letter word. The Stuff Of Legend's set up was amazing I thought to myself "Wow! This is going to be one of the best books this year! But then letterless pages of art, I hate when they give us unscripted art as you will see more of at the bottom of this list.

35. Legendary Comics Sampler (13)



Well here's this year's winner of biggest fall, Legendary fell 22 spots because this book is mostly unlettered. I love anthology books since it gives you a bit of everything but this book gave you a cover and a quick synopsis on the same page and sometimes gives you some art sheets... We did get one comic that was "complete" which allowed Legendary to stay ahead of The Stuff Of Legend

34. Hatter M. Love Of Wonder (20)



This is another book that excited me a lot last year but I missed out on picking it up, the anticipation allowed it to move up on this year's list and unfortunately again I was disappointed. The art was rough to put it lightly and the story was heavily wordy with barely any action sequences, something you don't expect looking at the cover and the synopsis. But hey, lesson learnt.

33. Bob's Burgers (36.)


Not much to expand on here, my girlfriend thinks Bob's Burgers is the cats meow... I was indifferent to it after watching a handful of episodes, and the comic did not change my mind.

32. Avatar/Plants Vs. Zombies/Bandette (34.)


Not much else to say here, all three books left me feeling "meh". I've read more Plants Vs. Zombies than the other two, but even than not much so I didn't really care for any of the characters so you really need to make me like these unknown characters. Dark Horse Comics failed to make me care however.

31. Transformers Robots In Disguise #0 (25.)



The only thing that got this Transformers book ahead of the previous book is for the most part I enjoy Transformers, I'm not in love with them or anything but they're at least fun characters, but when you release an all-ages Transformers book with no action, you're gonna have a bad time!

30. Motorcycle Samurai (38.)



This books art and premise was interesting... But like the tweet says I couldn't decipher if it was good or bad, Motorcycle will have to settle for a passing grade.

29. Tales Of Honor (30.)


It's very hard to write a good sci-fi book with page constraints, more often than not you have to explain all this out-of-this-world technology as well as alien beings, so I can't fault Tales Of Honor for scuffling on a FCBD edition but all said it was a solid, if not a little bit confusing story.

28. Captain Canuck (37.)


Even though one of the ads was for the best comic book store in the world (Big B Comics) I couldn't help but be annoyed, not to mention the classic story was heavy on dialogue... If the ads were replaced by my story this would likely be a Top 25 book, if it was all the modern story it likely would've challenged for a Top 15 slot.

27. Rabbids (23.)


After getting through Rabbids I thought this book had strong potential with The Smurfs and The Garfield Show coming up, although The Smurfs was strong Garfield disappointed and then Ariol was last and bad as usual (you'll remember the last 2 years the Ariol back-up held down great books like The Smurfs and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers).

26. Grimm Fairy Tales Wonderland (24.)


I'm not sure why GFT by Zenoscope is ranked so high as I really haven't been impressed with anything else they've released other than Robyn Hood, but even then I just read a short story and haven't jumped into the full length graphic novels, nonetheless Wonderland is middling just like the other Grimm books I've read.

25. JoJo's Bizarre/Yu-Gi-Oh! (12.)


The appeal of this book was always the Yu-Gi-Oh! story, and it was probably one of the top stories this year, what I didn't realise though is that Jojo's Bizarre would be so confusing that it would drag a Yu-Gi-Oh book into the bottom half of this list. I really feel a little bit of back story, like what the hell Jojo's Bizarre is about would've helped, but alas here we are.

24. Street Fighter (22.)


The backup material more than lacked, there was these weird little newspaper snippets that were meant to be funny but just weren't, the main story had me lost at first but then after the second transition I realised what they were going for. It ended up being fun, however the "any given Sunday" ideology has been overused especially when it comes to fighting games.

23. Savage Dragon Legacy (27.)


Similar to Jojo, Savage Dragon had a strong first half with the modern story and then the classic story bored me, the advantage that Savage Dragon had over Jojo is that the good story was over half the book, not the opposite way where the backup is the only good part.

22. Bongo Comics Free-For-All (8.)


In past years most of the all-ages stories let me down but The Simpsons were never among them, they consistently delivered... Until this year, as noted the lead story was strong as usual but give the fact that Bongo gives us a bunch of stories and all the other ones were mediocre or worse.

21. Valiant Anniversary Special (14.)


So X-O Manowar, Valiant's flagship title let me down story-wise and the art in Bloodshot was lacklustre so I really expected to jump on the Valiant bandwagon after this title, but now I'd consider picking up Ninjak and that's about it. Oh well, maybe next year.

20. SpongeBob SquarePants (16.)


I'm a fan of SpongeBob, unfortunately his comics have let me down in the past and although I really did enjoy the stories here the art didn't look anything like the TV show. Not that that's always a bad thing but it is when compared to the art here.

19. Fight Club 2/The Goon/The Strain (7.)


Again, Fight Club 2 rocked my socks. The Goon and The Strain lacked in comparison, well actually they lacked in general but The Strain at least had pretty art, though the story moved slowly causing me to lose interest. But hey at least it still made it into the top half!

18. And Then Emily Was Gone/Oxymoron (17.)


And Then Emily Was Gone had rough art but it did set up the ongoing series pretty well and I'll likely consider jumping into it again at some point but the Oxymoron series has jumped up my list of must reads from ComixTribe.

17. Mercury Heat Debut (39.)


I'm not really a Kieron Gillen fan, I picked up Uber last year and it was one of my bottom books so that hurt Mercury Heat's placing this year but I was so stoked after reading it, the story was great sci-fi action and I'm looking forward to picking up some single issues of this. As mentioned though the end with all the notes from Gillen about how the book came to be with illustrations and world building was a little much, but hey it's still the biggest jumping book going from my 37th ranked book out of the 38 I picked up and here it is at #17.

16. Terrible Lizard (19.)


This was one of the first books I read on Free Comic Book Day, and although I didn't give it a glowing review as I read more I didn't find that many all-ages books outshone this one. I think it is partly because I love Cullen Bunn's writing and this isn't as good as some of his other work I've read.

15. Avengers/Uncanny Inhumans (11.)


I really do like this new Avengers team headlined by Sam Wilson's Captain America and also featuring new faces like the female Thor, Nova and Ms. Marvel. I figured the Inhumans books would get better now that Johnny Storm was going to be showing up following the conclusion of the Fantastic Four books, unfortunately it didn't wow me and left me with the same taste that caused me to stop buying them after Inhumans wrapped up.

14. Jurassic Strike Force 5 (32.)


Too bad that Mercury Heat made such a huge jump, otherwise the honour may have gone to Jurassic Strike Force as it was the 31st ranked book I grabbed but this all-ages book about a bunch of dinos that survived extinction and living underground while still fighting to help mankind can't be too upset with a 17 book jump.

13. Dark Circle Comics (18.)


As you'll see later on the fact that I thought I was getting something and was left without doesn't necessarily make the book a failure right off the bat, but it does make it an uphill battle to get back to neutral ground. Luckily the dark toned Black Hood and it's perfect counter balance in the light hearted The Fox allowed Dark Circle to not only make it back to neutral but get a couple upticks. I'll definitely be grabbing these in trade likely soon.

12. Scooby Doo Team-Up/Teen Titans Go! (15.)


As you'll see as we creep closer to number one, this was a great year for all-ages books. Any other year and this would be among the best of the best but unfortunately this is a strong year and it doesn't even come close to the top 5 all-ages books. I'm really enjoying what I've seen from Teen Titans Go! thus far and Scooby Doo surprised me with a truly great story starring the super friends... Gross.

11. Bodie Troll/Drone/Creature Academy (21.)


Creature Academy which I didn't talk about on twitter was an unspectacular story with decent art but it was the shortest of the three. As mentioned I'm becoming a big Bodie Troll fan between his backup in Atomic Robo last FCBD and his lead story here where he gets drunk! Too bad Drone and Creature Academy held it back just enough to miss the Top 10.

10. Hip-Hop Family Tree/Cosplayers (10.)


I really enjoy the Hip-Hop Family Tree books as they educate me on something I'm interested in but know very little about. Ed Piskor does a great job writing interesting stories about some of hip-hop's greatest talents and then there's the Cosplayers backup... My mom always said not to say anything if I have nothing nice to say.

9. March Grand Prix (26.)


Now this is interesting. Last year Hip-Hop Family Tree was my biggest mover, but in 2nd place was The Adventures of Jellyby, a book I only got because my girlfriend wanted it, well I ended up loving it and now Jellyby writer Kean Soo is back with a new series about animals that race cars and it's even better than Jellyby!

8. Perfect Square Presents Pokemon (9.)


As I mentioned earlier, we'll see books that lied in their synopsis still getting good grades, case and point this book. Pokemon promised a battle between two legendary Pokemon which never happened the X and Y story ended just as someone said it was happening but we never seen it but all 3 stories (Emerald, Black & White and the aforementioned X & Y) were great and may just cause me to read some Pokemon manga soon.

7. Gronk & Friends (28.)



Okay so here's another 21 spot jumper, partly because I underrated, partly because I didn't realise Hero Cats of Stellar City would be included! I love those cats so they're inclusion alone causes a big jump. Not to mention the fact that Gronk was a great story in it's own right, too bad new readers of Hero Cats wouldn't understand their comic since the story is jumbled together from different books so it doesn't make a ton of sense.

6. The Tick (5.)


We're now at the part of the list that doesn't change a lot because they are all known quantities, this was the weakest of the FCBD Tick comics but it's still a great read unfortunately it gets bumped out of the Top 5 due to the strength of the other books that were originally in the top 6 with The Tick.

5. Boom Studios 10th Anniversary Special (6.)


Essentially swapping positions with The Tick, Boom bet that more is better and they were right, even though they had bad books the good outweighed by a large margin. Regular Show continues to be a favourite of mine every FCBD despite not watching the show, in fact I didn't even realise it was a Regular Show comic until I looked at the table of contents. Garfield and Adventure Time was also enjoyable, too bad twitter only allows 140 characters, I can go on for ever.

4. Secret Wars (3.)


This is probably a case where Marvel is setting up a major event so it's assumed to be a spectacle so even when the story isn't as good as we assumed there is still an air of excitement surrounding it. It also helped that that the Avengers/Attack On Titan story was way more fun than I would've ever imagined it to be. I also didn't expect it in the book so I was surprised.

3. Sonic The Hedgehog/Mega Man World's Unite Prelude (4.)


Two major events went to war and World's Unite prevailed. Both sides of this flipbook was a lot of fun and although I seen the connection in Sonic's half to the event, Mega Man seemed like a stand alone story to me but it still definitely worked on it's own.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Prelude To Vengeance (1.)


I was really impressed with what TMNT was able to accomplish in such a small book but the IDW series has been impressing me since it's debut so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The only thing and I mean the only thing that kept this out of the top spot was the sheer perfection of the #1 book, this is not a knock against the turtles at all, no, this is when a top seed finally loses a finals match due to overwhelming shots of his opponent.

1. Divergence (2.)


When DC announced this book I figured it wouldn't be anything special, I mean after all I'm already reading Batman and Justice League so I'd just get a sneak peek at their new story lines and I'm not a Superman fan so it was just going to be okay but boy was I shocked. I loved this Superman story... I can't wait to start grabbing the trades! Batman and Justice League even gave me more than I expected which makes Divergence a perfect book and the best pick up this FCBD.