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FCBD 2010 TEENS & UP TITLES
  FAME FCBD 2010 EDITION
Writer: Dan Rafter   Artist: Don Smith
Reviewer: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Bluewater Productions   Shipped On: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (050210)
MSRP: FREE!
BLUE WATER'S SYNOPSIS:
Your first look at the new biography series FAME, featuring Lady Gaga!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
I’m not going to waste anyone’s time griping about BlueWater Productions and what I consider to be their constant lack of professionalism, not to mention respect for readers, which is clearly displayed in their lackluster product line, time and time again. First up is the amazingly flattering look at the stupendous rise of pop-sensation Lady Gaga. Writer Dan Rafter takes pandering to a new low, attempting to convey some sort of immediate obsession with the artist’s work as if she was the byproduct of Fergie and Jesus, all the while complaining about how kids these days have NO IDEA what constitutes QUALITY music?! It’s the kids that are propelling her to her success, and Rafter couldn’t even manage to get the NAME of her album right, or should I blame that on Darren Davis whose name is credited with editing this rag (a first for BlueWater I believe)? Then readers are treated to a preview of a Taylor Swift bio-comic, because the world was just ACHING for one of those, which has no rhyme or reason to its structure, but rather just blabbers on like a mentally challenged child spouting random facts and Wiki’d info that probably took a whopping ten-whole-minutes to slap together.
  DOCTOR SOLAR/MAGNUS FCBD 2010 EDITION
Writer: Jim Shooter   Artists: Dennis Calero and Bill Reinhold
Reviewer: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Dark Horse  Shipped On: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (050210)
MSRP: FREE!
DARK HORSE'S SYNOPSIS:
The dawn of a new age of superhero excitement begins on Free Comic Book Day as Dark Horse Comics proudly presents the return of two of the most legendary characters in the annals of comics: Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom and Magnus, Robot Fighter — re-imagined for the 21st century by comics legend, writer Jim Shooter! This FCBD extravaganza offers all-new Solar and Magnus stories, each heralding new series launches in summer 2010, and featuring interior art by fan-favorite Dennis Calero (X-Men Noir) and cover art by Raymond Swanland!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Comic book mainstay Jim Shooter delivers his take on two classic characters that seem destined for obscurity regardless of how many times they’re restarted, rebooted, or retread until they’re retired. Both concepts, one a man who survives an accident exposing him to massive amounts of radiation, another who fights robots, are sound in principle but as far as execution is concerned I’m not sure there’s enough substance to draw in NEW READERSHIP. Dr. Solar fights some jerk that happened upon some latent energy left over from Solar’s own transformation, which he uses to become some sort of super-jerk, then Solar beats him and flies away. Magnus fights robots, pisses some chick off, and ends up fantasizing behind his computer…not kidding.
  ARTIFACTS: FIRST LOOK FCBD 2010 EDITION
Writer: Ron Marz   Artist: Stjepan Sejic
Reviewer: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Image/Top Cow   Shipped On: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (050210)
MSRP: FREE!
IMAGE/TOP COW'S SYNOPSIS:
Building on the success of First Born and Broken Trinity, Top Cow finally reveals the secrets of all 13 Artifacts - which include The Darkness, Witchblade, Angelus, Magdalena's Spear of Destiny, and more. Launching a massive 13-issue event beginning in July 2010, this series will literally define and redefine the nature of the Top Cow Universe! The final identity of the remaining hidden Artifacts will be revealed, characters will perish, and the very existence of the Top Cow Universe will be at stake. And it begins here!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
In order to build up a bit of buzz surrounding “The Biggest Event in the History of the Top Cow Universe” the powers-that-be have seen fit to supply potential readers with two things this Free Comic Book Day, a taste, but just a taste of the creative team behind the book, as well as a bit of background on the players involved, including some info that’s never been revealed before. It’s half a Zero-Issue and half handbook of the Top Cow Universe and it works surprisingly well. I haven’t jumped into the Top Cow pool for quite some time, but this may be enough to pull me into the 13-issue maxi-series that debuts this summer. I could take or leave the artwork, but the story itself is pretty fascinating. Since Ron Marz has been THE Top Cow architect for quite a while now I have no doubt that this will indeed be THE event book that could restore some life to the somewhat-stale line of titles.
  WEATHERCRAFT: A FRANK COMIC FCBD 2010 EDITION
Writer/Artist: Jim Woodring
Reviewer: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books    Shipped On: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (050210)
MSRP: FREE!
FANTAGRAPHICS PRESS' SYNOPSIS:
Are you ready? Because your life is about to change! Perception as you know it will cease! Fantagraphics proudly presents Jim Woodring's Weathercraft! Every other free comic book will pale in comparison to our powerful and supernatural print-barge for both the enlightened and perplexed masses. Marvel at the toothy preview of Jim Woodring's first original graphic novel, do your detective work with exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews, and gasp at rare out-of-print images, comics and transmissions, all from Jimland! Beware! Manhog lurks near...
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
I don’t get this. Sure, the pictures are pretty, and reminiscent of R. Crumb at that, but there’s no words, and as far as I can tell no real semblance of a story. Let me make it clear that this is a just a sample portion of the larger (and maybe more interesting) graphic novel. Jim Woodring has spent a great deal of his career fleshing out the weird characters and the world they inhabit in his “Frank” books, and this is a type of spin-off starring Manhog, a co-star of the ‘Frank’ series, with no redeemable qualities whatsoever. The majority of the story centers on Manhog as he wanders through his world interacting with the ever-so-strange characters that make up its landscape. There’s a great deal of surreal imagery that might induce some sort of giggle-fit had I ingested enough LSD to cause me to actually UNDERSTAND what the heck is going on, but I don’t do drugs, not any that made me interested in this anyway.
  LOVE AND CAPES #13 FCBD 2010 EDITION
Writer/Artist: Thom Zahler
Reviewer: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Maerkle Press     Shipped On: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (050210)
MSRP: FREE!
MAERKLE PRESS' SYNOPSIS:
The wedding and the honeymoon are over for comicdom's favorite super couple, so what's next? Getting settled, starting their new life… and finding out what really happened at the reception. It's a whole new start for "Love and Capes", and a great lead-in to the second trade coming from IDW in summer 2010!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
I’m pretty sure it’s safe to assume that it’s tough to be a costumed crime-fighter; when you’re a guy and you have to balance you’re responsibilities to the public-at-large with commitments to your loved ones, especially girlfriends, the stress has to be unbearable. In “Love and Capes” Mark Spencer, The Crusader, is Deco City’s premiere super hero, and member of the Liberty League, but he’s also Abby Spencer’s new husband, and while the two of them share the secret of Mark’s true identity they’re still every bit the typical married couple you can only hope to be a part of. The story is broken down into eight panels per page, with each of those pages broken down into two segments, which gives the illusion that you’re reading a newspaper strip, or a webcomic that’s been collected and reprinted, but it works really well. I’d love to see something like this catch on, it reminds me of the old DC series “Young Heroes in Love”
  ATOMIC ROBO AND FRIENDS FCBD 2010 EDITION
Writer: Brian Clevinger    Artist: Scott Wegener
Reviewer: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Red 5 Comics     Shipped On: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (050210)
MSRP: FREE!
RED 5'S SYNOPSIS:
Eisner Award-nominated Atomic Robo knows that the rain forests of South America hide many secrets...but none so deadly as "The Terror Bird"! Forgotten by time, these prehistoric apex predators are primed to devastate the modern world! (The word 'terror' is right there in its name!) Plus! Previews of 2010 adventures of Red 5 favorites and some new faces!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Alright, this is really a bit more of a Red 5 Comics sampler platter than I had originally thought, but in the end it contained a done-in-one “Atomic Robo” story that has solidified my stance that this may be the BEST comic I’m not reading right now, and I’ve decided to start finding the collected editions of this title at all costs. Robo and his team of Tesladyne Scientists are shipped into the jungle in order to search out a supposedly not-so-extinct extinct bird. Hilarity ensues when the birds don’t seem to take kindly to the trespassing, and, well, read it! The done-in-one is a kind of lost art-form; with the advent of the wait-for-trade, ‘Border’s’ bookshelf style of comics we lost a style of storytelling that, if done extremely well, reminds all fans of the books that turned them on to the medium in the first place, and I really appreciate the ability to pick up a book in the middle of a run and enjoy it as much as if I’d read the series from the beginning.
  WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #0 FCBD 2010 EDITION
Writer: James Robinson & Sterling Gates    Artist: Eddy Barrows
Reviewer: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: DC Comics     Shipped On: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (050210)
MSRP: FREE!
DC'S SYNOPSIS:
A war is coming, and all that stands between Earth and 100,000 vengeful supermen is one Superman! The conflict between Superman and General Zod erupts into all-out war this summer in a series that will shatter the worlds of Superman, Supergirl and the entire DC Universe — all brought to you by the hit creative team of James Robinson and Eddy Barrows! This special #0 issue featuring all-new material previews the conflicts to come while spotlighting a savage strike on Metropolis and the world — an attack that will shake Superman to his very core. After this, there’s no turning back — the War of the Supermen is here!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
As far as ‘events I’m not concerned with in the slightest’ “War of the Supermen” ranked pretty high up there, but James Robinson managed to do the impossible with this little free book right here, he made me want to read upcoming (weekly?) mini-series. I don’t know what it is about the execution that seems so different from what either of the two writers were doing in their respective cornics, Gates on “Supergirl” and Robinson on “Superman: World of New Krypton”, but this attracted me to the upcoming project as opposed to repel me like most of the stuff I’d read of the aforementioned books. It’s another Zod and Kal-El throw-down that never really gets off the ground, because, well, it’s an FCBD book, and they want you to spend the money ($3.99, I’m assuming) on the series to get the meat and potatoes. The art by Eddy Barrows is better than a lot of what I’ve seen in standard monthly DC fare, and I’d like to see him get a more regular gig, although I may just be looking in the wrong places. The back-up (back up there’s a BACK-UP?!) is a jam session with pages featuring the art of Gary Frank, Ethan Van Sciver, David Finch, and other guys, which was a great little piece that gets all convoluted at the end, not at all attracting me to the other aspects of the “War of the Supermen” that are sure to tie-in to the mini-event.
  IRON MAN/THOR FCBD 2010 EDITION
Writer: Matt Fraction   Artist: John Romita, Jr.
Reviewer: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics     Shipped On: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (050210)
MSRP: FREE!
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
The perfect jumping-on point for any and all readers...and it's FREE! When rogue mega-billionaires with world-destroying technology threaten the safety of the entire world...and the moon...Thor and Iron Man join forces! In time for the exciting launch of new stories and a bold new direction for Invincible Iron Man and Thor, superstars Matt Fraction and John Romita Jr. team up to bring you two of Marvel's heaviest hitters like you've never seen them before! A major new direction for the Marvel Universe kicks off HERE - on Free Comic Book Day!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
What better way to ‘gateway drug’ kids into buying more comics than to give away free comics starring the stars of the sure-to-be-hit movie of the summer and possibly the one after that (as far as comic-movies are concerned) which also ties into the launch of two new creative teams on ongoing titles starring both Iron Man AND Thor? I don’t know. I can’t think of one possible thing that could ‘gateway’ kids into comic stores with more ease; once again the mighty Marvel marketing machine reigns supreme. I’m not the world’s biggest Fraction fan, but both his Iron Man and his Thor seem surprisingly refreshing (yes, I’ve just publicly admitted to being ignorant of his run on “Invincible Iron Man”, sue me). There’s a very endearing quality to the Norse God of Thunder here that I haven’t seen in the work of JMS or Dwyer or whomever, but Fraction could get me to pick up a Thor title for the first time in FOREVER. This is by far the GEM of Free Comic Book Day, as far as I’m concerned, with J.R. Jr. doing his thing the way nobody does, and considering he’s going to be illustrating BOTH of these guys in Bendis’ new “Avengers” book, and Fraction will be writing BOTH of these characters (although not in the same title) come this summer, so this (sorta) serves as an unofficial preview of all of those books; good stuff.
"Remember, Saturday May 1st, 2010 is Free Comic Book Day this year and we're giving away the over 30 titles listed in these pages at the store that weekend. That's a lot of titles and as always some are going to be of more interest to you than others. So take a look at the ALL AGES, TEENS AND UP and REFERENCE offerings for this year and begin to dream about the 2nd Happiest day of the Year (right after Christmas!)

All Books/Characters pictured herein are © Copyright 2010 by their respective owners. No rights given or implied by Alternate Reality, Incorporated.

Reviews © 2010 Alternate Reality, Inc.

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