APE CARTOONAPALOOZA
Writer/Artist:
various
Publisher:
Ape Entertainment,
Available On:
050209
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APE ENTERTAINMENT'S SYNOPSIS:
Ape Entertainment proudly presents five new, all-original all-ages short stories
featuring fan favorites Go-Go Gorilla & the Jungle Crew, White Picket Fences,
Femme Noir, and Ursula Wilde. Featured this issue are the first appearances of
the high-octane, full-throttle super racing team of R.P.M., and the super-heroic
might of the Elders of the RuneStone! Industry talents abound in this
spectacular FCBD09 event issue! |
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ARCHIE PRESENTS MIGHTY ARCHIE ART PLAYERS |
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Writer:
Various,
Artist:
Various, |
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Review By:
Jim "Good Old JR" Rutkowski |
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Publisher:
Archie Comics,
Available On:
050209 |
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ARCHIE'S
SYNOPSIS: |
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The "Mighty Archie Art Players" return! In this special FCBD09 edition, the
Mighty Archie Art Players have a rip-roaring good time in the Old West, put a
modern-spin on the classic Snow White fairy tale, tell a "big fish" story -
literally! - with Betty as a mermaid, and cater to the whims of Veronica,
transformed into the ancient Egyptian queen, Cleopatra. Their curtain-raising
performances will leave you laughing in the aisles! |
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JR'S REVIEW: |
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As constant as the North Star, Archie never changes.
I was an Archie reader as a child and that was more years ago than I care to
mention. But thumbing through this Free Comic Book Day sampler reminded me that
some things never change. And in Archie's case, that's a good thing. The book is
set up as a series of comedy vignettes, each one just as corny as the next. But
there is something reassuring that Archie comics will always remain that
unaffected, naïve and innocent through back to a simpler time. This book is like
a warm breakfast on a school day. Recommended. |
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BONGO COMICS FREE FOR ALL
Writer/Artist:
Matt Groening,
Publisher:
Bongo Comics,
Available On:
050209 |
BONGO'S
SYNOPSIS:
The comic company that brings you The Simpsons and Futurama in the fantastic
four-color format joins with retailers to reel in new readers with a comic
cornucopia of tantalizing tidbits and a spectacular sampling of the best in
humor comics! |
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CARS |
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Writer:
Alan J. Porter,
Artist:
Albert Carreres, |
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Review By:
Jim "Good Old JR" Rutkowski |
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Publisher:
Boom Studios,
Available On:
050209 |
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BOOM'S SYNOPSIS: |
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Take a peek under the hood of BOOM! Studios' line of Cars comics, based on the
hit Disney/Pixar movie! This issue includes an exciting excerpt from Cars #1,
revealing the plucky origin of Lightning McQueen! In addition, readers will be
treated to never-before-seen sketches, character designs and script pages! |
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JR'S REVIEW: |
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Right off the top, I have to say that Cars is my
least favorite Pixar movie. Not that it's bad mind you. Even Pixar's worst ends
up being far and above most other studios best. But Cars felt uninvolving to me
for one very big reason. Automobiles do not make for engaging characters. No
matter how much movement the animators provide, the characters look like
inanimate objects that talk. This is passable in film but in comic form, it's
deadly dull. Page after page of cars with eyes and mouths seen from every
conceivable angle. This has all the excitement of thumbing through a Hot Wheels
catalog. Pass. |
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COMICS FESTIVAL! 2009 VOLUME 3
Writers/Artists:
Emmanuel Guibert, Kean Soo, Ramon Perez, Various
Publisher:
Toronto Comics Art Festival,
Available On:
050209 |
COMICS FESTIVAL'S SYNOPSIS:
Join Emmanuel Guibert's Sardine, Kean Soo's Jellaby, and many more great
creators and characters in Comics Festival! This fantastic collection of stories
for kids of all ages will lead readers to discover dozens of great graphic
novels, in the most exciting FCBD09! |
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DC KIDS MEGA SAMPLER |
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Writer:
Various,
Artist:
Various, |
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Review By:
Jim "Good Old JR" Rutkowski |
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Publisher:
DC Comics,
Available On:
050209 |
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DC'S SYNOPSIS: |
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The perfect place to check out the sensational line of titles aimed at readers
of all ages! This sampler includes fun and exciting stories starring Tiny
Titans, Billy Batson & the Magic of Shazam! and Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in
the Eighth Grade! |
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JR'S REVIEW: |
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A bit of a mixed bag here. First up is a very
stylized telling of the Captain Marvel origin done in a very stylized fashion.
Somewhat reminiscent of Paul Dini's work but more distinctive. At only 4 pages I
was left wanting more. A good sign. The second story is a Batman: Brave and the
Bold tale. Unfortunately, it has none of the retro feel of the animated series
of the same name. It reads as if the writer had never watched a single episode.
Last up is the highlight of the book. A Tiny Titans story by the incomparable
Art Baltazar. I've always appreciated Baltazar's work. Here again, he shows is
ability to tap into the psyche of the child like imagination. Whimsical, without
ever appearing to be precious, it's a fun few pages and proves that you can take
virtually any super hero concept and make it work for the little ones. |
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GUMBY TWO IN ONE ED
Writer:
Andrew Joseph,
Artist:
Shepherd Hendrix, Ken Hooper,
Publisher:
Wildcard Ink,
Available On:
050209 |
GEMSTONE'S SYNOPSIS:
Gumby and his friends celebrate another fun time together in Toyland in this
special issue for Free Comic Book Day 2009! Cover by Rick Geary! |
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LIFE AND TIMES OF SCROOGE MCDUCK
Writer/Artist:
Don Rosa, Various
Publisher:
Gemstone,
Available On:
050209 |
GEMSTONE'S SYNOPSIS:
The complete first chapter of Don Rosa's epic "The Life and Times of Scrooge
McDuck" makes up one-half of this year's free comic book, with selected pages
from Gemstone's acclaimed coffee table book, Mickey and the Gang: Classic
Stories in Verse, making up the remainder! |
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NANCY & MELVIN THE MONSTER
Writer/Artist:
John Stanley,
Publisher:
Drawn & Quarterly,
Available On:
050209 |
DRAWN & QUARTERLY'S SYNOPSIS:
Melvin Monster and Nancy star in Drawn & Quarterly's All-Color, Kid's FCBD09
issue featuring the work of legendary cartoonist, John Stanley! Known for his
humor and wit, Stanley made Little Lulu all his own and afterwards left his
distinctive stamp on Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy! Melvin Monster was Stanley's
creation of a humorous kids' horror comic, and both of the Nancy and Melvin
Monster stories will showcase his kiddy macabre comedy! |
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NASCAR HEROES ORIGINS
Writer:
John Gallagher ,
Artist:
Peter Habjan,
Publisher:
Starbridge Media,
Available On:
050209 |
STARBRIDGE'S SYNOPSIS:
It's 800 Horse-Power Comic Book Action - just in time for the new NASCAR Heroes
Graphic Novel series launch! Learn the origins of NASCAR's super-secret heroes!
Jimmy Dash, Jack Diesel, Shoque - Racer Heroes with a big secret! Plus,
How-To-Draw lessons, activities, and racing fun for Kids of All Ages! |
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OWLY |
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Writer/Artists:
Andy Runton, James Kochalka, & Christian Slade |
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Review By:
Jim "Good Old JR" Rutkowski |
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Publisher:
Top Shelf Productions
Available On:
050209
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TOP SHELF'S SYNOPSIS:
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Top Shelf is proud to join the FCBD09 celebration
with not one, but three all-ages tales! In this FCBD edition, we'll not only
present an all-new Owly adventure by Andy Runton, but also two other all-new,
all-ages adventures from Owly's friends: Johnny Boo by James Kochalka, and Korgi
by Christian Slade. Perfect for everyone in the family! With a great cover by
James Kochalka this time around! |
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JR'S REVIEW:
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This is a wonderful book to put in your child's
hands. Nothing here to offend and even better, the storytelling is imaginative
and elegant. The book contains 4 short stories. First up Owly tries to come up
with a way to protect his plant friends from the weather. The entire story is
told without dialogue. Owly's intentions are illustrated with thought ballons
that contain not words, but images of what he plans to do. This will really
engage a young imagination. The second story is about Korgi the dog. The line
art in this story is gorgeous. It's also the best story in the book. Korgi takes
a journey WITHIN a magical creature. Terrific stuff. The next story concerns the
ghost Johnny Boo. Written literally by a 5 year old, it gives some insight into
the level of a child's sense of humor. Finally a one page Yam story that is very
cute. This one belongs in every kid's collection. |
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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG EVOLUTION OF A HERO
Writer:
Ian Flynn,
Artist:
Tracy Yardley,
Publisher:
Archie Comics,
Available On:
050209 |
ARCHIE'S SYNOPSIS:
Here's your chance to take a look back at the long-running hit comic series that
has been thrilling fans for over 15 years! What's the connection between Sonic
and the Freedom Fighters? Who are Shadow the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna?
What's the deal with that Robotnik guy, and what's going on in the series now?
Whether you're a new reader or a devoted fan, this is one issue you just can't
miss! |
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STAR WARS CLONE WARS |
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Writer:
Various,
Artist:
Various, |
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Review By:
Jim "Good Old JR" Rutkowski |
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Publisher:
Boom Studios,
Available On:
050209 |
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DARK HORSE'S SYNOPSIS:
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A special issue featuring the greatest heroes of The Clone Wars, plus Emily the
Strange, Usagi Yojimbo, and other all-ages favorites! Packed with 28 pages of
story, the book bears two covers, one with the Star Wars character, the other
celebrating Dark Horse's best all-ages characters! |
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JR'S REVIEW:
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The first half of Dark Horse's offering this year is
based on Star Wars: The Clone wars animated series. Written by Henry Gilroy, it
tells of a brief skirmish on the planet Rishi involving Jedi Master Kit Fisto
and a one clone trooper against a separatist army. Gilroy does a decent job here
with some very economic storytelling and Ramon Perez's art is clean and evokes
the animated series without seeming like a direct copy. Not bad! The other half
of the book is made of of short comic stories involving other Dark Horse
properties. An Indiana Jones story by Mark Evanier has a neat twist at the end.
The artwork is overly cartoony when t should be a bit grittier. Unfortunately,
the other 3 offerings left me cold. Usagi Yojimbo involved in an extremely
obvious ghost story. Emily Strange is...well...strange!! And Beanworld was
always one of those titles that I am not ashamed to admit, I never quite
grasped. A real mixed bag this one. Somewhat recommended. |
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STUDIO 407 SAMPLER |
Writers:
Alex Leung, David Markus and Matthew Odgers, Neil Marshall Stevens, Scott
Barkman and Jeff Lee
Artists:
Javier Giangiacomo & Javier Bordon, Guilherme Balbi, Jon Bosco, and Mark Louie
Vuycankiat |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Studio 407,
Available On:
050209 |
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STUDIO 407'S SYNOPSIS:
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The Studio 407 Sampler showcases four of our titles and asks: What if you were a
kid trapped in your own nightmares? What if you were the world's greatest escape
artist in the one prison you couldn't escape? What if the world's most advanced
piece of military hardware fell into the hands of a madman? What if your attempt
to stop a civil war in Europe led to something much worse? |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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This is a collection of some of the more original
material I’ve seen from the standard FCBD-sampler poo-poo platter.
First up is “Heroes Unlimited,” as readers are allowed a peak inside the dreams
of an everyday twelve-year-old as he escapes from a pack of spirit-hounds and a
pumpkin-headed samurai through a labyrinth-like, steam punk-esque cityscape. The
art is obviously anime inspired, but with a sketchy roughness usually seen in
European comics. It doesn’t give readers a lot to go on as far as what the book
is really about, but it’s an enjoyable opening sequence.
In “Surface” we’re introduced to a grizzled convict, Cole Reeves, who never met
a prison he couldn’t find a way out of. Defiant to the end, Cole is sentenced to
thirty years in Rysum Penitentiary, a prison at the bottom of a great body of
water, and it’s about to come crumbling down around him. I really enjoyed this,
and when it’s released (all the way in October) I’ll be sure to get my hands on
it.
“Havoc Brigade” takes the idea of Iron Man and turns it into a military strike
force, firing a salvo of robo-suited-soldiers at enemies like so many human
missiles. The art in this is (in my opinion) the best of the whole sampler.
Again, there is a slight manga influence that is evident in the line work, but
it didn’t take away from the story at all.
Finally, readers are introduced to the world of “Golem.” Historical legend
indicates during times of great suffering a Rabbi bring to life a being made of
clay to serve as protector of the community. When a professor of occult studies
in Sarajevo circa 1992, tires of the constant violence and destruction, he
decided to bring to life a golem of his own, to try to bring to an end the
carnage that’s plagued his home for so long. I think both the art and story are
too mundane to be entertaining. |
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WOLVERINE ORIGIN OF AN X-MAN
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Writer:
Fred Van Lente,
Artist:
Gurihiru,
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Review By:
Larry "Bocepheus" Evans &
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel Comics,
Available On:
050209 |
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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Before the X-Men, before his battle with the Hulk and Wendigo, the man
cipher-coded "Weapon X" was the lone super-agent for the Canadian government's
top-secret Department H program. The military brass don't trust a loose cannon
who can't even remember his past, but when a commando unit is lost in small town
completely taken over by an unstoppable cybernetic plague, Logan finally has a
chance to prove himself... but only if he survives "Operation: Wolverine"! |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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Watch out everyone, there’s a little, hairy,
Canadian on the loose this summer and if you get in his way ‘SNIKT’ may very
well be the last sound you hear before the screaming starts. Marvel’s big movie
this year is “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”, so along with the slew of Wolvie-related
titles being released through out the month of May, everyone over at the ‘house
of ideas’ made sure Free Comic Book Day wasn’t excluded. In fact, seeing as how
the movie debuts barely 24 hours before Alternate Reality opens Saturday, May 2,
it’s safe to assume they hope everyone runs from the theater to the LCS and
scoops up the first of what could potentially become many titles.
This issue’s story is just another in a long line of what’s become an odd trend
lately in comics, an origin ret-con. The story is set days before Wolverine’s
initial appearance in “The Incredible Hulk” #181. In it, Wolverine is dispatched
on a mission for Department H, on a trial run of what will inevitably develop
into the Weapon X program. He’s sent to a town to rescue a Canadian commando
unit (who knew the sneaky bastards even had a military?!) after they were taken
hostage by an ‘otherworldly’ invader. Wolverine storms into the small town ripe
for some scrappin’ and uncovers a mystery concerning the identity of his
attackers.
Written well (for an all ages book, if it was regular Marvel U it wouldn’t fly)
by Fred Van Lente, who is quickly proving himself as a go-to guy for Marvel.
Gurihiru illustrated the short Power Pack mini not too long ago, and I have to
say I really enjoyed the art in this comic. I’m a big fan of the ‘animated’
style of drawing when it’s done right, and Gurihiru delivers on every level,
making it almost feel like I was watching a Wolverine cartoon as opposed to
reading about his adventures in a book. |
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BO'S REVIEW:
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Just in time for the movie one of Marvel’s offerings
tells of an adventure of Wolverine’s in the same style used in Marvel’s kid
books. The snappy story is from Incredible Hercules’ Fred Van Lente and artist
Gurihiru. It takes place right before Logan’s first appearance in Incredible
Hulk. This is basically for kids and will keep their interest while also showing
them a series of ads for Marvel books that can be used as entry points to the
Marvel Universe and snacks that your kids will be bugging you about when you go
to the store.
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"Remember, Saturday May 2nd, 2009 is Free Comic Book Day this year
and we're giving away the over 40 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!)
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All Books/Characters pictured herein are © Copyright 2009 by their respective owners. No rights given or implied by Alternate Reality, Incorporated.
Reviews © 2009 Alternate Reality, Inc.
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