Comic Book Candy

This is old news for those of you following the comics blogosphere, but individual comic books are now more commonly priced at $3.99 versus the $2.99 cover price we have grown accustomed to over the last several years. In other words, bummer . I'm feeling the pinch more than ever, and not just because of the economic downturn. Two things are putting my comic book budget under scrutiny: the first one being that as successful as I have been to convince my pals to read comics in trade paperback form, I still see the same expression cross their faces when I suggest they pick up an individual issue at cover price. It's a combination of "Are you for real?" and "Umm....Why?" That is, except when I hand them one of the increasingly popular $1 first issues. Everyone's doing it! I'm pretty sure Vertigo started the trend, and now every major publisher is jumping on board . I've even seen some stores setting up a $1 issue rack to entice readers, often cl...

  Someone forgot to tell Spidey FCBD is a family friendly event. Any devoted comic book nerd knows about Free Comic Book Day; it's like Christmas for readers. For those who are new to the world of comics, or just missed the many fliers your store probably had posted for months, FCBD is exactly what it sounds like. Every first Saturday in May, vendors (at their own expense) give away free comics. Not just any books, these are titles released exclusively for the event by publishers; they are often kid friendly and are always meant to entice newcomers. In addition to free books, stores often have sweet deals (50% trade paperbacks? yes please!), and as if that wasn't enough, some stores even offer the chance to meet celebs of nerdom! This was my first year as a true participant of FCBD as the past several years were spent behind the counter of a busy comic book store. Though that still allowed me to witness throngs of newbies getting their first taste of comic book goodness, this ...