Following this week’s article on Free Comic Book Day, Zack Smith picks a few freebies to watch for this Saturday.
Guardians of the Galaxy—This team of C-list cosmic heroes is aiming for the A-list with a movie this summer. Marvel Comics offers a tie-in to the ongoing series, written by superstars Brian Michael Bendis and Dan Slott, as well as a kid-friendly spotlight book on Rocket Raccoon, a fierce space-critter poised to be the film’s breakout star. “I think people are really going to respond to that book and that character,” Ultimate Comics owner Alan Gill says. “When the film comes out, every kid in America is going to want their own Rocket Raccoon.”
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe—Even if your days of playing with these long-running toy lines and reading their comics are long gone, it’s worth checking out this ’80s-style book from IDW Publishing. It’s rendered by Tom Scioli, whose over-the-top designs and homage to comics legend Jack Kirby make this a treat even for those who aren’t fans of Robots in Disguise or Real American Heroes.
Uncle Scrooge: A Matter of Some Gravity—Fantagraphics Books’ reprints of classic Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck stories by Carl Barks and Don Rosa are some of the best all-ages comics out there, and this issue spotlights a couple rarely-seen Rosa stories. “They’re great books for kids and adults alike,” says Foundation’s Edge co-owner Richard McGee.
KaBOOM! Summer Blast—Speaking of kid-friendly books, this sampler of various licensed and all-ages titles from BOOM! Studios includes everything from Peanuts and Garfield to a number of Cartoon Network favorites. “I think that’ll go over particularly well because of Adventure Time and those other cartoons,” says Chapel Hill Comics owner Andrew Neal.