Confessions of a Comic Book Guy is a weekly column by retailer Steve Bennett of Mary Alice Wilson's Dark Star Comics in
A couple weeks ago I wrote about the main Free Comic Book Day offerings from Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse, but neglected to mention some of the notable other titles Dark Star would be getting for the big day. Like Nexus (those unlucky enough to have never read the Mike Baron/Steve Rude classic couldn't ask for a better introduction to it), Amelia Rules, Gumby and Lone Ranger/Battlestar Galactica. I realize your store can't possibly order all the titles being offered, but since you never know who'll show up to an open house, having something for everyone is undoubtedly a good idea.
Oh, and here's a tip from store manager Tad Cleveland; everyone from your shop working on FCBD should definitely take home copies of the comics you'll be giving away and read them. And not just to check for 'objectionable' content (though of course that's not a bad idea) but so you'll be able to talk about them with your customers.
Because there are going to be questions and it would nice if you had answers; what each one is about, who it's intended for and (here's the really tricky one) 'is it any good?' Plus the more you know about the comics the better you'll be able to match the right reader with the right comic.
I mean, sure you can just give away the comics willy-nilly but I think you'll find your customers will value them more if you consider their age and tastes. There's nothing 'wrong' with Dynamite's Lone Ranger/Battlestar Galactica (far from it; as a fan of The Ranger I had to stop processing the FCBD comics and read his section of the flip book, the story called 'The Creed'; it's a letter perfect distillation of who the character is and what he stands for), but your average eight year would probably get more out of a copy of Gumby or Marvel Adventures.
Our industry is ever haunted by the specter of an outraged soccer mom visiting legal action upon our heads for to daring to supply their precious little spawn with material they find objectionable. But over the years, I've found parents are generally grateful when you advise them about the content of the comics their kids have selected. It really is tough being a parent these days and most of them genuinely appreciate it when someone from your store takes the time to give them information they need to make tough decisions about what their kids should (and shouldn't) read.
It came out a couple weeks ago but I would be remiss if I didn't mention Marvel's Spider-Man Magazine #1. I've written at considerable length about how I wished American comic book publishers would at least try to package their material in magazine format for a wider audience. And with this (unfortunately at least for now) one-shot clearly intended to capitalize on the release of the Spider-Man 3 movie, someone has finally done just that.
For $5.99 the reader gets 96 pages of material which includes a reprint of Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #1 (without question one of the best superhero titles published last year) along with stories featuring the Amazing Spider-Girl and Franklin Richards, Son of A Genius. Not to mention a poster, a pin-up and puzzles; the only thing missing is a free gift shrink-wrapped to the cover.
My only question, why wasn't there a similar magazine when Superman Returns came out? And why isn't there one for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer?
Finally, on Friday a customer in his early teens noticed the gruesome Marvel Zombies Mini-mates cover of the new Diamond Previews and asked what Marvel Zombies was. Someone explained these 'toys' (to be extremely generous) were based on a miniseries where the Marvel superheroes contract a plague that turns them into flesh-eating monsters who enthusiastically proceed to devour each other.
'I don't get it,' he said.
'You've seen a zombie movie before, right?' I piped in, 'Well, it's like that; there's this plague turning people into zombies, except this time the people are Marvel superheroes'.
He just looked at us blankly.
At the time we thought he was the one being dense; it didn't occur to me until later he was absolutely right to refuse delivery of this abysmal concept. Look, I didn't mind (that much) when Marvel got some unexpected profits out of the miniseries, but it's time the publisher accepts the fact there's no 'second act' to the Marvel Zombies concept; once you've received a transgressive jolt from seeing The Hulk eat a guy, there's nothing else you can do with the concept.
But now that it seems like every title needing a circulation boost is visiting Marvel Zombie Earth, why don't they just get it over with and have Marvel Zombies crossover with Franklin Richards, Son of A Genius? That would be hilarious.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
