Score Some Awesome Stuff on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2011

So, every year the first Saturday in May is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. And it is exactly what it sounds like: if you go to a participating comic shop, you get FREE comics.

But wait, you might say. This sounds TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! Why would anyone give away FREE comics? What’s the catch? Well, the comics are all mostly preview issues, put out by major publishers in order to excite people about upcoming series (DC’s massive crossover Blackest Night had a FCBD premier issue/prequel…and so did a little series called The Umbrella Academy) or movies. It’s also a great way to get people who don’t normally visit local comic shops to drop by and see what all they have to offer. As the official site’s FAQ says:

This event celebrates the independent comic book specialty shops, thousands of which exist in North America alone. Each one is unique in its community, with a style and personality all its own, and each one carries a full line of comics, graphic novels, toys and related products.

Not sure if your local comic shop (or LCS for short) is participating? Well, then check out this handy tool to find out if there’s somewhere near you holding Free Comic Book Day festivities. A lot of shops will hold special events, including having local creators/artists/writers come in and do signings or comissions!

Not sure what comics to pick up? Well, here’s a few suggestions!

Excited about the new Green Lantern movie (you’ve seen the newest trailer, right?), but don’t know much about the character yet? Well, DC comics has a solution for you: a reprinting of Hal Jordan’s origin story as written by Geoff Johns who is THE Green Lantern writer out there (he’s also written a bunch of episodes of Smallville).

More of a Marvel fan? Well, they’ve got movies coming out, too, and so it’s no shock that they’re giving away a comic that focuses on the stars of their upcoming 2011 films: Thor and Captain America.

(PSST: For a good laugh or two, you should check out my EVOLUTION OF THOR gallery.)

Okay, I know for a FACT that there are a ton of Avatar: The Last Airbender fans on Buzznet. Well, guess what, there is a comic for THAT, too, in order to give you something new in the Avatar world before Legend of Korra premiers this year (which, okay, WE WILL TALK ABOUT HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THAT ANOTHER TIME)!

Oh, and did you know that both The Simpsons and Futurama have comic series? No? Well, they do and you can grab Bongo’s Free Comic Book Day issue featuring both!

Trust me, these are only a FEW of the comics that you can get your hands on! The selection is HUGE and there’s something for EVERYONE. So make sure you get to your local comic shop tomorrow and tell them the New Age Amazon sent you!

(No, seriously, DO NOT TELL THEM THAT THEY WILL NOT KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN)