Rich Howells

3 NEPA comic shops celebrate Free Comic Book Day on May 6 with artists, cosplayers, and more

3 NEPA comic shops celebrate Free Comic Book Day on May 6 with artists, cosplayers, and more
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The first Saturday in May is approaching faster than a speeding bullet, and comic book fans know what that means – Free Comic Book Day is coming to comic shops around the world, including three right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania on May 6.

Stores in Scranton, West Pittston, and Honesdale will not only be giving away the official FCBD titles listed below, but they’ll also have comic artists, cosplayers, face-painting, sales, and more for fans of all ages.

From 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Comics on the Green (307 N. Washington Ave., Scranton) will have sales on comics, action figures, and other collectibles; “Star Wars” cosplayers from the Garrison Carida of the 501st Legion; face painting for kids; and DC Comics artist Tom Derenick (“Justice League,” “Green Lanterns,” “Suicide Squad,” “Injustice,” “Secret Six”) will be on hand to sign books and draw a limited number of sketches.

From 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Rubber Mallet Comics (802 Wyoming Ave., West Pittston) will not only be celebrating FCBD, but also its fifth anniversary. Special guests include the Suzuki School for Strings from Wilkes-Barre, who will perform specially selected tunes for this event.

From 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Letterhead Comics (1023 Main St., Suite 1, Honesdale) will have store-wide sales, door prizes, costumed heroes, and an appearance by artist Rusty Gilligan (Marvel, DC, Big Bang, Image, Heavy Metal).

“Free Comic Book Day is a great event for the whole community. Bringing everyone together, finding books for everyone to enjoy, and seeing people of all ages – children, teens, and adults – sharing our passion for comics is incredible. Even if you’ve never picked up a comic book, we want to welcome everyone to Rubber Mallet Comics on May 6th because there are so many amazing comics this year and we can’t wait to share them,” Rubber Mallet Comics owner Chuck Rowles said on his website.

“With awesome titles like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ ‘Wonder Woman,’ ‘Underdog,’ ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,’ and ‘Riverdale,’ we’re sure there’s a comic book for everyone. Comics are a fun and enduring form of entertainment for readers of all ages to dive into as imagination comes to life. Whether it be popular comics, film, television shows, or video games, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”

All three stores will have a limited supply of the following free comics printed specifically for FCBD by various publishers, so show up early for the best selection:

FCBD 2016 Gold Books:

Archie Comics | Betty & Veronica #1
Bongo Comics | Bongo Comics Free-for-All
Boom! Studios | Boom! Studios Summer Blast
Dark Horse Comics | James Cameron’s Avatar/Briggsland
DC Comics | DC Comics Gold Book
IDW Publishing | Star Trek: The Next Generation: Mirror Broken
Image Comics | I Hate Image Comics
Marvel Comics | FCBD Secret Empire
Oni Press | Rick and Morty #1
Titan Comics | Doctor Who: Four Doctors Special
Valiant Entertainment | X-O Manowar
Viz Media | The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess & Ocaraina of Time

FCBD 2016 Silver Books:

Action Lab | Miraculous: Tales Of Lady Bug And Cat Noir
American Mythology | Underdog
Antarctic Press | Steam Wars: Strike Leader
Automatic Publishing | Looking Glass Wars: Crossfire
Benitez Productions | Lady Mechanika
BOOM! Studios | Fresh Off the Boat
Chapterhouse | Captain Canuck: Year One
Dark Horse Comics | Buffy: The High School Years/Plants vs. Zombies
DC Comics | DC Comics Silver Book
Drawn & Quarterly | Guy Deslisle & Findakly/Trondheim Previews
Drawn & Quarterly | Colorful Monsters
Dynamite Entertainment | Animal Jam
Epicenter Comics | Tex: Patagonia
Fantagraphics Publishing | World’s Greatest
Humanoids | The Incal
IDW Publishing| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Image Comics | Kid Savage, Chapter One
Kodansha | Attack on Titan
Lion Forge Comics | Catalyst Prime: The Event
Marvel Comics | FCBD Classified
New England Comics Press | The Tick
Nobrow | Hilda’s Back!
Oni Press | Bad Machinery
Papercutz | Barbie
Papercutz | The Loud House
Rebellion | 2000 AD 40th Anniversary Special
Red 5 Comics | Keyzer Soze/The Rift
Scholastic | Graphix Spotlight: Time Shifters
Titan Comics | Monster High FCBD 2017 Edition Tokyopop | Disney Descendants
Udon Entertainment | Street Fighters vs. Wrestlers Special #1
United | Spongebob Freestyle Funnies
Viz Media | Dragon Ball Super/Boruto
Youneek Studios | Malika: Warrior Queen Chapter One
Z2 Comics | The Ballad of Franklin Bonniesteel
Zenoscope Entertainment | Grimm Fairy Tales