Atlanta stores to celebrate Free Comic Book Day tomorrow

Since 2002, the first Saturday of May has been “Free Comic Book Day,” an occassion for comic book publishers to attract fans, curiosity-seekers and cheapskates to their friendly neighborhood comic book specialty shops. Do NOT assume that every title the store is free: the deal is that publishers release special titles — many of which are “sampler” collections — with the intent of giving them away. Marietta’s Top Shelf Comics will have a new issue of adorable kid-comic Owly and Friends by Lilburn’s Andy Runton. Free Comic Book Day can be a barometer of big pop cultural events: this year, free titles include issues about Wolverine and Transformers, who have films coming out this summer, as well as Green Lantern and The Avengers, who have movies in the works.

Participating stores in the Atlanta area include Oxford Comics; Criminal Records; The Book Nook; Titan Games and Comics, in College Park, Duluth and Smyrna; Stone Mountain’s The Dragon’s Horde; Lawrenceville’s Galactic Quest; and Marietta’s The Great Escape Comics and Games Megastore. BTW, if you go and take advantage of the freebies, at least make an effort to purchase something, too.