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Holy giveaways, Batman! It's Free Comic Book Day!

In print: Friday, May 2, 2008

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ADVERTISEMENT [Jay Cridlin/tbt*] Joe Leone, 26, of Demolition Comics, shows off some of the free books fans can pick up on Free Comic Book Day. Loading Video...

Maybe Iron Man will do it.

Maybe the sight of Robert Downey Jr. in Tony Stark's wicked body armor in this weekend's sure-to-be-blockbuster will finally make you want to pick up a comic book again.

If so, good news: Saturday is Free Comic Book Day.

Since 2002, publishers have staged the giveaway at comic shops across the nation to invigorate the industry.

There are rules. You can't just waltz in and leave with a stack of Star Wars comics. Publishers create special giveaway comics specifically for Free Comic Book Day, and stores limit the number of books you can take.

But if you're smart — and you have enough time on your hands — you can hit store after store this weekend and make out like Galactus.

For guidance, we turned to Joe Leone, the 26-year-old general manager of Demolition Comics, which has four stores around Tampa Bay and will hand out three books per customer on Saturday. Here are a few of Leone's recommendations.

For lost souls

Sure, you collected comics as a kid. But how can you dive back in after all these years?

A good place to start is with a popular hero from the movies. Leone recommends the new X-Men book, as well as a Marvel Adventures compilation featuring Iron Man, Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk. You can also find Superman and Hellboy titles.

Leone hopes that if the big names are free, people will pick up a lesser-known book, too. "They'll grab their X-Men or their Superman, but that's what the third (free) one is for, to try to get some of the independent stuff in there as well."

For fanboys

It might be tough to impress hard-core fanboys on Free Comic Book Day. There won't be any graphic novels offered, though Leone said some popular titles will be marked down.

As for the free books? "There's a good one in there called Atomic Robo — it's kind of like Hellboy meets robots," Leone says.

And of course, Leone wants fans to check out his own book, Unlikely Heroes, about regular joes with superhuman abilities: "You get four completely different stories in one book. I think that's a pretty good deal." (Preview it at comicspace.com/unlikely_heroes.)

For kids

DC Comics' Teen Titans get a kid-friendly makeover with the first issue of Tiny Titans, featuring toddler versions of Beast Boy and Wonder Girl, among others. "It does actually have jokes in it, in comic-strip form, so adults would get a kick out of it as well," Leone says.

Disney's annual entry is a free book starring Gyro Gearloose, a pal of Scrooge McDuck. The Simpsons will offer a book that's accessible to all ages. And Leone said the shop gets calls every year for Owly and Friends, an acclaimed comic book about the charming travails of a wordless owl.

For Japanimaniacs

Newcomers to the world of Japanese manga might want to pick up the first issue of Transformers Animated, based on the Cartoon Network series of the same name. Serious otaku, on the other hand, can pick up a lushly illustrated pocket-sized book called Neotopia, or Shonen Jump, a compilation that's read right to left, in the traditional manga style. This year's issue features Naruto, Bleach and Slam Dunk.