💥Free Comic Booking

Finding new reads for nothing!

Into the Storymaze is a combo of: writing ideas, writing-in-progress, creative stuff I’m excited to share, a a highlight from my comic book career, and quotes worth a think.

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Apologies for the oversized images: the Substack editor sucks on mobile!

Comics are interesting for all the different ways they can be interpreted: medium, hobby, passion, collectible, storytelling. There are so many ways to enjoy, from reading on your own, to talking it out with friends, to hanging out at a comic book store to going to conventions — and all that crazy combo of tchotchkes, creators, and fabulous cosplay. (I’m writing this while waiting to board my flight to Washington Summer Con — wish me luck avoiding modern day travel hassles!) But perhaps most unique among the many stand out ways comic books manifest themselves is Free Comic Book Day.

If you’re not familiar with this glorious day, mark it on your calendar for next year. It’s when comic book stores can purchase specially made comics at a reduced price and offer these to customers for — you guessed it — free. The idea is that once lured in by the promise of free comics they’ll also give some paying business to the comic store itself. (While this is the ideal and something you should aspire to, beware that there are feral creatures who do just rush in the door, scoop up every freebie available and then slink away back to shadows. These miscreants are to be shunned.)

While FCBD (don’t you feel like an insider now?) was back in May, I’m just catching up now with the stack o’ comics I scored and thought it’d be worth a little touch base on. Not deep reviews, and not meant to judge. Just the impressions they left with *me*.

This year, my son and I did a mini tour of about five or six comic stores in mid-Connecticut, which we enjoyed a whole bunch. (This is as much just hanging together as comics.) A few of them weren’t participating, but that was okay — as noted, it’s still a cost to stores, and each has to judge the value to their overall business. We still got to see some new stores we hadn’t been to before. Of the comics I grabbed hold of:

Mr. Magic really intrigued me. It’s about a group of friends reunited over memories of a strange TV show from their youth called Mr. Magic. (Way to tie in the title!) Whether this was a wonderful or terrifying experience is not clear, with hints of both as they unpack their past. I was definitely hooked by this one and had no idea about it before picking it up.

Minotaur struck me as having interesting world-building, with slightly dystopian technology set in the near future. However, it was a bit dense as an intro; being thrown into the world left me unsure of everything going on. Not sure I’d immediately return to it.

Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King delivered exactly what I expected—a giant barbarian swinging an axe and having grand adventures. I got my bare-chested brutality fix.

Blood Type was a decent anthology of several horror stories that felt familiar, possibly recycled from a previous FCBD. The stories were serviceable as horror tales, but also a bit “EC Comics” adjacent — expected “Tales From the Crypt” kind of tropes. Still, I’d rather have that than a lot of books that call themselves horror but end up just being excuses to put evisceration on the page. Anyway, having traveled extensively in the comic book worlds of Clive Barker, I’m picky about horror comics.

Gun Honey: Double Down caught my attention with its sexy cover art featuring a woman in a Pulp Fiction-style pose. (We’re nothing if not honest here in the Storymaze.) There was definitely a dense world of assassins and mercenaries in among the large breast sizes and sexual dynamics, but it felt like too deep a dive without enough breadcrumbs to appreciate the larger world.

Dungeon Crawler Carl was highly charged with wacky dialogue and visuals. Having not read the books yet (I know, what’s the matter with me?) this definitely gave me a sense of the world and energy everyone else on the planet seems to already be enjoying in the series of novels. I promise to put a month aside “soon” and read them all.

Supernatural was a standalone adventure based on the TV show — another hit property which I’ve surprisingly never watched, especially given it’s a premise that seems tailor made for my interests. Even so, the comic was a solid intro to these brothers battling dark evil.

As noted at the start: while the immeditate appeal of Free Comic Book Day is the free stuff, giving something back to store owners helps ensure they’ll be there for you next year. (And every week, for that matter!) So there were a few additional titles I pulled out my wallet for, based on recommendations or curiosity.

The Fury of Firestorm intrigued me with its re-imagining around this character’s powers and origins. Firestorm was a fave as a kid, and the only comic I ever wrote a letter to! It reminded me in a good way of Alan Moore’s “deconstruction” relaunch of Swamp Thing. Will be interested in seeing how the whole story plays out.

The Thing on the Doorstep was pointed out to me by a store owner when I asked, “What’s new in horror?” He didn’t really know what it was about, but presumably the Thing of the title was up to no good. It was a solid Lovecraftian offering — drippy ickiness with shudders of that which is beyond human understanding — but I didn’t take away much new.

Nectar had an intriguing concept involving evil blood-sucking butterflies invading an early Pilgrim village, infecting the populace with dancing sickness. (Having once lived in a house infested with ladybugs, I have real insect issues.) The visual storytelling was strong but the pace seemed slow over two issues. Even so, way to stack your weirdness!

Ordained featured a priest with a mysterious background kicking serious ass against mobsters—hard-hitting and engaging. A little bit Matt Murdock Catholic guilt, a little John Wick with a communion wafer.

Wolf Girlz is the creation of a Connecticut local who was signing during FCBD, and tells the tale of girls saved by a werewolf, who use their long lives and fangs to hunt down sexual predators. (In our age of Epstein File freaks, we need more of this.) The issue features several shorts of the duo on the prowl, and the writing focused more on words than many modern comics seem to.

What did you guys find on your Free Comic Book Day?

This weekend: I am at the Washington State Summer Con! (In the grand tradition of William Shatner and John Lithgow, I am keeping an eye out for gremlins on the wings at 30,000 feet.) My first time, and looking forward to a fun show. Hope to see folks in the glorious Pacific North West!

“It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful.”
— Anton Lavey

Amazing Times

If D.G. Chichester looks pretentious, feel free to just call me “Dan”, and have a go at the last name as Chai (like the tea) Chester (like it looks). I’ve written comic books like Daredevil, Terror Inc., Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD and Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, along with all manner of digital widgets in the world wide web of marketing. I like weird tales, so if things here bend that way — now you know why!

Folks seem to like the comic book adventures I’ve written, so if you haven’t checked one out — please do. Many are now available in fab collected editions.

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