The Hopeless Gamer's Top 5 Comics to snag at Free Comic Book Day 2010

Let's face it, Free Comic Book Day is like a little holiday around here that we all look forward to every year. Don't take my word for it, here's Milo Ventimiglia testifying himself (edit - oddly the video doesn't seem to appear on the main page, but read more and you should be able to see it on the actual page):



That being said, even FCBD has its limitations, and sometimes you have to make some tough choices when deciding what free comics to grab. Have no fear! Over the next two days, The Bro and I are going to be posting our top 5 comics to snag for FCBD 2010. Read on to see my top 5 and then come back tomorrow's for The Bro's!

5. Oni Press Free-For-All #1 

Oni Press is one of those other publishers you don't hear about very much unless you're already tuned into some of the great stuff they print. Have you met Scott Pilgrim? What about Tara Chace? These two series (Scott Pilgrim vs... and Queen & Country) alone should make you give these Oni sampler a shot, but let's not forget that besides hipster street fighters and British hyper-realistic spy capers, Oni is also responsible for the super-creepy Resurrection series. This sampler doesn't appear to run the gamut laid out above, but it still looks to have some good fun. It's also like a genie that let's you wish for three more wishes - it's three stories in one comic!

4. Atomic Robo and Friends

I really am just a sucker when it comes to manga-infused cartoony comic art. The new Ultimate Comics Spiderman artist David Lafuente kinda knocks my socks off. To top this off, one of my absolute favorite superheroes is the tough-as-nails always-getting-the-crap-beaten-out-of-him Hellboy. Atomic Robo, a book that seems to combine these two loves is something I've long neglected picking up - and it's kind of tortured me. I'm confident that Robo here could easily work side-by-side with my man HB. 

3. The Sixth Gun #1

Why hello there Oni Press, we were just talking about you. The Sixth Gun is one of those titles that really grabbed my attention at Oni's booth at c2e2. The art pulled me in, then the fact that it looks like a Civil War era ghost story... set during the Civil War, is pretty attractive. I love the premise of the six deadliest guns in the world being lost followed by the sixth of these guns - and the most powerful - found and pursued by evil hordes. It's a good premise and intrigues me enough to give it a shot for free :D.

2. Mouse Guard/Fraggle Rock

Ok, I love Mouse Guard, so what? Wanna make something of it? I love the little world that David Petersen has single-handedly created, but considering the immense undertaking even a single issue is for him with his gorgeous artwork, there isn't a whole lot of Mouse Guard out there to be had. When it comes to a one-shot story, I'll take it over nothing, and that's what we have here. And you know what, I'm not afraid to admit that I'm more than a little curious about the new Fraggle Rock series. Archaia Comics, much like Oni Press, is doing a lot of interesting stuff. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on a new property, especially when it's one of my favorite kids shoes of all time. I am indeed ready to come to Fraggle Rock and eat some doozer sticks.

1. Iron Man/Thor

It was a tough decision how to rank these top 3 actually. They all have their strong points (Sixth Gun is an exciting new property, Mouse Guard is a most beloved comic, and Iron Man/Thor has both Iron Man and Thor), but there was one factor that helped Iron Man/Thor pull ahead of all the others: John Romita Jr.  Heard of Kick-Ass? JRJR is one half of the creative team that made it possible. Of course his resume is much deeper and more epic than Kick-Ass could ever imply, but I'm trying to appeal to the baser sensitivies here :).  His art as represented in IM/T is a great entry point to get anyone of any age excited for all the upcoming Heroic Age stuff Marvel's putting out starting in May. His work is iconic - the guy's a master of the form. Of course Matt Fraction writing the story doesn't hurt. I first fell in love with his work on the Immortal Iron Fist relaunch and will likely be picking up the Invincible Iron Man omnibus this Saturday collecting his first 19 issues on the character redefining series. Oh yes, I'm a little excited for Free Comic Book Day 2010!

If you want to try out any of these comics or any of the other plethora of comics available, most (if not all - I haven't check 'em to be honest) have a preview available so you can be better informed come Saturday. Also make sure your local comic shop is actually holding FCBD celebrations before you go or you may be disappointed! All images are taken directly from the FCBD 2010 website. One last note - make sure to check back tomorrow for The Bro's top 5 and feel free to reply here or on his post if you're hunting for something specific and give us a reason!