FREE COMIC BOOK DAY -- MAY 5

We're coming up on a unique celebration of an American literary tradition that goes back to the dime novels. That means FREE COMIC BOOK DAY ON May 5. The comic book is the successor to the old dime novels featuring such icons as Wyatt Earp and Wild Wild West (a real character). We all know the $1,000,000 comics -- the origins of the farmboy from Krypton and Gotham's Dark Knight, but FREE COMIC BOOK DAY is a chance to see the modern comic book universe. And it ain't your Dad's four-color universe these days!

I can show you where I bought AVENGERS #1. The industry has changed big-time since then. Everybody who works in the industry and we fans should thank Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for leading the 60's revival that saved a dying industry. There are more titles published now than ever, so there is something for everyone.

There is still Archie, the Mouse, and Richie Rich, but you can visit:

• Barsoom with JOHN CARTER OF MARS (a fellow Virginian);
• Bon Temps with Sookie Stackhouse (HBO's TRUE BLOOD starring America's telepathic waitress)
• Archaia's line of comics as literature, amazingly different from the crowd of super-heroes
• Graphic novels collecting back issues into single volumes so you can check out Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN or James Robinson's STARMAN -- convincing proof this is literature
• and, of course, the AVENGERS, the JUSTICE LEAGUE, and even a new THUNDER AGENTS comic.

So, where do you go to find these treasures? Alas for the day when convenience stores and drug stores had multiple spinner racks of comics. Now we have comic shops, specialty shops with comics, games, statues, toys, and t-shirts. You can even find zombie practice targets just in case...

Where to go --

Borderlands, 10230 Atlantic Blvd., 904-720-0774 -- Tell Chip I sent you

Sun Coast Comics, 5509 Roosevelt Blvd., 904-771-2776 -- Say hi to Sabrina for me

Gotham City Limits, 3733 Southside Blvd., 904-641-3335 -- never been here, have to go soon

Universe of SuperHeroes, 2724 Park St., 904-389-3312, -- not a regular here, but a nice store

And, closing with a quote from Stan Lee: "Excelsior!"

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