Our first guest post in this series, by Jason Palmer of Lynnwood, Washington.

Lynnwood is not a Mecca for comic book enthusiasts by any means. We have one store within the city limits but it is a great store. The Comic Stop is located in the heart of Lynnwood (you know, next to the Mall!) and I’ve been going there since they opened 10 years ago. Before that, we had a fun little shop but it met a tragic end at the hands of a raging fire.

The Comic Stop is a large store in a populated shopping center. The layout is great, well lit and plenty of items to choose from. More important, the shop’s owners/employees are incredibly nice and outgoing. They own and operate two other Comic Stops around Washington and two comic conventions, Jet City Comic Con and Emerald City Comic Con.

There always seems to be some sort of event happening in the store, especially during the summer. Poker nights, BBQs, FCBD, concerts, costume parties, creator/book signings, twitter secret word contests and the normal holiday sales. All of these events are well attended and do well to promote comics in the community.

Now if you are from out of town and looking to hit up some stores then you’ve come to the right place (next to Portland). Between five and twenty miles lays no less than thirteen comic book stores. Travel north a few miles and buy all the back issues you want. Or drive south a few more miles and visit Seattle and their 10+ comic shops. Back issues, new issues, trades, figures, role-playing, you need it; you’ll probably find it in Seattle. You gotta love being able to buy fresh fish at Pike Place Market and comics in the same spot.

And that is my city True Believers!!

SO, WHAT’S IT LIKE IN YOUR CITY? Enlighten us for the benefit of comic geeks everywhere!

This post is the third in a series–What It’s Like: Being a Comic Geek in _____. If you’d like to submit a piece on what it’s like being a comic geek in your city, please send it to pdxcomicgeek@gmail.com and we’ll gladly publish it as part of this series. Note: We reserve the right to edit or not include your piece based on our understanding of social norms and etiquette.

-Jason

This is two years running now where I’ve really enjoyed the Atomic Robo entry in Free Comic Book Day (see last year’s review here). A funny little story that made me chuckle a time or two. And like last year, this issue is also a three-pack. I especially loved the great little seven-page teaser for the new-ish* sci-fi/spy/mystery Box 13, from the Zuda creators behind High Moon. If your shop still has a copy lying around, I would definitely pick one up.

*Box 13 was apparently released first as an iPhone exclusive by comiXology, but I seem to have missed it. -Scott

Atomic Robo FCBD

My Mouse Guard enthusiasm just returned in full force! This is a great little FCBD story. A journal entry that reflects on the awesome adventures we’ve had while foreshadowing the glorious days ahead. Now if September (and the origin of the Black Axe) would hurry up and get here. In the meantime, we’ll have to settle for the likes of Gene Ha and Guy Davis. It’s tough being a Mouse Guard fan. -Scott

Mouse Guard one-shot FCBD

Having attended the Oni Press panel at Emerald City where they teased us with this release, I was pretty excited to enjoy this comic as part of Free Comic Book Day. And now having read it, I will definitely say this series has potential. A Western romp with demonic flare–plenty to love! But I continually found myself distracted with the bright white space surrounding each panel as well as the lettering and balloons. Made the story feel like a farce, which made me sad. I want to love this book, but not in the same way I love Scooby Doo mysteries. -Scott

The Sixth Gun #1

Damn, for a second there I thought the time-traveling genius with crystals was the star of this Atomic Robo series. But still a pretty fun little three-pack here, and a nice teaser for the titles of Red 5 Comics, which I’d never heard of.

FCBD Atomic Robo +

Not sure why I put this one off so long. A fun read from the funny mind of Erik Larsen. SD is kinda like a lighter, “officially sanctioned” version of the Goon (he is a cop, afterall). A great intro to a series I’ve always been curious about!

FCBD Savage Dragon #148

For the same reason I avoid used car lots, I would have liked Alterna to turn down the sales pitch just a smidge here. At what point does a Free Comic Book Day offering cease being a comic and start being a brochure!? To their credit, this book opens with a complete 15-page story…but unfortunately it is followed by nearly 10 very short previews, each ending with the same ask–turn to the back for order details–often before even giving me enough of a preview to tell whether I’d even like it! In the end, it was free so I guess I can’t complain too much…but I think their case would have been better made by focusing on their 2-3 best stories and putting those forward, then driving people to the web to learn more about all their books.

FCBD Attack of the Alterna Zombies!

25 YEARS, MAN! But yet, as I read these words, I can actually hear Master Splinter reciting them in my head. I grew up with these turtles, and this reissue stands as a reminder that the next great comic is being created in someone’s hole-in-the-wall right now! I didn’t realize how ready I was for this walk down memory lane.

FCBD Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 reissue

I kid you not, the King of Pop himself makes an appearance on page 21 of this book.

FCBD Wolverine

Dear Oni Press,

Please consider your Free Comic Book Day endeavor a success, for I will most certainly be purchasing Resurrection. I respect you cuz you tell it like it is. I was once taken by the bugs TOO. But fortunately for me, my wife is a TOTAL CONSPIRACY FREAK so our marriage has survived. Thrived, in fact! Now that I’m an abductee, SHE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF ME! If Dwight had only had it so good…

And oh yes, I would encourage you to consider a crossover event with Scott Pilgrim. Perhaps Paul could be the final evil ex, or something.

Thank you,

“Scott”

Resurrection #0