Only nine days remain until the beginning of Free Comic Book Weekend, unless I did the math wrong. We have a whole bunch of information, though. For example, we've got information on even more of the Door Prizes we have available. Check this stuff out:

Marvel Icons Spider-Man Bust

Alex Ross Spider-Man Head Bust

Amazing Spider-Man Pop-Up Book

and of course, you remember the
Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus

Other Prizes Include:
Best Buy Gift Cards
Movie Tickets to Mayfaire Cinemas
A Tattoo From Area 51 Tattoo Parlor
A Collection of Spider-Man Trade Paperbacks

Be sure to see us at the Midnight Showing of Spider-Man 3 on Thursday, May 3rd at Mayfaire Cinemas. Tickets are on sale now!

Also, we've finalized the books we will be giving away exclusivesly at Fanboy Comics and Mayfaire Cinemas!

Exclusive to Fanboy Comics on Saturday and Sunday

Exclusive to Mayfaire Cinemas on Saturday

For more information about these events, be sure to check our Free Comic Book Day Page!

Be sure to stop by at one of these great events to get all sorts of free swag (like that Batman HeroClix figure) and register to win some great prizes!  If you can come up with a reason not to come to one of these demos, I can probably come up with a reason why you are wrong.  And you can take that to the bank.  The promise bank.  Oh, there'll also be this cool Magic: The Gathering tournament that weekend:

Be sure to get in your eight games before June 11th and you could win a Battalion Box! Unless you aren't playing Space Marines, in which case you're screwed. The best days to try to catch someone to play are Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, although if you can get in touch with any other players you can set up a game on any day of the week when there's space available in the game room.

There's also a Free Warhammer 40K Tournament this Saturday!  The winner gets a battalion box, and the runner-up gets a $25.00 Gift Certificate!  Awesome!  All you need is an 1850 point army.  The rounds are timed and swiss style, so you're guaranteed to get in several games.

Amazons Attack #1

It's the biggest comic event you haven't really heard about!  Heck, I know jack all about it, myself.  Here's what the blurb says:

Well over a year has passed since the events of INFINITE CRISIS, including the retreat of the Amazons to the realm of the Gods. But now they're back, screaming for vengeance! What could compel the Amazons to renounce their peaceful ways and attack America? The answers will prove useless to a country and hero population utterly unprepared for this savage attack. And where is Wonder Woman while all this is going on?

My guess: Probably two or three months late!  Ha ha!  Zing!

Alex Ross's Action Figure Design Magazine #11

Oh, wait, I think this book is actually called Justice.  I just get confused since there have been twice as many action figures based on Justice as there have been issues of Justice.  I'm not quite sure what's going on in this book but, hey, it sure is pretty.  I think the story is pretty good, but once you get to the point where it's almost been two years since the first issue came out, my memory gets sort of hazy.  Still, I do remember that it's really pretty.

Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America - Avengers

Well, based on the first issue of this book, it looks like we got Awesome Jeph Loeb Who Wrote Long Halloween instead of Terrible Hack Jeph Loeb Who Wrote Onslaught Reborn!  I guess this kind of disproves my theory that Tim Sale actually just rewrote all of Jeph Loeb's scripts before illustrating them, and that's why the Loeb-Sale collaborations are awesome and everything else Loeb does isn't nearly as good.  The first issue of this series was, however, quite good.

New Avengers: Illuminati - The Secret History

I guess that, in lieu of publishing issue three, Marvel decided to publish an issue collecting issues one and two of this series.  Perhaps this is a precursor to getting another issue of this actually quite good series?  One would hope, but one would also not hold his breath.  Oh well, at least all these issues take place in the past so they won't delay stuff in current continuity.  What was I even talking about?  Oh well.  Buy comics, or whatever.

Check out information on the upcoming WE Fest XI at their official website! You can listen to bands and other music at WE Fest's myspace page!

Fanboy is also going to be working with WE Fest to spotlight independent and local comics, with more information coming soon! If you are a self-published comic creator or have a small press comic and would like to attend WE Fest, please contact Fanboy Comics at fanboycomics@bellsouth.net.

Sealed Boxes of World of Warcraft TCG have been greatly reduced in price!

Boxes of Heroes of Azeroth: $65.00!
Boxes of Through the Dark Portal: $82.00!

Also, take advantage of these amazing coupons:

We've expanded our Free First Fridays, where we run free constructed tournaments and provide one booster as prize support for every participant, into Free Every Fridays which, while ruining the alliteration, means that we're having these tournaments every Friday! We'll also be adding more events to our schedule soon.

Quest 1: Getting Started
-Purchase a WoW TCG Starter Deck, or get a DEMO of the game.
REWARD: Earn an exclusive extended-art TCG card.

Quest 2: Prepare for Battle!
1st Objective - Claim your 1st victory--find and play your 1st opponent. Accept all challengers until you WIN your first game.
2nd Objective - Best multiple foes--try to win 2-out-of-3 games against a single opponent (this is called a MATCH).
REWARD: Loot the remains to fin another extended-art TCG card.

Quest 3: Own the Opposition.
1st Objective - Ask the storeowner about joining a release celebration tournament for a chance to win an exclusive Through the Dark Portal play mat.
2nd Objective - Ask the storeowner about World of Warcraft TCG: Battlegrounds--where the rewards are endless!

THESE ARE THE EXTENDED ART PROMOS:

I haven't read this series, but I am buying this hardcover.  I have faith that it is awesome, based on the fact that everyone I know who has read it says it is awesome.  It also won some sort of award from Wizard Magazine, whatever that is worth (nothing).  Here's the blurb:

The spaceman. The goddess. The robot. The gorilla. During the late 1950s, the U.S. government allowed FBI Special Agent Jimmy Woo to forge a team of unlikely heroes. Together, they stormed the fortress of a criminal mastermind to rescue President Eisenhower - but the group disbanded soon after. Now, almost 50 years later, an unauthorized S.H.I.E.L.D. mission goes down in flames - and from the ashes arise forces from the Golden Age of Marvel! Collecting AGENTS OF ATLAS #1-6 - plus the Agents' first appearances in stories from YELLOW CLAW #1 (Jimmy Woo; October 1956), MENACE #11 (Human Robot; May 1954), VENUS #1 (August 1948), MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #82 (Namora; May 1947), MARVEL BOY #1 (December 1950), MEN'S ADVENTURES #26 (Gorilla Man; March 1954) and WHAT IF? #9 (1950s Avengers; June 1978). Also featuring blogs, creator interviews, character designs and other extras! 

Sure, this book is pretty expensive, but it collects over forty issues of Spider-Man action!  The first forty issues of the series, the first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15, and several other early Spider-Man appearances, in fact!  If you like Spider-Man, or even just classic comics, this is going to be the best way to read them short of buying the issues.  And seeing as how a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 that has been mauled by a dog and set on fire still books for over $1000 in the Overstreet Price Guide, the price tag on this volume starts to look a lot more sensible.

Since I can't talk about Joss Whedon without being what some have called, "a huge ass," I'm just going to copy and paste the blurb.  Also, it's way easier and keeps my blood pressure low.

This second official companion to the cult-hit television series Firefly is packed with more unseen photos, scripts, behind the scenes secrets, and exclusive input from the cast and crew, including creator Joss Whedon. 

Wow, it sounds like even the marketing guy is having trouble getting enthused about this book.  He must not be a browncoat or whatever they are.

Tired of the same old double damage? Wouldn't you rather chop your opponent's head off in one clean swing or put an arrow through his heart? Paizo Publishing presents the GameMastery Critical Hit Deck!

Rolled a critical hit? Draw a card and apply the result! Each of the Critical Hit cards in this 52-card deck has four different results based on weapon type, all of which are compatible with the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game. Chop off a head, slice through a tendon, poke out an eye-crushing your enemy has never been this much fun.

Useable by experienced GMs and novices alike, this product fits perfectly into any Game Master's arsenal.

Have you ever wanted to know what it was like to be a Green Lantern?  Well, now you can!  Not so much in the sense that you can create green constructs with your thoughts or that you're part of an intergalactic space force, but more in the sense that you are a dude wearing a ring.  I guess you could also wear a mask if you wanted to.  To complete the experience.

As far as the Civil War tie-ins go, the Fantastic Four series was fairly worthwhile.  It's certainly important to the overall plot of the Civil War series, so if you're collecting trades, I'd say this one is one of the more important ones to get.  I'd rank them: Civil War, Amazing Spider-Man, Frontline, and Fantastic Four.  So if you're looking to get the Civil War series, this is definitely one of the more important collections.

Specifically, me.  If you send in stuff for the newsletter, I actually have to do less work.  If you want to write reviews, that's cool!  We'll hook you up with some books.  We're also hoping to post some art by area artists, and if you want to draw a comic strip or something, that's cool!  Just shoot an email to editor@fanboycomics.biz.  Or ask about it when you're in the store.

We also buy Magic: The Gathering singles.  The guy who takes care of card sales is Mac, and he works on Thursday-Monday.  So if you stop by on Tuesday or Wednesday, we can't help you!  Sorry!

We also buy trade paperbacks and back issues published before 1977; usually the individual issues from the Silver Age have a $0.35 or less cover price. We also buy used records, old pulps and paperbacks, and old roleplaying games. Call (910) 452-7828 to set up an appointment!

Here are just a few of the many great items we have available on E-bay! We start new auctions every Monday at 6:00 PM that last through Saturday at 6:00 PM. Local customers can bid and pick up their purchase at the store to save on shipping! We also add new items to our E-bay Store every Wednesday and Thursday. We currently have over 1000 items, including pulps, vintage paperbacks, handbills, comics, and more!

Treasure Chest of Marionettes

This auction contains the vintage hardcover Treasure Chest of Marionette Hobby Craft by Helen King published by Treasure Chest Publications in 1937. This very rare book is Book 3 step by step picturized master detail and contains illustrated directions. It looks like the his book has been rebound into hardcover with the original cover glued onto hardcover front. It's a library discard that's in (GD) condition. There's some watermarks on bottom edges of cover and interior pages. Interior pages have lite tearing around edges. Spine has some rubbing wear but binding is still strong and intact. Front cover has some edge and corner wear and a white wear mark. Overall, this rare book is still very collectible!

Don't miss out on this high collectible book.

Weird Mystery Pulps #1

This auction contains the vintage pulp digest magazine Weird Mystery #1, published by Ultimate Publishing in Fall 1970.

Contents include:

The Soul Snatchers by Lee Francis, The Cat-Snake by Frances Deegan, Death's Double by Grover Kent, The Curse of RA by H.B. Hickey, Make Yourself a Wish by Geoff St. Reynard, Who Sups with the Devil by S.M. Tenneshaw, Astral Rhythm by Bernie Kamins, Mr. Jones Eternal Camera by Berkeley Livingston.

Overall, it's in (VG) or better condition. There's a #25 written in black crayon on front cover and some spine impact wear. Nice interior!

Don't miss out on this very rare magazine!!

Most of these issues should be found in our Recently Acquired section!  Who would have guessed?

New Comics: Secret Wars #8; Venom #1 Variant; X-Men #25 Variant; Fantastic Four #99, 129, 156, 157, 195; Avengers #135; X-Men #93; Justice League #51; Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #216; Adventure Comics #361, 368; Wonder Woman #178; Silver Age Justice League of America #66-68; Plastic Man #1, 9; Teen Titans #11, 17, 18

As usual, a great many comic books have been pushed back to a later date. This news is so shocking that we are now developing a weekly section where we announce comic delays, so you can better know when your favorite books are coming out. Or when the next delay announcement will be, whatever. We'll also include other schedule announcements, like different products coming back in stock, second printings, and the like. But this is the comic industry, and we all know which type of announcment we will see the most.

Changed Release Dates

• Jack of Fables #10 - 5/09/07
• Trials of SHAZAM #7 5/23/07
• Superman #663 - 6/6/07
• Amazing Spider-Man #540 - 5/9/07
• Onslaught Reborn #4 - 5/9/07
• Ultimate Power #5 - 5/9/07
• Blade: Undead Again TP - 5/16/07
• Civil War: X-Men Universe TP 5/16/07
• Ultimate X-Men Vol. 16 TP - 5/16/07
• Marvel Spotlight: Fantastic Four/Silver Surfer - 5/23/07
• New Excalibur #20 - 5/30/07
• Marvel Magic Handbook - 6/6/07
• Powers: The Definitive Collection Vol. 2 HC - 6/6/07
• New Excalibur #21 - 7/11/07

[Editor's Note: I was supposed to post this last week. My bad!]

Here's a little joke for you:

The Trade Paperback collection of Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do comes out tomorrow.  The punchline?

The first issue came out in August 2002.

I wasn't even born then.

wait what