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Business & Tech

Mike's Comics Celebrates Free Comic Book Day

Annual international event honors a true American art form, and New Baltimore store will take part in the giveaway.

Fanboys and fangirls, take note: Saturday is Free Comic Book Day.

Mike Werner, owner of in New Baltimore for the last 13 years, says he’ll be one of the shops handing out free comics all day long, from noon-6 p.m. or until they run out.

The day, which began in 2002, is held the first Saturday in May each year.

Sometimes comic fans can get a bad rap, being labeled geeks, but Werner says these days “(comics) are more celebrated than made fun of.” Case in point: Comic-based adaptations are must-see events for movie-goers, including the May 4 opening of The Avengers, and July 3’s The Amazing Spider-Man. Also TV shows such as CBS’s Big Bang Theory, with its quartet of die-hard fans, has proven to be a huge hit.

One can’t understate the value of comic books in our culture. “Comic books are an original American art form,” according to www.freecomicbookday.com, “created in the early days of the twentieth century.” And it’s more than reading about the adventures of Superman and Batman, since readers can indulge in horror, fantasy, science fiction, humor, slice-of-life and much more.

What’s hot and what’s cooling off in comics? Werner says cross-overs, such as the Avengers vs. the X-Men, are popular; as are independent titles, such as The Walking Dead (yes, that Walking Dead, which inspired the hot AMC TV show). Manga, those highly stylized Japanese comic books, however, seem to be on their way out, Werner adds, going so far as to label the Manga trend as pretty much dead.

What is very much alive is Mike’s Comics’ social scene. Werner holds regular events, including a game day the third Saturday of each month. He’ll have extended hours those days, often from noon-midnight, and “people come in and have a good time, and relax with people who share similar interests.”

Especially popular at the moment are games like the Settlers of Catan, but he also has a lot of other board and card games for guests to enjoy. Werner also hosts a Warhammer tournament from time to time, and each Friday night beginning at 6:30 p.m. it’s time for Friday Night Magic, as in Magic, The Gathering game.

Free Comic Book Day is represented by all parts of the comic book industry, including retailers, publishers, suppliers and Diamond Comic Distributors. Publishers provide comics at cost to retailers, who then give them away. For a list of comics, visit here.

Mike's Comics is located at 51075 Washington, New Baltimore, and may be reached at 586-716-9511. Visit them on Facebook here

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