text: Free Comic Book Day | Retcon Punch
  First held in 2002 to capitalize on the anticipated release of the first Spider-Man film, Free Comic Book Day has grown into one of the most celebrated annual events in comics. For some comics shops, FCBD has turned into a comic con in miniature, complete with artist signing, cosplayers, and food vendors; for others, it's more of a low-key excuse to come in on a Saturday (and hopefully put comics in some new readers' hands). Living across the country, we of course had very different experiences this FCBD. Here are our thoughts.
  Spencer: I remember being a little disappointed the very first time I attended Free Comic Book Day (nearly a decade ago!) and realized I couldn't have any comic I wanted for free. Since then, though, I've come to appreciate how magical FCBD truly is — especially as done by my local comic shop, Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, Delaware. FCBD is a Comic-Con in miniature, a chance to unite a community of nerds of all shapes and sizes, and a glimpse at the next generation of comic book readers as they begin to fall in love with the medium. I couldn't have had a better time.
  By Spencer • Posted in Drew Baumgartner, Spencer Irwin	• Tagged Captain Blue Hen Comics, cosplay, Free Comic Book Day
  Today, Drew and Peter are discussing Phantom Stranger 0, originally released September 5, 2012. Phantom Stranger 0 is part of the line-wide Zero Month.
  Drew: I don't remember when it is that I first stumbled across William Safire's cheekily ironic Rules for Writers, but the last rule, "Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague; seek viable alternatives," has managed to nestle itself in my editing subconscious. I make a point of eliminating any cliche I see on the site (the odd exception aside), which has effectively lowered my tolerance for reading them. It rarely becomes a problem — this is one of the most well-known axioms in writing, after all — but every so often, I'll come across a piece that indulges in cliches to excess, it's beyond distracting. The Phantom Stranger 0 is one such example, offering sequences that are so dense with cliches, it's hard to remember that this story was published in 2012.
  By Drew • Posted in Alternating Current, Drew Baumgartner, Peter Kilkuskie, Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger	• Tagged Brent Anderson, Council of Wizards, Dan Didiio, Free Comic Book Day, Judas, Magic, The Spectre