One of the charming tropes of a superhero movie is this: Our man or woman in the cape very often looks to the community for a little help in a heated moment. ("Did you see where the bad guy ran?" asks the superhero; the crowd points and cheers.)
Which is one reason superheroes probably lie low on the first Saturday in May. That's Free Comic Book Day, and their adoring community -- those fans willing to help them find the bad guy at a moment's notice -- will be busy nabbing not villains but free comic books.
How does it work? Go to a comic book store on Saturday, May 4 -- you'll want to find one that is participating, but so very many are -- and get your free comic.
The book'll be up to the store, not the customer, so you're probably not walking out with that hefty zombie graphic novel you've been eyeballing. Well, unless you buy it. You should buy it, if you've been wanting it.
Some stores hand out multiple books, which is superheroic. And many stores have other doings, from costumed characters to signings to other candy-hued, "pow"-packing surprises.
Who is behind all this free goodness? Not some mysterious masked figure but the comic book industry.
May 4 also happens to be Star Wars Day -- May the Fourth Be with You -- which means that two fandom holidays are converging. Will you see a few Princess Leias out at the shops? The force is strong with this idea.
Photo Credit: Free Comic Book Day