One day each year, we get Free Comic Book Day. This year, it’s on Saturday, May 3 – a mere three days away! The event is a great and celebratory way for the comic book industry to gather old, new and lapsed readers together and share a love, or burgeoning love, of all things comic books.
Even more importantly for those at a certain stage of their lives, it’s a wonderful event for parents to bring their kids to, introducing them to the magic of visual storytelling and the friendly people the make, sell and read all sorts of comic books.
At a time where we’ve all witnessed declines in readership in an industry and artform under flux and change, Free Comic Book Day is a wonderful way to gather with family, friends and like-minded individuals at local comic book shops and taste the wares of the industry. And all without the need to shell out a dollar!
That’s right! In addition to local comic book shop specials, many comic book publishers offer up teasers of their various publications – for free! Uh, hence the name of the event. Makes sense, right?
Well, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate comic books and the art of creating them then by grabbing a free teaser issue of an upcoming series that features beloved pulp hero: The Phantom!
Created by writer and artist Lee Falk and running throughout newspapers strips beginning in 1939, The Phantom was a non-super-powered hero, out to fight evil in the jungles of the fictional African country, Bangalla. The character, also known as “The Ghost Who Walks”, proudly and mysteriously showcases an historic linage with his name and legacy tracing back centuries.
Mad Cave Studios, licensing the character from King Features, and readying themselves for a new The Phantom comic book series later this year, is offering up The Phantom #0 for FREE as a primer for eager and interested readers this coming Saturday!
Written by Ray Fawkes (Sanction, Constantine, Justice League Dark, The People Inside) and illustrated by Russell Olson (Past Time, Gateway City), The Phantom #0 is a solid introduction for newbies and a heart-warming return for experienced readers to the world of the gun-slinging, adventuring pulp hero. As some of you might expect, The Phantom again operates from his ancient Skull Cave abode, protecting the jungle land he calls home and the innocents at risk of evil machinations.
Full of action and wonderful imagery of dense foliage and jungle secrets, The Phantom #0 is a teaser for what’s to come next from Mad Cave Studios later this year. That said, regular readers of this column will recall that we highlighted the Defenders of the Earth Volume 1 trade paperback in late February – a series that features a bunch of older King Features heroes including the Phantom as a main character!
In addition to the regular Wednesday new comic book day, make the run to your local comic book shop this coming Saturday, May 3 and celebrate Free Comic Book Day 2025 with The Phantom #0!
Visit the Free Comic Book Day website to find out more information about events and various highlights.
See you at the local shop on Saturday morning!
