BOOK JUNKIE: National Comic Book Day is Saturday!

From time to time growing up in Olympia, I would go down to my comic book store (with a few bucks swiped from my dad's dresser) to buy Batman comics. One day, when the comic book store owner thought I was mature enough (how he could surmise that, I have no idea), he handed me a Vigilante comic book. "It's not kid stuff," he said quietly as he took my money. It felt like a drug deal: his eyes darting back and forth as he stuffed my dollar bills into his cash register; me quickly putting the comic book in my backpack.

For those of you who may not know, Vigilante was none other than District Attorney Adrian Chase. His family was, sadly, killed by mobsters. To seek justice away from the courts of law, he became the Vigilante. The storyline involved one of the first amoral characters in American comic books. I don't know what drew me to Adrian Chase's story (other than the story done by Marv Wolfman, who created Blade, and George Perez, who worked on the New Teen Titans), but I bought and read the books vigorously back then.

Perhaps it was because, right there on the cover, it said "Suggested for Mature Readers." That was me: mature.

[More after the jump.]

Or perhaps it was because I was tired of reading about regular joes getting bitten by spiders and getting superpowers (that couldn't really happen!) and wanted something more "real" - if a district attorney running around in black sweatpants killing anyone who got in the way of his justice (including innocent police officers) is real. Perhaps I had a lot of pent-up anger back then (due to the unceasing squall of five siblings) and needed a release — a release that only a comic book hero with some serious nunchuck skills taking down ne'er-do-wells could offer.

Whatever it was, it was something. I can honestly say Vigilante comics has helped shaped me as a writer of stories. Vigilante and John Steinbeck. Vigilante, Steinbeck, my brother and Steve Martin. The comics helped my "mature" middle school mind learn how to set scenes, flesh out characters, and tell compelling stories.

This all brings me to Free Comic Book Day, a place where a young reader might fall in love with comic books and the characters within them, whether it be Superman or Archie, Hulk or Ambush Bug. Free Comic Book Day is a single day — May 1 this year — when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE to anyone who comes into their stores. There are several outlets in the Seattle area that are participating. The Wallyhood blog notes Comics Dungeon is participating. Golden Age Collectables at the Pike Place Market is participating. So is Dreamstrands Comics in Greenwood and Corner Comics in Kirkland. Renouned Fantagraphics Books is participating, so is Tacoma's Comic Book, Ink.

Find a full list of participating stores on the Free Comic Book Day Store Locator.

Perhaps this weekend you'll rediscover a comic book from your youth that you'll want to read all over again with new perspectives. Maybe you'll find something that'll subtly change your life...or pick something up for your kiddo that will change theirs. Go and find your own Vigilante, he's out there.