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New shop ready for Free Comic Book Day

It's all about the free funny books on Saturday

Staff photo by Bill Lackey Scott Riley, owner of Main Street Comics and Games, sets up comics for Free Comic Book Day on Saturday.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Andrew McGinn, Staff Writer Updated 11:26 AM Friday, May 1, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — On the first day of business at Main Street Comics and Games in March, it was like cramming 400 people into a phone booth with Superman.

The store is only 500 square feet.

And that was before anybody said anything about free comics.

Owner Scott Riley is as ready as he’s ever going to be for his first Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, May 2.

But is the shop?

“Just coming to that realization is a scary thought,” he said. “But I look forward to it.”

As it has been every year since 2002, the first Saturday in May is the comic book industry’s Free Comic Book Day — the day when you can walk into a participating comic shop and walk out with a free comic (or two or three or four or five).

But this is the first year since the event started that Springfield has had a comic shop. Main Street opened at 2031 E. Main St. exactly two months ago come Saturday.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” Riley said.

The industry’s top publishers (and even many of the smaller ones) will make select comics available for free on Saturday.

Marvel Comics is giving out an issue of “The Avengers” and, right in time for the new Wolverine movie, “Wolverine: Origin of an X-Man.”

DC is taking the opportunity to get people psyched up for its upcoming Green Lantern event with “Blackest Night” No. 0. (Zero, because it’s a prelude to the “Blackest Night” story line.)

Archie Comics and Bongo Comics (the comics version of “The Simpsons”) will be represented as well, among others.

Riley can guarantee at least one free comic between noon and 9 p.m.

But it might be worth checking back closer to closing time.

“If you come in around closing time,” he said, “you can grab ’em by the handful.”

That is, what’s left.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.

Free Comic Book Day

Here’s where to get your free comics on Saturday:

Main Street Comics and Games, 2031 E. Main St., noon to 9 p.m. The shop also will be set up at the main branch of the Clark County Public Library from noon to 4 p.m. to give away comics.

The Park branch of the public library, 1119 Bechtle Ave., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Super-Fly Comics and Games, 132 Dayton St., Yellow Springs, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Dark Star Books, 237 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs,  10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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