We now find ourselves two days away from Free Comic Book Day 2010.  This year’s line-up includes over 30 different titles from many different companies.   Many shops will also include books from last year or other books they just have in stock.  So with this in mind there are going to be quite a few books to choose from and you could miss some true gems if you don’t know what to look for.  Here are the highlights of Free Comic Book Day 2010 from my perspective.

Dark Horse:  Doctor Solar/Magnus.  These are characters that have been around since the early 1960s published by multiple publishers.  Each character has a truly timeless appeal and I am looking forward to seeing what Dark Horse chooses to do with the property.  So if you are a fan of the characters, the Valiant runs of them, or just want to try something new this is the perfect opportunity to see how Dark Horse is going to treat these iconic characters without risking your hard earned money.

Archaia Entertainment:  Mouse GuardFraggle rock flipbook.  I have it on very good authority that this will be a brand new Mouse Guard story written just for FCBD and not a reprint.  If you have not tried Mouse Guard I cannot recommend this highly enough.  It is like the Three Musketeers with mice.  This is also a chance to try out Fraggle Rock since it is not the type of book most of us would typically look at.

Top Cow:  Artifacts. Top Cow has done a good job of using FCBD to promote their big summer events and this year is no exception.  Over the years Top Cow has established a strong continuity around 13 religious artifacts and the powers they grant their wielders.  The Witchblade, The Darkness, and the Spear of Destiny are the most well known of these artifacts.   Top Cow has been criticized for putting out T&A books, and to be honest that is not entirely inaccurate.  They however have a strong story, a fully developed world, and characters that actually have depth.  If they are T&A book, then they are T&A books with a story and really who could ask for more from a comic.

Marvel:  IronmanThor. Now that Siege is ending the Ironman and Thor titles are going in drastically different directions.  This is your chance to catch up on the characters and their status quo of two major marvel characters.   With Matt Fraction and John Romita Jr. working on this FCBD offering it’s bound to be worth grabbing.

RED 5 COMICS:  Atomic Robo. This title continues to be a fun ride with a good mix of humor and action.  If you have not had a chance to try it what better time than now when you can do so for free?

Finally Free Comic Book Day is also host to a number of reprints and preview books.  The most noteworthy titles being  Irredeemable #1, Green Hornet  #1, Oni Press Free-For-All!, and Worlds of Aspen.   If you want to see the full list visit http://freecomicbookday.com where you can also search for the closest participating shop.