When I first read about Free Comic Book Day, I thought it would be nice to stop in the comic book store and grab a free comic book for each kid. When I read the ad in the Omaha World Herald for Krypton Comics last week, I realized it might be bigger than I anticipated. Not only were they giving away free comic books, but from 10am-6pm Ray Park (aka Darth Maul) would be there and Cynthia Martin and other local comic book artists were going to be there as well.

Wes was on call Saturday so I was alone with 4 kids for Free Comic Book Day, and to be frank, I did not want to fight the crowds I was sure Darth Maul would bring. But I also did not want to miss out on the free comic books. I needed to stop at the grocery store anyway and I knew Dragon's Lair was near a Bag N Save, so I packed up the kids and we headed out to Dragon's Lair.

I anticipated walking in grabbing whatever 1 cheap comic book they were handing out and leaving with 4 happy kids. No sir! We walked in and found out that each customer could take 10, yes 10 free comic books. There was a large display case up front as well as 6-8 large boxes in the back of older comic books you could choose from. So, with myself and my 4 kids, we could have left with 50 FREE comic books.

Never have I seen so many giddy adult males in one room, NEVER! There was quite a crowd of them around the boxes in back so the kids and I began at the front display. We picked what we wanted. Then headed back to the crowd to see what else we could get. The boxes were fun because every once in a while you would see/hear an overjoyed grown man exclaim "Yes! This completes my collection" then giggle like a 12-year-old girl.

After a while waiting at the boxes we finally pushed our way to where we could look at them. We picked out a few more comic books we wanted, then headed up front to check out (they had to check to make sure we had only free ones). Up front they had free rings and figurines. Each person could have 2 rings and 1 figurine (I have no clue who the figurine was-I have still not yet looked).

Now, my kids are evidently quite picky about comic books and would only take the ones they really wanted, so we did not leave with 50 Comic Books, but we did leave with about 35, plus 10 rings, 5 figurines, and 4 VERY happy and excited kids!

Now, initially I worried about these comic book stores that people like me would just come in and bleed them dry with just freebies, but standing in the line to check out with our free comic books, all my worry left! The 3 men preceeding us in line each spent well over $100, so I think they were still turing a prety good profit!

Did any of you go to Free Comic Book Day? Did anyone locally meet Darth Maul?! If you did go, let me know what you thought. If you did not go, mark your calendars for next year for the first Saturday in May! I will be there!!