Free Comic Book Day Spotlight: Marvel Comics!

Each day throughout the rest of January and through to the February 2005 online order deadline, Diamond Daily will turn the spotlight on a Gold or Silver Free Comic Book Day publisher. We hope that this will allow you to make the most informed buying decision when purchasing your FCBD editions.

Remember: You must buy at least $50.00 worth of the Gold Sponsor titles in order to be a participating retailer for FCBD 2005. You must also own a storefront business and agree to give away the comics on May 7, 2005.

Spider-Man is popular. The Fantastic Four is poised for a stratospheric rise thanks to the Fantastic Four movie (due in theaters just two months after FCBD). So what could be better than combining these two heroic legends into Marvel Adventures Spider-Man & Fantastic Four FCBD Edition (FEB050021J, $0.19)? Well, how about combing the two legends and then adding in a little something extra?

Remember: In order to be considered a participating retailer, you must order at least 26 copies of this title, as well as the quantities listed for the other Gold Sponsors.

NOTE: Due to a data entry error, the February Previews erroneously states that this book is in black and white. This book -- as with all Gold Sponsor books -- is in full color.

A Quick Synopsis:
Inspired by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko! Spider-Man makes a bid to join the Fantastic Four - the hard way! The newest Marvel Age title has our friendly neighborhood webslinger and New York's favorite super-team doing their best to put aside their differences in order to defeat the evil master of disguise - the Chameleon! (Reprints Marvel Age Spider-Man Team Up #1.)

Why It's Good for Free Comic Book Day (And You!):
The Marvel Adventures line was developed out of the successful Marvel Age imprint and created especially for new and young readers. It presents fan favorites such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the Hulk both in action-packed modern adaptations of classic stories and new untold tales.

Thanks to two blockbuster movies, Spider-Man is already a household name, and an immediately recognizable property. The Fantastic Four's movie will make Marvel's First Family just as well-known, only two months after FCBD. So Marvel's FCBD title is a perfect way to capture and keep new readers: Spider-Man will grab their attention from the get-go, and the presence of the FF will take on new meaning to them when the marketing for the movie kicks into high gear shortly thereafter. The result? Happy readers who have discovered something new at the comic book store and will want more!

Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man & the Fantastic Four was designed to be a new-reader-friendly entry point into the Marvel Universe. The story retains the universal appeal that has made Marvel characters bestsellers for decades, but without accrued continuity and backstory, and in a family-friendly context.

In addition to the wonderful story, though, Marvel Adventures features something else, something not mentioned in the original solicitation: A special section on how a comic book is created! Marvel has decided that new fans and new readers deserve a little something extra, and so the publisher is discarding advertising pages from its FCBD edition in order to devote those pages to a fun, instructive piece that kids will enjoy and new readers of all ages will find educational. It's one more element that makes this particular book a winner on May 7.

To help you promote FCBD and the comic, Marvel is offering a free Marvel Adventures FCBD promotional poster to each participating retailer. You may also order additional copies of this poster at the low price of $1.00 Net Cost on line FEB050022J.

How to Use It:
The uses for this comic are many and varied: Obviously, you'll want to have plenty of copies on-hand for those fans who know Spider-Man from the movie s, but you'll also want to be sure to point out that the FF will be in its own movie soon as well - especially for those who are new to comics, the chance to get in on this "new" property "early" will be very attractive.

Remember to use the FF's presence in the book as a way to entice/encourage new readers to come back to your store in July after Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben make their big screen debut. Offer a coupon or special sale on Fantastic Four products and be sure to let everyone who takes the Marvel Adventures FCBD Edition know about it.

Finally, don't forget to emphasize the "How Comics Are Made" segment in the book - it's the sort of value-added extra that new readers in particular find fascinating and irresistible.

Be sure to be prepared for reader interest - sign up new customers for subscriptions to Marvel's Marvel Adventures series, and also stock up on these Marvel Age digests:

DiamondNo.

Title

Price

MAY041660D

MARVEL AGE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 1 DIGEST TP

$5.99

SEP041782D

MARVEL AGE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 2 DIGEST TP

$5.99

AUG041828D

MARVEL AGE MARY JANE VOL 1 CIRCLE OF FRIENDS DIGEST TP

$5.99