Halloween ComicFest starts today and if you have the chance to drop by the store to pick up a few goodies, here are some of our thoughts on the mini-comics being offered this year. My daughter has developed a love for comic books and I thought it would be great to continue to share the experiences my daughter and I enjoy while she grows and develops her love of reading; from board books to comics.
There are 11 comics and 11 mini comics being given away this year for Halloween ComicFest 2013 and choosing age appropriate comics for your 2 year old can be a daunting task. That is why I decided to read through some of the all-ages books with my daughter before this weekend so that we would be able to share our opinions just in time for the big event.
APE ENTERTAINMENT SESAME STREET MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2013
Publisher: DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS
(W) Jason M. Burns (A) Amy Mebberson (CA) Jerome Reneaume
Elmo decides to become a superhero, but he doesn't have any powers! It will be up to the always lovable Super Grover to teach Elmo that he can have any superpowers he wants, because he already has the GREATEST superpower...imagination!
This is the same story that appeared in Sesame Street #1 and again in the FCBD issue earlier this year. Not a bad story, and considering its free, I don't blame them, but at some point kids are going to want a new Sesame Street story. My daughter didn't mind, she was just happy to have a brand new copy of a comic book she has read so many times it is holding together with an entire roll of scotch tape. She walked around with this issue for a few days and it finally ended up in the car where she does a lot of her reading.
ONI PRESS SKETCH MONSTERS MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2013
Publisher: DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS
(W) Joshua Williamson (A/CA) Vicente Navarrete
One of Mandy's Sketch Monsters has escaped from the pages of her sketchbook, and it's terrorizing the whole city! Good thing Mandy's dealt with this situation before. All she has to do is feel the same emotion she felt when she first drew it. But she has no idea what she was feeling when she drew the 100-foot booger monster! It's growing bigger by the second, and if she doesn't figure it out quick, there's snot much she can do about it!
Surprisingly, this was my daughter’s second favorite issue this season. She really enjoyed the art style and the fact that the monsters looked like she “could” have drawn them. The story itself was also easy for her to follow along with, as well as being pretty funny. I enjoyed it too and love Joshua Williamson for his TMNT and Mask & Mobsters stuff.
ARCHAIA PANTALONES TX ZOMBINATA MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2013
Publisher: DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS
(W/A/CA) Yehudi Mercado
It's Halloween in Pantalones and everyone is ready to go trick or treating, but Bucky can't eat any candy because of a dentist appointment! He stashes his candy in his piñata for safekeeping, but on Halloween, piñatas that are fed come back to life. Chico is the first victim and becomes a Zombie Piñata-a ZomBiñata!-and the rest of the gang must figure out how to turn him back before they turn, too. The only tools on their side are toothpaste, costumes, and lots of candy-but which one will save them?
The next book she wanted to read was the Pantalones TX issue. Nothing really grabbed my daughter’s attention while reading Zombiñata. It is a good read, but an average issue for a 2 year old. I really enjoyed some of the costumes the kids had in this book. Two words, “Bat, man”.
IDW MY LITTLE PONY HALLOWEEN MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2013
Publisher: DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS
(W) Katie Cook (A) Various (CA) Andy Price
Relive some of the most fun moments from IDW's first year of My Little Pony! Featuring amazing Pony art, great back-up stories and other rarely seen material! The perfect treat to pick-up for all ages readers this season!
Another surprise to me was the fact that my daughter did not really care much for the My Little Pony book this time around. I was surprised because she has shown an interest in My Little Pony in the past, but I guess there was just too much happening on the page and the dialogue was a little confusing for a 2 year old. A good read, but just was not able to grab my daughter’s attention.
IMAGE COMICS SUPER DINOSAUR MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2013
Publisher: DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS
(W) Robert Kirkman (A/CA) Jason Howard
Robert Kirkman's Super Dinosaur comes to Halloween Comic Fest with this special issue, perfect for all ages, packed with action, adventure, super-science, and a talking dinosaur with robotic arms! It just doesn't get any better than that, kids!
This book may not exactly fit in with the rest on terms of target audience, but my daughter loves dinosaurs and I thought we could give it a shot. That was before I actually read the comic. It is definitely geared towards 8 year olds, not 2 year olds. Interesting story, but all the dinosaurs have punny names like Terrordactyl and they come from the center of the Earth; not exactly what I want to be teaching a 2 year old who cannot really tell the difference between fact and fiction. I kept this one from her and maybe when she is older she will have a chance to catch up on her Super Dinosaur.
I hope that these suggestions have helped you navigate the large offering available this weekend. These reviews were based solely on my daughter’s reactions and preferences and remember, your mileage may vary.
Halloween ComicFest is similar to Free Comic Book Day - occurring on October 26th and 27th this year - when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away a small selection of comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores. *Check with your local comic book shop for their participation and rules.