Down the Line is our monthly look at Previews, and what titles are coming out a few months, well, “down the line.”

This installment of Down the Line is a new special feature, covering the solicitations in the February Previews for the Free Comic Book Day offerings, which will be available May 5, 2007 in comic stores everywhere. You can find a lot more information about Free Comic Book Day at their official site.

Free Comic Book Day approaches, and this year’s crop looks like an astonishingly good one. With the exception of last year, when I was on vacation, I’ve worked every Free Comic Book Day, and while it’s always a good day, this is the first time in a couple years I’ve been outright excited by the offerings. There are almost 45 comics available to retailers this year, and I’ve covered most of them here. Instead of my usual format, I’ll be breaking down the books into categories so you know who to suggest those books to. These aren’t hard and fast rules, just rough suggestions, but the important thing to remember is this: Free Comic Book Day isn’t really about us, the readers and authors of this site, it’s about new readers. I hope some of you will spot some indy gems you want to sample for free, but I hope all the more that you’ll use this feature to help you guide selections for the new faces you’ll be bringing into the comic shops.

For Younger Readers:

Amelia Rules!: Hanging’ Out (Renaissance Press): Jimmy Gownley’s full color tales of Amelia, a young girl with a great imagination that helps her get through her parents’ divorce, are always fun and beautifully drawn. As he’s done in the past few years, Gownley offers up a new tale of Amelia for FCBD, along with a preview of his full-color book Apathy Kat. This is probably one of the best titles to offer up to young girls looking for a comic that’ll speak to them, along with the Owly & Korgi book Top Shelf is offering.

Bongo Comics Free-For-All! 2007 (Bongo Comics): Bongo’s sampler did very well for us last year, and that’s not a huge surprise. Kids and adults alike know The Simpsons and Futurama, and Bongo’s comics are funny. For those who have kids (or nostalgic adults) with a fondness for Archie, you might point them in this direction as well, as Bongo’s comics can have the same sort of gentle appeal, but generally with more biting punchlines and clever pop-culture riffs.

Buzzboy / Roboy Red (Sky-Dog Press): Another offering featuring both full color and all-new stories, credit the indy guys who have really come out swinging on FCBD to try and appeal to the audience of young fans. Buzzboy is the story of a superhero sidekick who’s as likely to be hanging around the malt shop as fighting crime, and Roboy Red is new from the same creator, a story of a “runaway robot with a heart of gold.” Once again, for parents who are trying to steer their younger readers to Archie, if the younger readers are resisting or if you can get more than one book for them, this is probably a real good idea. Gentler sensibilities, good sense of fun, plus action, robots and superheroes.

The Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #1 (DC Comics): A reprint, but of an issue that many won’t have seen yet. Previous years saw DC reprinting their tie-ins to the Justice League and Teen Titans cartoons, and this is the new tie-in to the Legion cartoon. It’s a pretty smart approach, and kids will definitely glom onto the familiar characters. Even better, the writing is by J. Torres, a talented writer with a gift for all-ages material (Alison Dare at Oni, Teen Titans Go at DC, etc.) and art by Chynna Clugston-Flores, which means it will match what the kids are expecting but also have the flourishes of a veteran indy storyteller.

Little Archie: The Legend of the Lost Lagoon #1 (Archie Comics): I confess, my days of reading Archie are long over, but this is one of those properties that parents remember fondly and kids seem to still love. When it comes to all-ages comics, Archie Comics has pretty much perfected the formula, and chances are that if you’ve got a really young reader, this is going to be the second best bet for them (but see Top Shelf’s offering for the best one.)

Marvel Adventures Three-in-One (Marvel Comics): The Marvel Adventures line has been a treat for both superhero fans ages 10 and under and nostalgic old fogies like me who prefer our superhero comics without rape, torture and murder. This triple book features a new installment of Chris Eliopoulos’ Calvin & Hobbes’ esque take on Franklin Richards, as well as new stories of The Hulk and Iron Man. Writing talent includes Fred Van Lente (writer of numerous good books, including Action Philosophers) and Paul Benjamin (a good friend of mine who has recently written Pantheon High for Tokyopop). The superhero fans of the younger set will probably walk away happy with a copy of this book and the Legion book in their hands.

Owly & Korgi (Topshelf Productions): This is the pick to beat in the younger readers category. If you bring a kid to Free Comic Book Day (and you should), make sure and get them a copy of this book. But come early, because retailers may not order as heavily on Top Shelf’s offering as they do on Marvel and DC. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to hep your local retailer to the notion that you’re hoping to pick this one up, just in case.

Why is this the pick to beat? Simple. Owly is one of the most endearing all-ages books on the market, a fun, mostly wordless celebration of simple moral lessons along with clever and funny stories, adorable artwork and amazing storytelling. Even kids who can’t read words yet will be able to follow along with Owly, and I think adults who haven’t sampled it before will be surprised to discover how much fun the book is. It’s become something of a Free Comic Book Day tradition for creator Andy Runton to create a new story for Top Shelf’s FCBD offering. Even better, this year he’s joined by a new all-ages book, featuring a girl and her corgi dog, and Korgi looks like something different but equally enjoyable.

Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics): I’m somewhat boggled by the popularity of a character I best remember from a side-scrolling game on the Sega Genesis, but kids go nuts for Sonic the Hedgehog. Archie is smart to offer up a Sonic comic as well as Little Archie this year, and I suspect this one will go over big.

For Kids & Budding Artists:

Comics 101: How-To & History Lessons From the Pros (Twomorrows): Those who want to create comics will probably be out in force for FCBD, and this looks like a pretty good offering for them. 32 pages of selections from the magazines Draw!, Write Now!, Rough Stuff and Alter Ego should appeal to the comics fan who wants a little behind the scenes as well as those who want to create comics someday. This will also be a nice little sampler for what to expect from Twomorrow’s impressive line of comics-centric magazines, so if you’ve never tried them out, give this a look and see if you want an expanded amount of the material in the magazines.

Impact University Volume 3 (Impact Books): This is the third of the “how-to” books from Impact University, and the previous two have been pretty solid. This year’s creators who contribute lessons include Gail Simone, Colleen Doran and Tom Nguyen, among others.

Wizard’s “How to Draw” Sampler (Wizard Entertainment): The third of the “how to” offerings this year, Wizard’s “How to Draw” features are often aimed more at the cheesecake and fanboy segments of the market, but they have professional artists providing the advice, and probably make a pretty good companion to the solid basics of Impact University or the thorough selections from older pros of Twomorrows. If you’re of a “how to” bent, or better yet have a young child, nephew, niece, etc. who is, pick up all three and give them a good sampler.

For Older Fans & Parents:

Lynda Barry Sampler (Drawn & Quarterly): A veteran cartoonist, odds are that the older folks in your crowd might recognize the name Lynda Barry, and want to check out this sampler of her work. This might be a pleasant surprise for parents and grandparents who came in expecting only to find something for the kids.

The Unseen Peanuts (Fantagraphics): In the same vein, Charles Schulz and Peanuts are names familiar to just about everyone. Fantagraphics has been doing a bang-up job reprinting the material in their gorgeous hardcovers, and this is a great FCBD offering for just about anyone.

Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse (Gemstone Publishing): Another familiar face, and one that will appeal to readers young and old. The Walt Disney comics are solidly produced, often sharper and funnier than the watered-down corporate properties that they have come in modern days, but never a betrayal of the all-ages appeal.

For Movie & TV Fans:

Amazing Spider-Man: Swing Shift (Marvel Comics): Given that Spider-Man 3 is opening on the same week as Free Comic Book Day, Marvel would have been dumb not to produce a Spider-Man comic. However, give them credit for going the extra mile and not just reprinting an old story, but giving over the character to a fantastic creative team, Dan Slott and Phil Jimenez. The only thing that could have made this a better offering would have been to add in a reprint of one of the classic Roger Stern era issues.

Family Guy / Hack/Slash Flip Book (Devil’s Due): Family Guy is a recognizable property that will go over well with teenagers, and as a fan of the TV show, I can say that the Devil’s Due comics have a lot of the same appeal as the show. But if you’ve never read it, this is a good chance to sample Hack/Slash, as good as post-modern slasher stories get. Tim Seeley’s take on the genre posits a sort of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” archetype for the slashers, and this is a good one to get into the hands of fans of everything from Friday the 13th to the more modern Saw. If you’ve got a friend who reads Fangoria, make sure you put this book in their hands.

Hunter’s Moon / Salvador Flip Book (Boom! Studios): Boom! has nabbed a couple big writers, screenwriters for the movie Ray and The Astronaut Farmer, to turn in original properties for their comics line. This one’s probably a good one for those who don’t appreciate a lot of “genre” entertainment, because while Hunter’s Moon is an action story and Salvador a science-fiction piece, both will probably be written from a more classical human drama approach that will find favor even with the true mainstream, the guys and girls who don’t dig on real arty independent comics or the popcorn fare of superheroes and horror.

The Lone Ranger / New Battlestar Galactica Flip Book (Dynamite Entertainment): Another case of matching populist icons with solid comic book storytelling, Dynamite’s Lone Ranger will go over well with those looking for a good western, and Galactica with anyone looking for a worthy companion piece to the TV show. If you’ve got someone who likes science-fiction or westerns, this is probably their best bet.

Tokyopop Choose Your Weapon 2007 (Tokyopop): I’ll start by saying that given how popular manga has been in the past few years, and how well the manga samplers have gone over, and how many manga readers only want manga and nothing else, it’s kind of a shame they only have one option this year. No Del Rey, no Viz, no Digital Manga, nothing from Dark Horse or CMX. Fortunately, Tokyopop steps up to the plate with their usual sampler. Unfortunately, their mixture looks like a lot of OEL, which may disappoint a bunch of manga fans looking to sample more actual manga titles. On the other hand, their OEL includes their Warcraft manga, which ought to be a popular choice for a pretty devoted fanbase, and it’s got Dan Hipp’s Gyakushu!, an action manga that is probably going to appeal to a teenaged crowd. Teenaged male crowd, unfortunately, it looks like the largest manga fanbase is left out in the cold on Free Comic Book Day… but don’t worry, there are some offerings for those without a Y-chromosome, and I’ve mentioned them throughout.

Transformers: The Movie Prequel (IDW): My pick for one of the best “sellers” of FCBD, this will offer up some of the first glimpses of the movie designs for the Transformers as well as teases of the storyline. Be prepared for both older fans of Michael Bay action and younger readers who just dig on transforming giant robots to check this one out.

The Umbrella Academy/ Zero Killer / Pantheon City (Dark Horse Comics): Dark Horse offers up an intriguing sampler this year. The lead is written by My Chemical Romance front man Gerard Way, which means it’s a good one to offer up to casual music fans who dug the goth-y vibe of the band’s latest video or their operatic new album. Or, for that matter, anyone with goth or emo sensibilities in general, fans of books like Sandman or movies like Underworld and all points in between. In addition, the new books teased here feature several names I like, such as talented (and underserved in the comics market) artist Clement Sauve and Rex Mundi writer Arvid Nelson. It’s also got a James Jean cover. DC keeps deciding not to put out a Vertigo offering, but for fans who might have enjoyed such a hypothetical offering, Dark Horse’s book is probably the best bet.

Whiteout #1 (Oni Press): The movie rumors are stirring, and they don’t look too good (Kate Beckinsale? Really?). Fortunately, that doesn’t really affect how good this action/mystery from Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber is. This is a great offering for fans of the action movie or smart procedurals, and given the numbers that shows like CSI and Law & Order rack up, that’s going to be a pretty significant number of casual fans. Another good one to potentially offer up to someone who only came to the comics store so their kid could get an Archie.

The “Oh, Cool!” Factor:
This category might require a little explanation. Basically, this stuff has sort of a cool geek-out factor. Werewolf superheroes, dinosaurs with laser swords, the Justice League, vampires, pirates, ninjas and sasquatch lurk in these pages, and this kind of thing will appeal to some kids, some teens and plenty of adults who haven’t lost touch with the “oh, cool!” elements of their youth.

The Astounding Wolf-Man #1 (Image Comics): Robert Kirkman is the king of goofy cool, as witnessed in the fun superheroics of Invincible, the over-the-top zombie action of Marvel Zombies, his first creation Battle Pope and plenty of other work. This Image offering presents a new concept from Kirkman and artist Jason Howard, a werewolf who decides to use his curse to become a superhero. Great for the Invincible fans, not to mention anyone who just thinks a werewolf superhero sounds like a fun idea.

Dyno-Force #0 (Zenescope Entertainment): Mutated dinosaur heroes wielding high technology battle an alien invader with an army of dinosaur clone soldiers. That is one hell of a potentially goofy, potentially fun concept, and Zenescope is definitely giving it the big push. Debuts on Free Comic Book Day, and the follow up series will have a 25 cent first issue, a 75 cent second issue and dollar priced issues for the rest of the miniseries. Bargain pricing and kid cool concept, solid-looking art… it ain’t high art or anything, but Dyno-Force could be a fun, breakout hit.

Justice League of America #0 (DC Comics): On the one hand, this features the big guns of the DC Universe, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, along with a number of other Justice Leaguers and plenty of continuity Easter Eggs. On the other hand, it’s about the most impenetrable continuity-laden book DC has published since Infinite Crisis. Not a bad idea, but the content within makes this a puzzling choice for a day that is supposed to be about accessibility. My worry is that the “big three” cover will make plenty of kids and adults choose this, only to be disappointed when they don’t understand much of it. And, of course, it’s a reprint, so the comics fans who might have wanted it for free probably already paid for it.

Last Blood #1 (Blatant Comics): I can’t spell this one out any clearer than the solicitation, so I’ll just quote it. “After zombies take over the earth, vampires must protect the last surviving humans so they can live off their blood.” Good high concept, and one that should go over with horror fans. You can see more about the book at the Last Blood website. If you know a horror fan, hook them up with Last Blood and the books from Devil’s Due and Dark Horse, and they’ll probably be pretty happy.

Pirates vs. Ninjas #1 (Antarctic Press): Another of those great high concepts, this one will probably go over well with those who want their comics with a laugh. And given the upcoming Pirates sequel in summer 2007, there may be plenty of folks in a piratical mood. Plus, ninjas never go out of style.

Ramayan 3392 AD (Virgin Comics): This one comes with an Alex Ross cover, and despite the name, it’s actually a sample of several of Virgin’s comics. The storytelling is often a little out there, but the beautiful artwork will win fans amongst the casual fan.

Viper Comics Presents: Josh Howard’s Sasquatch (Viper Comics): Like Virgin, Viper offers up a sampler of their works with one big name on the cover. Viper’s offerings run the gamut from a fairy girl living on Earth to the secret operative who deals with the weird and plenty more.

For the Hipster Crowd:

Comics Festival! 2007 (Legion of Evil Press): The Toronto Comics Festival once again gets in on FCBD with new stories from a variety of Canadian talent. That talent includes Darwyn Cooke (The Spirit), Bryan O’Malley (Scott Pilgrim), Hope Larson (Salamander Dream), Chip Zdarsky (Monster Cops), Michael Cho and more. Fans of good cartooning should absolutely snap this one up. It is the FCBD book I’m the most excited about reading this year.

Gumby Special (Wildcard Ink): Some may recognize the character from the old SNL skits or even older merchandise, but the folks who will really want this are the folks who enjoyed the surreal weirdness of Flaming Carrot creator Bob Burden.

Nexus Special (Rude Dude Productions): Using FCBD to boost the return of a long-missing indy icon is a great idea, and Nexus is also probably a great choice for those looking for some cosmic superheroics, which are otherwise in short supply amongst the offerings.

The Train Was Bang On Time (:01 First Second): Along with Lone Ranger, this is a western offering for FCBD. More importantly, it’s by uber-talented indy cartoonist Eddie Campbell, from the impressive publishers of First Second graphic novels, and promises “robbery, explosions and terror in the heartland.” Probably good for the action comics junkie and the indy comics fan alike.

For Couples & Significant Others:

Love and Capes #4 (Maerkle Press): Plenty of girls will be picking up the other offerings of FCBD, but if you’re a comics fan with a girlfriend who only tolerates your habit, here’s your chance to show her that comics can do romance and humor well. Love and Capes is the story of a superhero and his significant other, and it’s clever, fun, sweet and very well drawn. This is issue four, but don’t worry, the book is very approachable on a single issue basis.

Wahoo Morris #1 (Too Hip Gotta Go Publishing): I dug the hell out of this indy book when I first bought it about a decade ago, combining as it does a rock band, romance and supernatural elements. Since then, it’s returned now and again, but never consistently. Now it’s gone webcomic, which means that if someone likes what they see in this first issue, they can follow it online. This is a good one for the Buffy crowd (it’s got some of that vibe), as well as anyone who has a fondness for music and “making the band” type stories. A unique genre blend done well.

Studio Samplers:

APE Entertainment, Arcana Studio, Aspen, Castle Rain, Digital Webbing, Heroic Publishing and Keenspot are all offering up samplers that more or less aim to present their properties to a new audience. It’s an admirable marketing initiative on their part, but these books might be a harder sell to the majority of the readers, who are probably going to look for the familiar. However, APE’s offering includes Athena Voltaire (an easy sell to the Indiana Jones crowd) and Teddy Scares (good for those seeking a Jhonen Vasquez or Ronan Dirge type book). Arcana might appeal to someone looking for gothic fantasy or sci-fi with a heavy action overtone. Aspen will go to those who like, shall we say, the female form. Castle Rain’s Jack The Lantern might appeal to those seeking Spawn, Ghost Rider or something of the like. Digital Webbing features superheroes, Bloodrayne (from the videogame) and zombies but the true gem is a preview of Joshua Fialkov and Kody Chamberlain’s weird and wild Punks. Liberty Comics from Heroic Publishing is for fans of Silver Age style comics who don’t mind the lack of familiar Silver Age characters, a narrow audience at the best of times, and Keenspot is pretty much the sole representative of the webcomics collectives. All of these are for a narrower subset of fans, but there will probably be at least one or two of those kinds of fans at each comic shop. If you’re one of those fans, or better yet you’re bringing in one of those kinds of fans, come early… these books aren’t likely to get ordered by all retailers, and they’re not likely to be ordered in large numbers by any of them.