Remember that Fantagraphics "Unseen Peanuts" book? I read Salon's roundup a little too late and subsequently spent far, far too much time and energy trying to track down a decently-priced copy afterwards. Last week I finally succeeded. (I probably should have just gone to the eBay merchants with their outrageous shipping prices and have been done with it.)

The lesson? If you see something you like, get it now - you might not have a chance later!

Why is there not an age appropriate range of comic book materials for children?

Television. Books. Music. All have a full continuum and range of offerings for all ages from birth to adulthood.

Yet every time I wander into a book store for Free Comic Book Day, the selection is not even close to being equivalent.

I remember one year saying to my five-year-old, look, it's Mickey Mouse, let's read it together. Oh look, now this character is holding a gun to Mickey Mouse's head and engaging in violent threats. Quick, turn the page.

If the free market can support 30 to 50 books for every show on Noggin or PBS (Backyardigans, Go Diego Go, Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street, etc), why won't it support a single comic book?

I don't understand what the industry is thinking here.

it's no accident that Free Comic Book Day falls on the day after the "Iron Man" movie's opening

Unless you're implying that they scheduled the release of Iron Man to coincide with Free Comic Book Day, it is indeed an accident. Free Comic Book Day is always the First Saturday in May.

Why is there not an age appropriate range of comic book materials for children?

Ah, but there are! Check out Amelia Rules. Or Castle Waiting, which isn't really aimed at kids, but is a slice of life comic set in a fairy-tale land. There are many more, but you have to take the time to scan them before you decide if they're right for your kid.

I remember one year saying to my five-year-old,look, it's Mickey Mouse, let's read it together. Oh look, now this character is holding a gun to Mickey Mouse's head and engaging in violent threats. Quick, turn the page.

Yet this kind of thing has been a staple of Mickey Mouse comics dating back to the 1940s. He was frequently being kidnapped or running from danger. If what you're looking for is the comic equivalent of Dora or other bland fare, you might be able to find it, but you'll have to check the comics beforehand.

Most comic shops have a separate section for kids comics and tend to put everything there for all under-teen readers. Have the shopworker point that section out to you and I'll bet you can find some things you'll want to read to your kid.

I made it to the last few Free Comic Book Days, and while I always took stuff home I was sometimes disappointed in what I ended up with.

Lynx--not to put words in anyone's mouth, but David sounded more like he was looking for comics to read to his 5-year-old. Castle Waiting is awesome, but might go over the head of a very little kid. Amelia Rules! also kind of reads at more of a 3rd grade level or thereabouts.

David--the Owly comic that was mentioned in the review sounds like a good one. I know Mickey Mouse comics could get weird back in the 30's, but other Disney ones might not be too bad. The Uncle Scrooge comics that were done by Carl Barks in the 50's were great and had much less weirdness. I think Uncle Scrooge might even still be in print; if not, you may be able to score some used copies. I agree that the pickings are slim for the 5-and-under crowd, but there is some stuff out there if you get creative.

Incidentally, while I'm stuck here at work, my husband is taking our 2-year-old son to the comic book shop for FCBD--my son will be wearing his Spider-Man PJ's, of course!