It was a later start that we expected this morning. Anyone with kids will know what I'm talking about. So we missed the initial crowds in London for Free Comic Book Day. But here's what we saw. And what we got.

Orbital Comics just off Leicester Square were giving away three free comics with each purchase – but with boxes with comics for ten pence by the side of the till, this was hardly a hardship. But it did put off some of the scavengers, so they had a large range still available.

Which was good for us. I bought a couple of 10 pence issues of Pakkins Land and Stardust Kid for the girls then we picked up Locke & Key for me, Top Shelf Comix for Eve and Captain America/Thor for Alice. Their choices. Oh, and they had a fun time playing with Orbital's tiger.

Not every comic shop has a tiger. Next on our trip, after a diversion at Pret A Manger (bacon croissant, gingerbread men) we popped to Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue which had a more liberal attitude to comics, a smaller selection left but handing out bags to people who walked past as well as walked in. With a table to pop up anything you'd missed. So we picked up Spider-Man, Elric, Mouse Guard, Super Dinosaur and more. Eve was amazed at the free comics she was getting. "I've got so many" she exclaimed holding up four of them. She'll learn.





An evenually we made out way to Gosh Comics on Great Russell Street opposite the British Museum. They'd had the gannets descending wiping out much of the stok, so the staff made up for it by easing the load of copies of Wednesday Comics they still had. We picked up the Green Lantern, 2000AD and Bongo Comics books as well as some free small press comics made especially for the occasion.



Still got the gingerbread men though.

We then got some free Doctor Who lego being given away in a newspaper and headed home. What a day out, what a lot of free comics, what a lot of fun. Gosh and Orbital still have signings to come, but the girls were getting tired, and they wanted to be rested before Doctor Who tonight.

Look what geeks I have wrought…