Courtesy: Free Comic Book Day website.
Free Comic Book Day was coined by Joe Field in 2002 due to the popularity of comic book movies in the l990s and early 2000s. Free Comic Book Day is an annual holiday celebrated on the first Saturday of May.
Any comic book shop can participate, even internationally. For more information, the full selection is featured on the Free Comic Book Day website as well as the store locator to find a shop near you.
Publishers like Marvel, Dark Horse, VIZ Media, Image Comics, and more release special edition comics solely for the event. The event started to promote literacy and bring new people to the medium.
Comics for young readers include “Bad Kitty Gets a Job,” “Minecraft: The Manga/Beyblade,” “Hulk Teach,” and “Iron Man: Awesome Friends.”
The action and adventure selection include “Conan: Scourge of the Serpent,” “Godzilla: The New Heroes,” “Diablo,” “Mark Spears Monsters,” and “Transformers: Worst Bot Ever.”
The music selection includes Def Leppard’s “Hysteria” and Post Malone’s “Big Rig.”
The television and movie comics include “Black Mirror: San Junipero,” “Kagurabachi/Boruto,” “Star Wars,” “Speed Racer,” “Thundercats” and “The Powerpuff Girls.”
Indie comic titles include “Valiant Zombies: Resurrection,” “Blood Type,” and “The Phantom.”
Biography comics include “Will Eisner’s Biography,” expected to be released this year.
The comics released are in a wide variety of genres, and more are listed on the website. Comic shops may set a limit on how many copies you can take so avid fans may make a day of visiting shops in their area as each shop is unique.
So, if you’re a new or veteran comic book fan, head to your local independent comic shop, meet like-minded readers, and spread the word!
About the Guest Contributor
Gael Ángel Anchondo is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Houston Downtown.