I feel old when I tell you that this, the first Saturday of May, will see the 21st Free Comic Book Day. It has now reached adult status!
What is FCBD?
Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to attract new readers to independent comic book stores. It is usually coordinated by Diamond Comic Distributors and gives away 5 million copies of specialty comics for free.
It usually takes place on the first Saturday of May and is often cross-promoted with the release of a superhero film. (In this case, the latest Guardians of the Galaxy film.)
Free Comic Book Day was launched in 2002 and has become an official Children’s Book Week event.
Where can you go to score free comics?
Here is a store locator that will display one of over two thousand participating stores—just enter your zip code. If you have a local independent comic book store near you, ask if they are going to be a part of FCBD!
What is Dark Horse offering?
Dark Horse will be offering two titles. One features beloved multimedia properties Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures alongside Avatar: The Last Airbender.
My personal pick is a combination of two amazing runs I’ve had the pleasure to cover for the site on several occasions: The Umbrella Academy and The Witcher.
In “Safe,” we learn about yet another deadly secret concerning the end of the universe, hidden by the infamous Professor Hargreeves.
In “Frog Kiss,” Geralt must uncover why the young women in Novigrad are turning into frogs. Of course, this fairy tale has some twists woven into it because humans are very much capable of lying and Geralt can spot a lie a mile away.
Free Comic Book Day will be celebrated across America on Saturday, May 6th, 2023.
Featured image by Fabio Violante & Gabriel Bá, all images belong to Dark Horse Comics
