Free Comic Book Day is here again, bringing with it a whole heap of free comics for you to get your nerdy little hands on.
Taking place this Saturday, May 6, Free Comic Book Day is an annual event giving away free comics — all you have to do is go to a comic book store and ask. However, this doesn't mean you can just sweep all their stock into a comically oversized sack.
Here's how you can enjoy your Free Comic Book Day, as well as a list of all the free comics you can pick up.
How does Free Comic Book Day work?
On Free Comic Book Day, participating comic book stores have a selection of free comics which have been printed specifically to distribute during this event. These may be original stories written specifically for Free Comic Book Day, reprints of previously published stories, or previews of upcoming tales.
Aside from the fact that you'll probably have to ask a staff member for them, these free comics are easily identifiable by the Free Comic Book Day logo on their covers. The colour of these logos also indicate the age rating for each comic. Green means it's suitable for all ages, blue is for readers who are teens or up, and red means the comic is for mature audiences only.
Most of the free comics are also categorised as either Gold Comics or Silver Comics, typically depending on how popular those titles tend to be.
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While there are dozens of Free Comic Book Day titles you can pick from, you'll have to be selective in your choice. The number of free comics allowed per person varies depending upon each individual store's policy, and may be restricted according to the comics' categorisation. For example, you may be allowed two Silver comics and one Gold.
These restrictions mean that everyone has a better chance of grabbing some comics, rather than having to leave empty-handed. Even so, it's probably a good idea to show up early to ensure you get the titles you want.
Where is my nearest comic book store?
The Free Comic Book Day website has a store locator(opens in a new tab) you can use to find your closest comic book store. The global event is popular enough that it's highly likely your local comic shop will be participating, and they might even have a few other freebies or discounts on the day.
What are the comic books available on Free Comic Book Day 2023?
This year's Free Comic Book Day lineup had a last-minute change, with Princeless dropped from the list(opens in a new tab) amidst an ongoing legal battle between its creators and publisher Action Lab. Fortunately, there are still over 40 free comics available, with a book to suit all ages and tastes.
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Gold Comics
All Ages
Dog Man and the League of Misfits(opens in a new tab) (Reprint)
Ranger Academy(opens in a new tab) (Preview)
Teen (or Teen+)
Archie Horror Presents: The Cursed Library(opens in a new tab) (Original)
The Avengers / X-Men(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Red Sonja: She-Devil with a Sword(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Seismic Stories(opens in a new tab) (Original)
The Amazing Spider-Man / Venom(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Star Trek: Day of Blood(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Mature
Conan the Barbarian(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Fishflies(opens in a new tab) (Original)
The Umbrella Academy / The Witcher(opens in a new tab) (Original)
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Silver Comics
All Ages
2000 AD Regened Presents: The Best Comic Ever(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Animal Crossing / Kirby Manga Mania(opens in a new tab) (Reprint / Preview)
Baby-sitters Little Sister: Karen's Haircut(opens in a new tab) (Preview)
I Am Stan(opens in a new tab) (Preview)
Kotto Kotorra(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Mech Cadets(opens in a new tab) (Reprint)
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle for Pumpkin King(opens in a new tab) (Preview)
The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Comics(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Punch Up!(opens in a new tab) (Preview)
The Smurfs(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Spidey and his Amazing Friends(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Sweet Valley Twins: Teacher's Pet(opens in a new tab) (Preview)
Teen (or Teen+)
Animal Castle(opens in a new tab) (Reprint / Preview)
Crimebuster(opens in a new tab) (Original)
The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers(opens in a new tab) (Preview)
Shaman King: Flowers(opens in a new tab) (Preview)
Marvel Voices(opens in a new tab) (Reprint / Original)
Runescape: Untold Tales of the God Wars(opens in a new tab) (Original)
The Sacrificers(opens in a new tab) (Preview)
Shadowman: Darque Legacy(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Street Fighter 6(opens in a new tab) (Original)
Tom Holland's Fright Night(opens in a new tab) (Reprint / Preview)
Mature
FrazettaVerse(opens in a new tab) (Original)
West of Sundown(opens in a new tab) (Reprint)
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DC Comics
DC Comics' distributor doesn't split their Free Comic Book Day releases into the Gold or Silver categories, but that doesn't mean they're spending this Saturday on the sidelines. The blue logos on all of DC's free comics indicate that they're rated for teens, though we suspect a couple might be mislabeled.
Teen (or Teen+)
Dawn of DC: Knight Terrors
Clark & Lex / Fann Club: Batman Squad
Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story
