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Free Comic Book Day 2023
Every year, Free Comic Book Day falls on the first Saturday of May (with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19). This is an event that many call the “Black Friday” event for all local comic shops as this is the day of the year when they get a lot of customer traffic coming into their stores.
This year, Free Comic Book Day will take place on Saturday, May 6th.
What Is Free Comic Book Day?
Free Comic Book Day is an event where many publishers in the comic book industry (such as Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, Boom! Studios, IDW Publishing, and more) creates a special issue(s) for local comic shops to offer to customers for free. Starting locally in 2002, the event has since grown to be a nationwide event (and even internationally!). Comic shops do a lot to celebrate this day, ranging from offering special deals and discounts to encouraging and inviting cosplayers to attend, and even hosting comics creators in their stores (this is something that my local comic shop, Comic Book University, has been doing for years!).
Here is a YouTube video below that explains more about what the day is about.
So if this is your first time attending Free Comic Book Day, or you just want a refresher on the event, or if you simply want to share this with someone you know, here are three tips for you about Free Comic Book Day. (Video AND text below)
Tip #1: There Are SO MANY Free Comics This Year! (And There Is Something For Everyone)
This year, Free Comic Book Day will have almost 50 unique titles that you can pick up (yes, for free!) at your local comic shop. They include the most popular characters such as Batman, Superman, Avengers, Spider-Man, and so on. They’ll also include popular properties such as Dog Man, Nightmare Before Christmas, Animal Crossing, Star Wars, Star Trek.. the list goes on. No matter what your interests are, there is a comic book for everyone! Check out the complete list of comics that are part of Free Comic Book Day, courtesy of League of Comic Geeks.
IMPORTANT NOTE: As mentioned earlier, one of the reasons Free Comic Book Day exists is to help support local comic shops. So if you visit your shop to pick up a free comic, please consider purchasing something from their store. Although the comic is free to you, store owners had to pay to get those free issues. So please support them by purchasing something from their store. (Special thank you to Johnny Lovely for pointing that out on my IG Reel of this video)
Tip #2: The Colored Labels MEANS Something!
As you are picking up your free comics at your local comic ship, you’ll notice that each issue will have the phrase “Free Comic Book Day” at the top of it on top of a green, blue, or red bar. These are not there just to make the text look good, but to communicate to you the target audience for that issue (think of it as a rating system for comics). Here’s the breakdown of each color and its rating:
- Green – appropriate for all ages
- Blue – appropriate for teenagers and older
- Red – appropriate for mature audiences (18 or older)
So if you take your young ones with you to Free Comic Book Day, make sure they are selecting comics that are appropriate for them by using the color label system on the issue.
Tip #3: Find A Participating Comic Shop (Or Library Or Bookstore) Near You!
If you’ve never been to a comic shop in your area or don’t know where the closest one is to you, Free Comic Book Day has you covered. They have a website where you can type in your zip code and it will provide a list of local comic shops in your area. Keep in mind that not all comic shops will participate in the event, so make sure to call ahead of time and confirm that they will be giving out free comics on Free Comic Book Day.
Also, local comic shops are not the only places that may be celebrating Free Comic Book Day. Many bookstores, libraries, and community centers are known for hosting a Free Comic Book Day event, so reach out to one near you to see if they are participating in the event this year.
