FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2018 GUIDE

Free Comic Book Day is this weekend! The first Saturday in May is when you can pick up FREE comic books. It’s the industry’s way of saying thank you to longtime fans and the “brick and mortar” neighborhood stores plus welcome new readers.

Avengers FCBD 2018 courtesy Marvel and Free Comic Book Day

If you’re one of millions at “Avengers: Infinity War” and want more, Marvel even has a FCBD issue starring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. FCBD is a perfect opportunity to see the stories behind the biggest movies and television shows. Entire families pack up, some even dress up in costume, to pick up their freebies There’s even free books starring your favorite video game, television show and toy characters on this geek holiday.

Here’s what you need to know before you go:

You can find participating stores on the FCBD site by entering your zip code.

Different shops have different rules. For example, some stores may have a limit on the freebies. You can always call ahead or check via a store’s social media.

Cosplay is always welcome. You may even see a Spider-Man or other fan-favorites in the shop.

You may even get to meet a comic book writer or artists signing books for FCBD. Seattle’s Phoenix Comics and Games on Capitol Hill will host G. Willow Wilson, creator of Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel; Zack Davisson, writer of Wayward and Lonnie Mann, creator of Thoughts From Iceland.

Just because they’re free doesn’t mean they’re just extra unsold copies! Major publishers feature their biggest heroes in brand new stories. Even if you’re not a fan of costumed crusaders you can find comics starring The Simpsons, Riverdale, Doctor Who, Star Wars, James Bond, The Nightmare Before Christmas and more.

The FCBD Selection Committee chose 50 titles overall–12 Gold Sponsor comics and 38 Silver Sponsor comics–to give fans a big variety of stories choose from and discover new genres and publishers. These titles are curated by over twenty comic shop retailers who make up the FCBD Selection Committee.

Here are the twelve Gold Sponsor title with official descriptions:

RIVERDALE

Archie Comics (Writer) Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa & Various (Artists) Joe Eisma (CA) Photo

Set in the same universe as the hit CW series, this issue gives us a peek into all the secrets Pop Tate overhears in his day-to-day business, told through four vignettes in four different booths! Features reprint material.

MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS SPECIAL
BOOM! Studios (W) Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott (A) Diego Galindo (CA) Jamal Campbell

Featuring an all-new, original Power Rangers story exclusive to this Free Comic Book Day issue that ties into the “Power Rangers: Shattered Grid” storyline in the pages of BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers comic series! Zordon turns to the Morphin Masters for help in the Power Rangers’ darkest hour as they battle Lord Drakkon — an evil version of Tommy, the Green Ranger, from an alternate reality — as he threatens every Ranger in all of existence.

OVERWATCH/BLACK HAMMER

Dark Horse (W) Andrew Robinson & Various (A) Kate Niemczyk, Wilfredo Torres (CA) Kate Niemczyk

Two different worlds, two compelling tales! In Overwatch, agent Zarya is sent to eliminate an elusive hacker, and she is at her wit’s end. She reluctantly teams up — and butts heads — with an omnic hacker. As they hone in on their target, Zarya realizes that she will have to reassess her worldview about omnics. Then, in the world of Black Hammer, but a thousand years in the future, a collection of teenage superheroes, inspired by the legendary heroes of Black Hammer Farm, are determined to solve the riddle of what happened to those last great heroes of the twentieth century.

TOP SECRET GOLD BOOK

DC Entertainment (No official word on the content or creative team but watch for this title to tie-in or be a preview of DC’s big 2018 events – possibly the DC New Age of Heroes books.)

COMICS FRIENDS FOREVER
:01 First Second (A) Vera Brosgol & Various (CA) Vera Brosgol
Comics friends forever! First Second presents an amazing Free Comic Book Day anthology that celebrates kids comics, girl power, and the amazing work of creators Vera Brosgol, Hope Larson, Charise Mericle Harper, Ben Hatke, and Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham. Don’t miss out on this comic filled with the power of friendship that’s great for every kid reader in your store. Features reprint material.

TRANSFORMERS: UNICRON: THE DARKEST HOUR #0
IDW Publishing (W) John Barber (A) Alex Milne (CA) Sara Pitre-Durocher

Not a whimper, nor a bang-the end comes with a squall of entropy shrieking from the ravenous maw of death itself. The message is clear: Unicron has arrived. The Transformers lock into a desperate bid to save Rom’s homeworld from the world-killer — but why has Unicron chosen this world on his path to Cybertron… and Earth? The biggest story in the history of Transformers starts now: for Unicron’s arrival can mean nothing less than the end of a universe.

BARRIER #1
Image Comics (W) Brian K. Vaughan (A/CA) Marcos Martin

From the Eisner Award-winning team behind The Private Eye, Barrier is an acclaimed five-part miniseries that finally comes to print exclusively from Image Comics. This massive, 53-page first issue will be available for free on Free Comic Book Day, with the next four issues being released weekly throughout the rest of May! Printed in its original “landscape” format (side-stapled for convenient shelving!), there are no plans for these print issues to ever be collected, so the only way to own your own copies of this groundbreaking story is by supporting your friendly neighborhood comic shop!

DISNEY PRINCESS: ARIEL SPOTLIGHT
Joe Books (W) Paul Benjamin & Various (A) Amy Mebberson & Various (CA) Amy Mebberson

The FCBD edition of Joe Books’s best-selling Disney Princess comic puts the spotlight on Ariel for the very first time! Collecting both new and fan-favorite strips, this exclusive comic book will contain giggles aplenty as everyone’s favorite mermaid seeks out sunken treasure, tries to figure out human gadgets and gizmos, and embarks on new adventures with Flounder and Sebastian. Featuring FCBD exclusive cover artwork drawn by Disney Princess artist Amy Mebberson. Features reprint material.

MARVEL AVENGERS/CAPTAIN AMERICA
Marvel Comics (No creative revealed yet)
Don’t miss this year’s Free Comic Book Day titles from Marvel, each featuring two 10-page stories that set the stage for upcoming game-changers in the Marvel Universe. Get ready as Heroes Assemble in the Marvel Universe!

INVADER ZIM: FLOOPSY BLOOPS SHMOOPSY
Oni Press (W) Jhonen Vasquez (A) Warren Wucinich, Fred Stresing (CA) Aaron Alexovich

Remember that funny green alien you used to watch on TV? No, not that one. No, no, the other green alien. Okay, it’s ZIM, alright? Invader ZIM! Well, ZIM sometimes watches TV too! And sometimes it’s bad TV. Very, very bad TV. So now, you can watch ZIM watching a very bad show called Floopsy Bloops Shmoopsy! All 385 seasons! 24/7! Never stopping! Features reprint material, Invader Zim #20.

DOCTOR WHO #0
Titan Comics
Don’t miss out on our colossal plans for 2018 – Everything begins in this amazing #0 issue! Featuring the first chapter in the new Tenth and Eleventh Doctor sagas, by new creative teams too electrifying to spoil here – plus tantalizing glimpses from across the Doctor Who comics universe, including your first look at the Thirteenth Doctor in comics!

POKÉMON: SUN AND MOON / POKÉMON: HORIZON
Viz Media (W) Tenya Yabuno, Hidenori Kusaka (A/CA) Satoshi Yamamoto

Pokémon Horizon: Akira’s summer vacation in the Alola region heats up when he befriends a Rockruff with a mysterious gemstone. Together, Akira hopes they can achieve his dream of becoming a Pokémon Trainer and learning the amazing Z-move. But first, Akira needs to pass a test to earn a Trainer Passport. This becomes even more difficult when Rockruff gets kidnapped! Pokémon Sun & Moon: Sun dreams of money. Moon dreams of scientific discoveries. When their paths cross with Team Skull, both their plans go awry! Features reprint material.

Those are the 12 Gold Sponsor Titles of FCBD 2018. There will be 50 free comics total – here’s the list of 38 Silver Titles:

Free is great but buying comics, collectibles and more geek goodies at your participating comic book shops is most welcome. Without the comics we wouldn’t have the blockbuster movies so be a hero and support your friendly neighborhood store.

By Editor

COMICS BLEND

Escape. Engage. Enjoy.