FREE COMIC BOOK DAY will be on Saturday, May 6, 2017. It has become a hugely popular annual event hosted by comic book retailers and publishers to entice new customers to visit brick-and-mortar stores and reward existing ones for their continued patronage. FREE COMIC BOOK DAY provides a variety of selections people can pick up for free to take home with them ranging from specially printed one-shot stories published just for this event to reprints of previously published work that promote a particular character or series. This year there are 50 comic books that can be selected from at participating locations. Note that each comic shop has its own rules for the event so in some circumstances you may only be allowed to take one or two books and in others it is first come, first serve and people can take one of each of them. CLICK HERE to find a participating location near you.
One of the aspects I've appreciated about FREE COMIC BOOK DAY as a father is that they always offer a selection of comics that are appropriate for preschool and elementary school aged children to enjoy. Once again there will be a nice selection of comic books that are appropriate for ALL AGES to read. Here are a few of my favorites that will be available for children at this year's event:
There is no need to fear, Underdog is here! American Mythology is introducing this canine crusader to a new generation with its new Underdog comic book series.
My kids really enjoy the animated television series that follows the adventures of Ladybug and Cat Noir so they're sure to read this Miraculous comic book from Action Lab.
Papercutz is known for producing wonderful comic books and graphic novels meant for kids. They will be introducing a comic book based upon The Loud House, Nickelodeon's hit new animated show!
Time Shifters from Graphix Spotlight is a wacky adventure filled with dinosaurs, robots and trips to parallel dimensions of reality that will absolutely appeal to kids.
My daughter loves her DC Super Hero Girls toys and now they have a comic book! I know she's going to pick this one up during our visit to the comic shop.
My son is really into drawing right now so he's going to be thrilled to grab this COLORFUL MONSTERS sketchbook by cartoonist Elise Gravel filled with illustrations and activity pages.
Dynamite Comics has created a comic book series based upon National Geographic's Animal Jam online video game playground that has a whopping 55 million players worldwide.
My son said the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie is AWESOME so you know he's going to want to get his hand on this comic book from Marvel.
Boom! Studios always puts together a nice compilation that kids are sure to enjoy. A highlight of each year's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY is seeing the Mouse Guard piece that David Petersen includes in it every year.
Take a trip to Springfield to see what shenanigans Bart Simpson is getting into with this year's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY publication from BONGO COMICS.
This event's not just all about kids though! There are always a nice selection of comic books each year that I enjoy picking up for myself that are aimed more for mom and dad aged readers. Here are a few of my favorite picks from this year's selection of free comic books that are more appropriate for adults than children:
THE TICK is one of my all-time favorite cartoons so I'm always delighted to pick up a comic book featuring the character during FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. I have a collection of FCBD THE TICK issues going back quite a few years. I wonder if this year's comic book will reference the new TV show that Amazon is producing? Rated: ALL AGES
If you are a Star Wars fan check out this steam punk version of adventures taking place in a galaxy far far away in STEAM WARS.
The World's Greatest Cartoonists is meant exclusive for adults to read with a Mature rating. It contains all-new, exclusive work from a variety of comic artists that is a must-have for Fantagraphic fans.
The Incal from Humanoids has been called one of the most influential and original comics in sci-fi history. A full 30 pages originally published in Métal Hurlant and created by the artists' artist Mœbius will be available for free on May 6th.
The Ballad of Franklin Bonisteel from Z2 Comics tells the story of a egendary record prodcuer and his misadventures in Los Angeles. Included with the comic book is a digital download code for an original song by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys.
Return to the Mirror Universe with the Next Generation crew in a way you've never seen them before in MIRROR BROKEN, a prequel to IDW Publishing's upcoming Star Trek: The Next Generation miniseries.
This comic is NOT for kids! Gertrude has been stuck in Fairyland for decades when she finally finds a secret passage to get back home. To get through it though she'll need to chop her way through some of Image Comics' favorite characters from Saga, The Walking Dead, Savage Dragon, Spawn, Descender, Black Science, Southern Bastards. Rated: MATURE audiences.
Whovians will be delighted to know that Titan Comics is again publishing a FREE COMIC BOOK DAY issue of DOCTOR WHO!!!
Return to the wondrous world of Pandora with an AVATAR tale from Dark Horse Comics that also includes in the comic book a story featuring the characters from the upcoming AMC television series Briggs Land. Rated: TEEN.
A full listing of all the available publications is on freecomicbookday.com. Which one do you think your kids will enjoy most? How about yourself? Is there an issue you really want to pick up to read on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY?
