What is Free Comic Book Day? Get free Spider-Man, Doctor Who, Star Wars and more

Before Record Store Day, before Independent Bookstore Day, there was Free Comic Book Day.

This Saturday, Christmas comes early for comic book and superhero fans with the 23rd annual Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), when participating comic book stores hand out free stuff to bring new readers in, bring old readers back, thank current readers for their support, and remind readers of all ages how much fun comics are.

You can walk in and pick what you like from the 44 available free comics. Like Spider-Man? Want to see a 15th Doctor adventure from Doctor Who a week before the show comes back? Can they interest you in a free X-Men, Hellboy, Maleficent, Pokemon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Phoebe and Her Unicorn or Archie comic? Grab one! And then look around and see what else the shop has to offer.

This year the day coincides with May 4th (or "May the 4th") Star Wars Day, so expect plenty of Jedi and Sith interaction. There are also two free "Star Wars" comics available.

What is Free Comic Book Day?

On FCBD, comics companies provide special editions at cost to retailers, who hand them out. FCBD titles can be reprints of popular comics or all-new, exclusive material.

Most stores use the opportunity to go all out and hold raffles, bring in local comic book writers and artists, put other stuff on sale, provide food, have costume and trivia contests and much more. For some comic shops, Free Comic Book Day is an event.

Indie comic creator and Eisner Award winner Terry Moore, of "Strangers in Paradise," "Echo," "Motor Girl" and "Serial," is providing the artwork for the official FCBD 2024 T-shirt, posters and stickers.

You can also pick up an FCBD collectible, a limited edition Gambit Funko Pop figure in a display case commemorating his appearance in  1991's "X-Men" No. 1. Only 12,500 will be available. It's not free, though. Suggested retail is $29.99.

FCBD was first organized by Diamond Comic Distributorm based on a suggestion by then-industry columnist Joe Field. The first one launched on May 4, 2002, to take advantage of the premiere of the first "Spider-Man" movie starring Tobey Maguire, and it was wildly successful. Since then, FCBD has grown to become an eagerly anticipated fan and industry holiday.

When is Free Comic Book Day 2024?

FCBD is held on the first Saturday in May. This year's Free Comic Book Day will be on Saturday, May 4, 2024.

If you're a Star Wars fan, may the Fourth be with you.

Are the comics really free? How many can I get?

Yes, but don't start grabbing any comics off the racks. Comics companies create special editions of selected books for FCBD, usually chosen to get you interested in reading more. Some shops may limit how many each patron can take, others may limit how many of each type (see the breakdown below).

Of course, the stores hope you'll like what you see while you're there and pick up a few more things, maybe start a pull list for weekly comics or come back for one of the gaming nights.

How do I find stores participating in Free Comic Book Day?

Check with your local comics store or bookstore. Even some libraries participate. Not every location will offer FCBD books, but the FCBD site has a shop locator you can use.

What is the Free Comic Book Day 2024 list?

There are 44 books available, according to the latest list at freecomicbookday.com/catalog. They include 11 "Gold Sponsor" titles, which tend to be the "hot" ones that fans will be showing up early to get, and 33 "Silver Sponsor" titles. Every participating shop will have these, at least till they run out.

GOLD SPONSOR

• "Absolute Power FCBD Special Edition," DC

• "Blood Hunt/X-Men," Marvel Comics

• "Disney's Encanto & Turning Red: The New Adventures," Papercutz

• "Hellboy/Stranger Things," Dark Horse Comics

• "Jonny Quest," Dynamite Entertainment

• "Phoebe and Her Unicorn: Unicorn Crush," Andrews McMeel Publishing

• "Pokemon Adventures: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire," VIZ Media

• "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," IDW Publishing

• "Transformers & G.I. Joe: Welcome to the Energon Universe," Image Comics/ Skybound

• "The Worlds of James Tynion IV," BOOM! Studios

• "Ultimate Universe/Spider-Man," Marvel Comics

• "Witches of Brooklyn," Random House Graphix

SILVER SPONSOR

• "Archie Horror Presents: The Cursed Library Prelude," Archie Comics

• "Asterix Olympics Special," Papercutz

• "Boom Box 10th Anniversary Extravaganza," BOOM! Studios

• "Conan: Battle of the Black Stone," Titan Comics

• "CursedVerse Blighted Dawn #1," American Mythology Productions

• "Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor," Titan Comics

• "Dying Inside," Vault Comics

• "Eye Lie Popeye #1," Massive Publishing

• "Far Cry: Cull the Herd #1," TOKYOPOP

• "Flash Gordon #1," Mad Cave Studios

• "Gannibal," ABLAZE

• "Gatchaman #0," Mad Cave Studios

• "Initial D/Kaina of Great Snow," Kodansha Comics

• "Investigators: Class Action Sneak Peek," First Second Books

• "Katie the Catsitter-Max Meow Mashup #1," Random House Graphix

• "Loud House Special," Papercutz

• "Maleficent #1," Dynamite Entertainment

• "Marvel & Fantagraphics Present Atlas Comics," Fantagraphics Books

• "Marvels Voices #1," Marvel Comics

• "Monster High," IDW Publishing

• "Night Librarian," Penguin Young Readers

• "One Piece: Ace's Story/Status Royale," VIZ Media

• "The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Comics," Gemstone Publishing

• "Romeo vs. Juliet: A Kill Shakespeare Adventure," Gemstone Publishing

• "Snoopy: Beagle Scout Adventures," Andrews McMeel Publishing

• "Spidey and His Amazing Friends #1," Marvel Comics

• "Star Wars #1," Marvel

• "Star Wars/Plants vs. Zombies," Dark Horse Comics

• "Street Fighter vs. Final Fight #1," UDON Entertainment

• "The Valients," Alien Books

• "Tons of Strange," Ten Ton Press

• "Ultraduck Sampler," Arcana Comics

• "Unico Awakening," Graphix

Shops can choose how many Silver-level books to order so every location may not have every book.

“Every year, we strive to bring fans a memorable Free Comic Book Day experience, and we know comic book retailers are looking forward to treating everyone to a day of fun and discovery, so we hope fans will visit their local comic shops to celebrate,” said Ashton Greenwood, Free Comic Book Day spokesperson. “The variety of this year’s comic book selection is really exciting! There’s something for every kind of fan, from the long-time reader to the comic book curious.”

For a little more guidance, check the FCBD logos on the top of each comic book cover. Green is all-ages, blue is suggested for teens 13 and up, and red logos are mature-audience books for 18 and over only.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Free Comic Book Day: Are the comics free? How many can I get?