Free Comic Book Day 2016 Roundup

Every year comic shops around the world stock up and prepare for Free Comic Book Day, and 2016 will be no different. Stores will have special guests, fantastic sales, and of course, free comics.

Before you set out towards your favorite comic shop of choice, we figured you would want to go in prepared, so here’s a guide to make sure maximize your day.

Not everybody has a go-to place for their comic needs, so if you find yourself needing some help with locating a participating comic shop, just head here to pull up the nearest location. Even if it is your first FCBD, don’t worry, comic fans don’t bite, and if they do you just call the cops and report them because that’s crazy rude.

Once you find your location, you’ll want to plan on heading in a little early, at least 45 minutes before the shop opens. Most don’t run out of free books till much later in the day, so this tip is mostly in regards to the back issue bins that shops have set up. The longer you wait, the less will be available. Only important if you’re looking for that oh so valuable first appearance of Cardiac, which is extremely valuable, just not in any type of currency that you can quantify.

As for the free swag, there’s a lot to choose from this year, all of which I’ve included in the gallery to peruse at your leisure, along with some previews of a few of the titles. The highlights include Archie #1, BOOM! Studios Summer Blast (including the fan favorite Lumberjanes), Avengers #1 (Civil War II lead-in), Dark Horse’s Serenity/Hellboy/Aliens, DC Super Hero Girls, Pokemon Perfect Square, and many others.

Half the fun of FCBD is getting to hang out in line with fellow fans who love to support the hobby, but it’s also a great chance to meet some of the creative talents behind the books. Creators like Joshua Fialkov (The Comic Bug), Eric Powell (Ricks Comic City), Paulina Ganucheau (Big Planet Comics of College Park), and Skottie Young (Day Dreams Comics) will be making appearances at comic shops around the country, so make sure to stop on by and meet them if you can.

Last but not least, when you’re picking out your free issues, make sure to grab a few someone else might like as well. Everyone loves free stuff, sure, but if they actually get bored enough to read it, you might have just introduced a new fan to this amazing hobby.

Hit the gallery for all the available books, and most of all enjoy yourself!