Tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day!
For those of you who have never heard of it (and for some reason are reading a site called “Forces of Geek”), Free Comic Book Day is an annual event on the first Saturday in May when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops!
This year there are fifty titles available, which means there’s pretty much something for everyone. Whether you’re a weekly customer or just simply curious about the medium, take some time tomorrow and visit a participating store and check out the free books (and by all means buy something, these books aren’t free for retailers and could use your support)! If you don’t believe me, listen to Luke Skywalker…
It can be a bit overwhelming, so I’ve narrowed things down a bit; these twenty books are worth seeking out.
Avengers #1
Published by Marvel Comics
Featuring previews of The All-New, All-Different Avengers and The Uncanny Inhumans. Writers Mark Waid and Charles Soule and artists Mahmud Asrar and Brandon Peterson provide the perfect tease of upcoming Marvel titles and a wonderful entry point for post-Age of Ultron audiences.
Bob’s Burgers
Published by Dynamite Entertainment
Bob’s Burgers, the hit TV show created by Loren Bouchard, is now a comic book! The Belcher family – parents Bob and Linda, and their children Tina, Gene, and Louise – appear in this special Free Comic Book Day edition that collects the “Best Of” in-canon stories from Dynamite’s first-ever Bob’s Burgers comic book series. Thrill to Tina’s Friend Fiction, Louise’s Unsolved Mysteries and Curious Curiosities, Gene Belcher Presents: The Musical, and more! It’s an all-ages extravaganza that captures the feel of Bob’s Burgers perfectly – because it’s a comic 100% created by show writers and animators!
Bongo Comics Free-For-All
Published by Bongo Comics
Get in line for the foremost Free Comic Book Day four-color giveaway of the year! When Bart brings one of Professor Frink’s recent discoveries to school, it leads to some hair-raising hilarity Then, Lisa finds a doorway to an ancient past, CBG gets a hip -new girlfriend, and Homer tries his hand at some home improvement. And much more.
BOOM! Studios 10th Anniversary FCBD Special
Published by BOOM! Studios
2015 is BOOM! Studios’ Tenth Anniversary year, and to help us celebrate we’ve gathered short stories from several current and new all-ages titles for Free Comic Book Day, offering an oversized, full-color issue that showcases 10 all-ages-friendly titles from our Archaia, BOOM! Box, and KaBOOM! imprints. The BOOM! Studios Ten Year Celebration 2015 Free Comic Book Day Special features a cover illustrated by Mouse Guard creator David Petersen and will contain the following stories:
- Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: An all-new short based on Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. The Wiseman and his bird try to find some humor in the magical world of Labyrinth.
- Iscariot: Young Carson discusses magic and time with a wizard in this special preview of the upcoming Archaia original graphic novel written and illustrated by Iron: Or, the War After creator S.M. Vidaurri.
- Mouse Guard: An excerpt from Mouse Guard: Baldwin the Brave and Other Tales. Gwendolyn learns about her mother Alma and the great warrior hall of Seyan.
- Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake: Card Wards: A brand-new Fionna & Cake short from writer Jen Wang (In Real Life) and Britt Wilson (Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake)! Fionna and Cake are on the search for an opponent for Cake to play against in Card Wars.
- Regular Show: Based on the hit Cartoon Network animated series, Eileen and Margaret make Muscle Man his special drink.
- Peanuts: Snoopy looks to finally become the World’s Greatest Author, but Lucy’s help may not be the helpful push he needs.
- Garfield: Nothing can keep Garfield from a good meal, even if it means having to beat the fastest cat to get it.
- Lumberjanes: When the Lumberjanes aren’t taking care of pesky critters or crazy demigods, they’re making fun crafts like friendship bracelets. Friendship to the max!
- Munchkin: Fight the monsters, steal the treasure, and backstab your buddy! A wandering monster table appears in this short from the illustrator of the hit card game Munchkin, John Kovalic.
- Help Us! Great Warrior: Based on the hit webcomic and new miniseries from Madeleine Flores. Great Warrior gets attacked on the road!
Comics Festival
Published by: Comics Festival
It’s a Comics Festival! Continuing the tradition of featuring all-new short stories by some of the greatest comics creators in Canada! A wonderful showcase for existing and forthcoming comics & graphic novels!
Here’s who’s inside:
- Cover by Isabelle Arsenault (Jane, The Fox, and Me).
- Back Cover by Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy, Teen Boat)
Plus:
- Lady’s Favor, by Kate Beaton (Hark, A Vagrant)
- The Boss, by Mariko Tamaki (Skim, This One Summer) and Gillian Goerz (Jerkface A-Hole)
- In Real Life: Con Game, by Cory Doctorow (Little Brother) and Jen Wang (Koko Be Good).
- Once Upon a Pony, by Svetlana Chmakova (Nightschool)
- Superhero Girl: The Death of Kevin, by Faith Erin Hicks (Friends with Boys)
- Costume Quest, by Zac Gorman (Magical Game Time)
Dark Circle Comics #1
Published by: Dark Circle Comics
THE BLACK HOOD! THE FOX! THE SHIELD! Get in on the ground floor of Dark Circle Comics and experience the cinematic and creator-driven reinventions of these iconic properties. Who is the new Shield? How did the Black Hood come to be? Can things get more unpredictable for The Fox? Learn the secrets of the Dark Circle universe from the creators themselves via sneak peeks at the new series, creator interviews and a first glance at the next Dark Circle series – all held together by an eye-popping cover from Afterlife with Archie artist Francesco Francavilla!
Dark Horse Fight Club/The Goon/The Strain
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comic’s most thrilling FCBD to date . . . Chuck Palahniuk and Cameron Stewart premiere Fight Club! Eric Powell with all-new tragedy in The Goon! And Guillermo del Toro presents an all-new chapter from The Strain! Need we say more?
DC Comics: Divergence
Published by DC Comics
A first look at upcoming storylines! DC Comics: Divergence features three 8-page previews for the June releases of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman, as well as Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok’s launch of the “Darkseid War” within Justice League featuring the biggest villains in the DCU – Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor, and Gene Luen Yang’s DC Comics debut with celebrated artist John Romita, Jr on Superman.
Doctor Who Special
Published by Titan Comics
Take a blistering trip through time and space with three stunning ALL-NEW short stories featuring Tenth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor and the brand-new Twelfth Doctor by the ongoing Doctor Who creative teams – PLUS a sneak peek of the TOP SECRET Summer 2015 event! Be the first to get a hint of the epic that will shake the Doctor to his core! It’s an unmissable read for fans, and the perfect primer for anyone looking to jump on board the TARDIS!
Hip Hop Family Tree 3-in-1 Featuring Cosplayers
Published by: Fantagraphics Books
Featuring Ed Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree series and Dash Shaw’s Cosplayers! Piskor’s half features excerpts from all three existing HHFT volumes, plus the Rob Liefeld/Spike Lee commercial adaptation and exclusive pinups by R Crumb, Scottie Young, Jim Rugg, Ben Marra, and more…! Shaw’s side delivers an all-new, 24-page issue of his thoughtful and funny exploration of human endeavor and social interaction as seen through the lives of two cosplayers. Enjoy the works of two of the great contemporary graphic novelists of their generation! With exclusive wraparound cover by Piskor.
Mercury Heat Debut
Published by: Avatar Press
Kieron Gillen blasts into Free Comic Book Day with an exclusive preview introduction to his all-new sci-fi series, Mercury Heat! Over the last few years, Gillen’s work has gained a massive following from titles like Uber, The Wicked and the Divine, and Iron Man. Now Gillen takes you to Mercury, a slow turning planet where you can outrun the sunrise. Along with the blistering heat it brings. This is the new frontier of space, where humanity’s insatiable need for energy is being fueled by Mercury. It’s a tough environment and it attracts a rough crowd. So Luiza is bringing her own heat as a cop on Mercury, since she’s just a bit too intense to be one on Earth. This special issue features the first chapter of this ongoing saga, a special introduction to the World of Mercury Heat, and a look at the ships, designs, and making of this epic. The future is here with this primer and first chapter of 2015’s biggest sci-fi title!
The Motorcycle Samurai
Published by: Top Shelf
Look hard into the storm clouds. You may yet see her, mounted on her electric steed, streaking past. The last hero of the West… The Motorcycle Samurai! It’s been called “the new benchmark for indie digital comics.” Now discover the mad genius of The Motorcycle Samurai for yourself, as Chris Sheridan does the unthinkable: brings his creation to print! Top Shelf celebrates FREE COMIC BOOK DAY with 24 pages of full-color action, whetting appetites around the world for the future release of The Motorcycle Samurai graphic novel. Now saddle up and let’s ride!
Rabbids
Published by: Papercutz
Spinning out of the hit videogame and TV series, the Rabbids are taking over FCBD. Their hilarious antics are sure to entertain fans of all ages!
Savage Dragon: Legacy
Published by Image Comics
The generational saga of Savage Dragon reaches a new milestone as Malcolm Dragon graduates high school and follows his father’s footsteps to the Chicago Police Department. Every young new officer has a lot to live up to, but for the son of a world famous figure as renowned as he is reviled, navigating the world of law enforcement is especially challenging. The cost of failure is high in a city becoming more dangerous by the day: Can Malcolm step out of his father’s shadow and become the hero Chicago needs, or is he doomed to make the same mistakes?
Secret Wars #0
Published by Marvel Comics
Prepare yourself for the final days of the Marvel Universe as you know it as the march to the biggest comic event of the year continues! From the ashes of a decimated cosmos rises…Battleworld! Amid the strange, patchwork realm, refugees from thousands of obliterated universes struggle for survival. Even if they can endure the horrors of Battleworld – the home they knew has been destroyed! Time has run out, and the opening salvo of Secret Wars has been fired. But can anything restore the Marvel Universe that once was?
SpongeBob Freestyle Funnies
Published by: United Plankton Pictures
This year’s SpongeBob Comics FCBD offering features a 22-page story by Boxtrolls director and Grickle cartoonist Graham Annable. In “Tangy!” Plankton’s new special sauce made from jellyfish jelly has strange effects on SpongeBob and Bikini Bottom’s residents. The only one unaffected, the only one who can save them all, is a very reluctant Squidward. Plus more undersea sequential stories by James Kochalka, Maris Wicks, Gregg Schigiel. and other awesome aquatic artists!
Supermutant Magic Academy Step Aside Pops
Published by: Drawn & Quarterly
Drawn & Quarterly celebrates its 25th year in publishing with this special edition all-ages FCBD previewing two of its biggest books for 2015.
Kate Beaton is back with Step Aside, Pops! her 2015 follow-up to her bestselling debut, Hark! A Vagrant, with more irreverent and hilarious comics on history and literature. Sharing the billing is Jillian Tamaki, best known for co-creating Skim and This One Summer – moody and atmospheric award winners. SuperMutant Magic Academy, which Jillian has been serializing online for the past four years, paints a teenaged world filled with just as much ennui and uncertainty, but also with a sharp dose of humor. Drawn & Quarterly’s FCBD showcases two of the best known women in comics today and is ideal for retailers looking to expand and diversify their customer base.
Teen Titans Go / Scooby-Doo Team-Up
Published by: DC Comics
DC Entertainment’s all-ages FCBD special edition has two tales for readers of all ages! The Teen Titans are back in Teen Titans Go! Chapter 10, and Scooby Doo Team Up! #6 features the Super Friends! Readers will want to follow the adventures of the Teen Titans in Teen Titans Go! Volume 1, and Scooby Doo’s adventure with the Super Friends will continue in the forthcoming collected edition of Scooby Doo Team-Up! Super-hero adventures for readers of all ages have never been so much fun!
Terrible Lizard #1
Published by: Oni Press
The touching story of a girl and her T-Rex… with a healthy dose of collateral damage and kaiju fighting on the side! When the scientists of Cosmos Labs punch a hole through spacetime, they pull a ferocious dinosaur into the present. The dinosaur imprints on teenage Jessica, proving to be more mischievous than vicious. But he is not alone, as transdimensional monsters begin attacking our world, and now Jessica and her new friend Wrex have to save the universe! For fans of bad science, dinosaurs, giant monster battles, and friendship, the all-ages friendly and action-packed Terrible Lizard begins here!
TMNT Prelude to Vengeance
Published by: IDW Publishing
The Turtles’ final battle with Shredder begins here! This book will take us inside the minds of key characters in the TMNT universe, revealing the epic moments that have led to the present, as well as setting the stage for the biggest storyline yet with all new material!
