Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is the biggest event in the comic book industry—a single day 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! Founded on the belief that for every person out there, there’s a comic book they’ll love, the annual event offers a huge selection of free titles designed to appeal to a broad range of age levels and their tastes.
Comic books allow you travel to places you could only imagine in your wildest dreams! In the pages of a comic book, unparalleled adventure awaits you and each world comes with its own set of challenges and experiences. You’ll be tasked with fighting for justice, discovering the unknown, navigating drama, working as part of a team, and so much more. You’ll experience triumph and loss, truth and deceit, love and hate. But all these challenges are what make these worlds unique and exciting and, above all, worth exploring!
Every year, usually on the first Saturday in May but this year on Saturday August 14 due to Covid, the industry comes together to give away free comics and encourage both curious, first-time comic book readers and seasoned comic book fans to flock to the best place in the comic book community: local comic shops. Each one is unique in its community, with a style and personality all its own, and each one carries a full line of comics, graphic novels, toys and related products. Local comic shops are the hubs of our community, where fans can come together to discover new comics, make lifelong friends, and find a sense of commonality.
Major publishers such as DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, and Image Comics, along with a slew of independent publishers, put out free comics for fans to enjoy at the more than 2,300 local comic shops that participate in Free Comic Book Day. The diverse range of titles available each year proves that there’s truly a book for everyone: from superheroes, to popular film and television shows, to beloved video games, and all-ages tales. Popular series available in the past include Pokemon, Doctor Who, SpongeBob, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Riverdale, Overwatch and Star Wars.
A committee of comic shop retailers chose fifty titles to be available on Free Comic Book Day in 2021: twelve Gold Sponsor comics and thirty-eight Silver Sponsor comics that give fans a great opportunity to discover new titles and genres. This year’s selection of Silver Sponsor comics includes beloved franchises such as Avatar: The Last Airbender, Sonic The Hedgehog, Star Wars, Gloomhaven, The Smurfs, and more.
“Every year, we strive to bring fans a memorable Free Comic Book Day experience, and with this year being our 20th anniversary, we hope it will be the best yet!” 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. We know comic book retailers are looking forward to treating everyone to a day of fun and discovery, so we hope fans will be able to safely visit their comic shops to celebrate!”
A complete listing of all fifty FCBD titles, including the twelve Gold Sponsor and thirty-eight Silver Sponsor comic books, can be viewed online at https://www.freecomicbookday.com/.
The following local comic book stores are participating in Free Comic Book Day:
Command D
172 Merrimack Ave
Dracut MA
978-934-9383
Legends Comix and Games
23 Stevens St
Littleton MA
978-897-0639
