The first Saturday of May is about to be upon us and that means just one thing: it’s Free Comic Book Day. Since its inception 24 years ago, Free Comic Book Day has been one of the most fun days of the year for comic book fans, sending folks into their local comic shops for, as the name implies, free comic books. It’s a good time for longtime comics fans and a great opportunity for new readers to become fans. This year’s event will look just a little different thanks to some industry changes, but there will still be plenty of free books to be had—and we’ve come up with a handy list of everything available!
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This year’s Free Comic Book Day is set to be unlike any other because it’s not just Free Comic Book Day. May 2nd is also the first-ever Comics Giveaway Day which is, in the most basic terms, the same event just with different distributors. You see, FCBD was previously the domain of Diamond Comic Distributors. However, when they declared bankruptcy, the rights to FCBD were sold to Universal Distribution in 2025. That prompted competitor, Penguin Random House, to come up with Comics Giveaway Day. It might be a little confusing but the end result is the same: free comics for all on the first Saturday in May. The only real challenge is figuring out what pick up on Saturday, so read on to see what all is available but please note—not every store will carry every issue.
On May 2nd, these are the books that your local store might just have available—and it’s a stacked list this year that encompasses a lot of genres, a lot of publishers, and frankly some great books overall.
Alien, Predator & Planet of the Apes #1 (Marvel Comics) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Amazing Spider-Man #1000 / Queen in Black #1 (Marvel Comics) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Armageddon / X-Men #1 (Marvel Comics) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Aquamanatee #1 Special Edition (DC Comics) (Free Comic Book Day)
Avatar: The Last Airbender – Legends / Minecraft: Heart of Cobblestone (Dark Horse Comics) (Comics Giveaway Day)
AWA Sneak Preview (AWA Studios) (Free Comic Book Day)
Blue Lock Full Color Selection & Dragon Circus (Kodansha Comics) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Conan the Barbarian: Tides of the Tyrant King #0 (Titan Comics) (Free Comic Book Day)
DC x Sonic #1 Special Edition (DC Comics) (Free Comic Book Day)
Disney Manga: Stitch! Best Food Forever! (Tokyopop) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Dungeon Crawler Carl #0 (Vault Comics)
Energon Universe 2026 Special (Image Comics/Skybound Entertainment) (Free Comic Book Day)
Flash Gordon #1 (Mad Cave Studios) (Free Comic Book Day)
Future Is ****** Annual 2026 #1 (REKCAH Comics)
Garfield (BOOM! Studios/Kaboom!) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Greatest American Hero (AMP Comics) (Free Comic Book Day)
Gunhoney Doubles Down #0 (Titan Comics) (Free Comic Book Day)
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe / Dungeons & Dragons (Dark Horse Comics) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Jem and the Holograms / My Little Pony Flipbook (BOOM! Studios/Kaboom!/BOOM! Box) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Journey Into The West (UDON Entertainment/Manga Classics) (Free Comic Book Day)
Keenspot Spotlight 2026 (Keenspot) (Free Comic Book Day)
Keenspot Toybox 2026 (Keenspot) (Free Comic Book Day)
Locke & Key #1 (IDW Publishing)
Mega Man Showdown Special #1 (UDON Entertainment) (Free Comic Book Day)
Mind Mgmt / Fort Psycho Special (Oni Press) (Free Comic Book Day)
Mister Magic: The Graphic Novel Sampler (Ten Speed Graphic) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Minotaur The Cold Open (Ignition Press) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Inanna The Name She Lost #0 (Vault Comics)
Pizza and Taco (Random House Childrens Books) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Power Rangers #0 (BOOM! Studios) (Comics Giveaway Day)
School Bus Graveyard (Random House Childrens Books) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Something Is Killing the Children: Road to Slaughter (BOOM! Studios) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Sonic the Hedgehog #1 (IDW Publishing) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Spidey & His Amazing Friends #1 (Marvel Comics) (Comics Giveaway Day)
Stitch #1 (Dynamite Entertainment) (Free Comic Book Day)
Street Fighter Forever #0 (UDON Entertainment) (Free Comic Book Day)
Supernatural #1 (Dynamite Entertainment) (Free Comic Book Day)
Terrorbytes #1 (Mad Cave Studios) (Free Comic Book Day)
The British Are Coming: The Graphic Edition, Volume 1 (Ten Speed Graphic) (Comics Giveaway Day)
The Cimmerian: The Pool of the Black One (Ablaze) (Free Comic Book Day)
The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade: The Graphic Novel Sampler (Penguin Young Readers) (Comics Giveaway Day)
The Nice House on the Lake #1 (DC Comics) (Free Comic Book Day)
The Whole Wide World of Mabel Mulligan: A Graphic Novel Sampler (Penguin Young Readers) (Comics Giveaway Day)
WEBTOON Unscrolled Preview (Wattpad Webtoon Studios) (Comics Giveaway Day)
World of Archie One-Shot (Archie Comics) (Free Comic Book Day)
What Else Do You Need to Know About Free Comic Book Day/Comics Giveaway Day?
Now that you have the list and can start planning your haul, there are a couple of things you will want to keep in mind to have the most fun with the comic book lover’s holiday. First up is to be mindful of limits. Each shop is able to set their own limits for how many free comics you can take. Some shops don’t limit customers, allowing them to take one of everything, while others will limit customers to a few issues of the freebies. The comics are free for customers, not for shops, so be mindful of this.
Second, if there is a free comic you particularly want, it might be worth it to go to your local shop early as free copies frequently go fast. One of the hot issues this year is Dungeon Crawler Carl #0 from Vault Comics. Given the popularity of Dungeon Crawler Carl, that one will probably move fast. Third, one of the best parts of FCBD/Comics Giveaway Day is discovering other great books while you’re in the shop. Many comic shops offer specials and sales for the event so it’s a great time to purchase something new or even pick up fresh copies of a favorite. After all, supporting your local comic shop is always a good idea.
What are you hoping to snag for Free Comic Book Day/Comics Giveaway Day? Let us know and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
