One week from today will be Free Comic Book Day again. Like we’ve done in previous years, we grabbed the official list to see what the publishers will make available…but this year’s list feels a bit sparse. Just 24 floppies. We could have sworn previous years offered a lot more. Turns out it’s not our imagination: Marvel Comics is not releasing an FBCD this year. Whaaah??
Marvel usually makes several books available, but this year they’re skipping the whole show. They’re not alone either: Dark Horse, Boom and IDW are also MIA. There are still plenty of participating publishers left (DC is taking advantage of the open real estate by offering FOUR books) but we hope it’s not part of a trend. And no, it can’t be a cost-cutting / inflation thing: it is the comic book shops that pay for the expense of the free books, not the publishers.
Also, as recently as last year, the FBCDs were offered in two tiers: Gold Sponsor, guaranteed to be in every shop, and Silver Sponsor, optional and rarer. There is no mention of this system this time; we assume you’ll be able to find all or most of these anywhere. The cranky shop owner will still only let you take five though.
So what did we see that stands out? Well…you might think the absence of IDW means no Sonic, but he found his way in anyway thanks to a reprint of the crossover between him and the DC Universe. For the kids DC offers Aquamanatee, and for the grown-ups they offer their horror comic The Nice House On The Lake. The first issue of Dynamite’s Stitch is now free, and so is a preview of their new book that brings back the Supernatural brothers.
Image brings the Energon Universe, their hit blending of the Transformers and GI Joe worlds. UDON has Mega Man and Street Fighter books, Vault has the first chapter of their Dungeon Crawler Carl graphic novelization, and Titan has Gun Honey…and though even the mature-rated publishers usually try to keep their covers clean for expected little eyeballs, we’d like to meet the comic shop that’s OK with stocking THIS on display:
Hellloooooooooo Nurse!
Here’s the full list in alphabetical order:
He’s back. The bumbling superhero from the hit ’80s TV show returns to reconnect with his son—who only knows him as the “crazy man in red pajamas.”
Celebrate Archie Comics’ milestone 85th anniversary with this collection of fun, all-ages stories!
SOMETHING MAGICAL IS COMING… during this year’s First Saturday in May event, AWA invites readers into the first glimpse of a bold new graphic novel from Eisner-winning creators.
From Ben Clanton, the beloved creator of Narwhal and Jelly, comes a hilarious and heartfelt new hero for the DC Universe! Meet Marlow the Manatee—he’s sleepy, snacky, and a little… gassy. Definitely not your typical superhero.
It’s the team-up you never saw coming—and will never forget! When the tyrannical Darkseid breaches dimensions in search of ultimate power, his conquest leads straight to the world of Sonic the Hedgehog.
From the bold minds behind DC ALL IN comes DC NEXT LEVEL, a groundbreaking publishing initiative led by comics superstars Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson.
Your Invitation to Horror’s Most Acclaimed Series Starts Here!
Dr. Jumba Jookiba, the scientist responsible for releasing the blue-furred phenomenon known as Stitch onto an unsuspecting galaxy, is in danger of losing his membership in E.G.G.S. — the Evil Genius Group-slash-Syndicate.
THE BROTHERS WINCHESTER RETURN! Get ready to hit the road again with Dean and Sam as they prowl the highways and byways of small-town America in search of demonic wrongdoing to put right!
The biggest year in Energon Universe history is here, with four all-new stories from the worlds of Transformers, G.I. Joe, Void Rivals, and more in this Free Comic Book Day issue.
Spotlighting Keenspot comics for teens and up like MARK SPEARS MONSTERS, TIM SEELEY’S LUCKY, MAID CAFE, SKYCLAD, HOLY BRAWL, GREENHORNS, OTTER SQUAD, KIDS THESE DAYS, and more.
It’s an illustrated toybox jam-packed with all-ages fun in KEENSPOT TOYBOX 2026!
THE BEST-SELLING SCI-FI SPECTACULAR RETURNS IN AN ALL-NEW BLACK & WHITE EDITION! Flash awakes on a secret prison planet somewhere in the galaxy.
RELIVE THE TERROR IN AN ALL-NEW BLACK & WHITE EDITION!
The first and only comics imprint designed to conjoin directly with your nervous system to deliver controlled bursts of paranoia, anxiety, and adrenaline as designated by our mysterious benefactors at Oni Press.
The ultimate STAND ALONE INTRODUCTORY ONE-SHOT to the GREATEST HACKER COMIC BOOK OF ALL TIME is here!
CONAN OF CIMMERIA believed that THULSA DOOM’s evil had been banished forever, but the Atlantean necromancer’s dark power stirs once more and, if it cannot be stopped, the dead shall overtake the living!
Offered $10 million to smuggle a gun into the Kremlin, Gun Honey Joanna Tan enlists the aid of a beautiful former lover in this thrilling lead-up to the events of the summer’s big event, GUN HONEY: DOUBLES DOWN.
It’s Proto Man versus Bass! Two of Mega Man’s greatest rivals (or… are they allies?) come to blows! Which robot will walk away in one piece? PLUS – a bonus story set in the digital world of Mega Man Battle Network!
Ryu faces off against martial artists of the past, present… and future! Will these battles bring him closer to finding the true path of the warrior? PLUS – a bonus story starring lethal ladies Juri and C.Viper!
Following the Buddha’s instruction, monk Tang Sanzang and his four disciples set forth on a journey to India to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures. What kind of evils and dangers will they encounter along the way? This introductory story also tells the origin of Sun Wukong – the legendary Monkey King!
NEW ACHIEVEMENT: The LitRPG smash hit phenomenon and New York Times bestseller, DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL, is now a graphic novel for the very first time and this Free Comic Book Day is your chance to read the first chapter early.
From writer, director, and actress, Inanna Sarkis, and Eisner-nominated and New York Times bestselling writer Tim Seeley comes the complete first chapter of a modern reimagining of the ancient Assyrian goddess of love and war…
