Christmas comes Saturday for comic book fans. What to know about Free Comic Book Day

This weekend, the big event for comic book and superhero fans is the release of "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3."

The second biggest event is Free Comic Book Day, when participating comic book stores hand out free stuff. Totally free. Want a Spider-Man or Avengers X-Men comic? Do you like "Animal Crossing" or "Smurfs," "Star Wars" or "Star Trek"? Interested in a new "Umbrella Academy" or "Witcher" story? You can walk in, pick what you like (from the available selections) and walk out, although you really should look around and see what else the shop has to offer. Which is kind of the point.

Here's what you need to know about the 21st annual Free Comic Book Day (FCBD).

What is Free Comic Book Day?

FCBD is the day when participating comic book stores and bookstores around the world offer a selection of free comics to bring new readers in, bring old readers back, and thank current readers for their support. Every year comics companies apply to provide special editions, at cost, to retailers in the hope they bring attention to their books. FCBD titles can be reprints of popular comics or all-new, exclusive material.

When is Free Comic Book Day 2023?

FCBD is usually held on the first Saturday in May, coincidentally the same weekend the first big superhero movie has traditionally been released. (At least, before superhero movies became an every-other-month thing.) This year Free Comic Book Day will be on Saturday, May 6, right after Marvel's highly anticipated "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3" is out.

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Are the comics really free? How many can I get?

Yes, but don't start grabbing any comics off the racks. Comics companies create special editions of selected books for FCBD, usually chosen to get you interested in reading more.

How many free comics do you get? Depends on the location. Each participating shop sets its own rules, so check when you walk in. Some limit the number of comics per person, some limit the number of types of free comics you get (see the Gold and Silver books listed below), and some may vary it depending on how many comics they get in and how many people show up. If you go, and they're not already out, you will get at least one.

Of course, the stores are hoping you'll like what you see while you're there and pick up a few more things, maybe start a pull list for weekly comics or come back to one of the gaming nights.

How do I find stores participating in Free Comic Book Day?

Check with your local comics store or bookstore. Even some libraries participate. Not every location will offer FCBD books, but the FCBD site has a shop locator you can use.

Is anything else happening on Free Comic Book Day besides free comics?

Yes! Most stores use the opportunity to go all out and hold raffles, put other stuff on sale, provide food, have costume and trivia contests and much more. For some comic shops, Free Comic Book Day is an event.

How did Free Comic Book Day get started?

The first FCBD event was in 2002, coinciding nicely with the release of the first Spider-Man movie. Since then thousands of retailers have joined in every year and millions of free comics have been handed out.

This time shopowners (and comic book publishers) are hoping fans interested in what they saw in this weekend's "Guardians" movie or the upcoming "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" will want to find out more about their favorite heroes.

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What free comics are available on Free Comic Book Day 2023?

There are 44 books available, 13 "Gold Sponsor" titles and 31 "Silver Sponsor" titles.

The Gold books tend to be the "hot" ones that fans will be showing up early to get, and this year that means "Avengers X-Men," Spider-Man Venom," "Star Trek Day of Blood," horror books such as "FishFlies" and "Archie Horror Presents Cursed Library," fantasy books such as "Conan the Barbarian" and "Red Sonja," quirky books like Dark Horse's "Umbrella Academy" and "Witcher" twofer, and more. Every participating shop will have these, at least till they run out.

The Silver books are all over the place, with a variety of interests and age levels: "Star Wars," "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "Animal Crossing," "Smurfs," and "Street Fighter." There are crime books, fantasy books, and children's books. There is manga, "Marvels Voices," a guide to collecting comics, a "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers" book for the Boomers among us, and even a sampler of the "I Am Stan" graphic novel biography of the legendary Stan Lee. Shops can choose how many of these to order so every location may not have every book.

You can find the complete list at freecomicbookday.com/catalog .

Want more? Here's the list of the 2023 Free Comic Book Day comics

“Every year, we strive to bring fans a memorable Free Comic Book Day experience, and we know comic book retailers are looking forward to treating everyone to a day of fun and discovery, so we hope fans will visit their local comic shops to celebrate,” 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.”

For a little more guidance, check the FCBD logos on each book. Green is all-ages, blue is suggested for teens 13 and up, and red logos are mature-audience books for 18 and over only.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Free Comic Book Day: Are the comics free? How many can I get?