Luiza MorrellSince 2002, the first Saturday in May has been known to many as Free Comic Book Day, where participating stores around the world are given a selection of comic books, which they then give away for free. The idea behind FCBD is simple – to get more people into, or back into, comic books.
After the outstanding success of the incredible Marvel Avengers Assemble, which topped the UK box office chart with the second biggest four day UK opening (second to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), comic book superheroes are clearly a hit, with more movies coming out in the summer – The Amazing Spider-Man due out in UK cinemas on 3 July, and Batman: Dark Knight Rises, due out on 20 July. But if you are still unsure about what you can expect from comic books, which aren’t all about superheroes, the FCBD website has a guide to help readers ‘Get Into Comics’ here.
This year, on Saturday 5 May, Travelling Man on Goodramgate is celebrating FCBD by opening up earlier than usual, at 8.30am, and those first through the door will also get a free doughnut!
The comic books that you can expect to get your hands include Transformers; Star Wars Serenity; Avengers Point One, featuring more superheroes than the ones in the movie; and the one that I’m hoping to get a copy of, the Buffy & The Guild flip book.
I would recommend getting there early to avoid disappointment, as there will be limited stock, but if you can’t get to a comic book store there are other comic books available for free on tablets and smart phones, bringing this 1930s art form into the modern era. Either way, Free Comic Book Day is an opportunity to celebrate comic books, to try something new and to support your local comic book stores.
