Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is an annual event held on the first Saturday each May, as the comic book industry comes together to give away free comics and encourage fans, both old and new to flock to the best place in the comic book community, their local comic shops. These are the hubs of the community, where fans can come together and discover new comics, make lifelong friends, and find a sense of commonality.
Many stores throw their own events, bringing in cosplayers and/or comic book creators. Some partner with local businesses to make FCBD one of the best family events throughout the year. Fans also love dressing up in costume for FCBD.
Major publishers such as DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, and Image Comics put out comics for fans to enjoy at the more than 2,300 local comic shops participating in FCBD. There’s a book for everyone, from superheroes to popular film and television shows to beloved video games and all-ages stories.
To ensure everyone gets comic books that are right for them, a color-coded logo system identifies the age rating of each title. On the front cover of each book, a color-coded FCBD logo corresponds to the book’s age rating. FCBD GREEN logo: All Ages/ Everyone. Appropriate for children, teens, and adults. FCBD BLUE logo: Teen (+). Appropriate for teens and readers 13+. FCBD RED logo: Mature. Appropriate for mature audiences or 18+ only.
This year’s 11 Gold Sponsor comics include BLUE titles such as Archie Comics The Best Archie Comic Ever #0; BOOM! Studios 25 Years of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Dark Horse Comics Stranger Things/ Resident Alien; IDW Publishing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles FCBD Special; Marvel Spider-Man/ Venom #1, and the GREEN title Titan Comics Doctor Who.
This year’s 35 Silver Sponsor comics are 16 GREEN titles including Dark Horse Comics Avatar: The Last Airbender/ Legend of Korra; Gemstone Publishing The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Comics; IDW Publishing Sonic the Hedgehog FCBD 2022 Special; VIZ Media Pokémon Journeys/ Pokémon Adventures: XY. Also, 26 great BLUE titles including Dynamite Entertainment Red Sonja Marvel Feature Stories; Marvel Avengers/ X-Men #1; and Marvel Marvel Voices #1 LEGACY. There are also four RED titles, all Silver.
Different shops have policies on how many free comics you can receive, but you will receive at least one free comic. Some in the Nashville area have been known to offer five or even ten titles per person. Call ahead to check with your retailer for their policies and plans for FCBD. Each shop determines on its own and pays for the comics they want to give away on FCBD.
Free Comic Book Day 2022 is just about here, and our friends at The Great Escape especially want you to join them at all locations of The Great Escape. Check their social media for details. In Nashville, you should be sure to check out one of these four spots: The Great Escape Charlotte Avenue Superstore, 5400 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville 37209 (Phone 615-385-2116) or Madison Superstore at 105 Gallatin Road North, Madison 37115 (Phone 615-865-8052); Rick’s Comic City in Donelson at 2710 Old Lebanon Rd, Ste 3, Nashville 37214 (615) 883-7890; and Comix City Too in Rivergate, at 1574 Gallatin Pike North, Madison 37115 (615) 868-3339. CALL FIRST for store hours and details on how many titles you can get. For a complete list of comic shops in your area, visit comicshoplocator.com.
