Free Comic Book Day 2023: what is it and what titles are on offer for free in comic book stores across the UK?

If you are one of the 35% of people who declared in a YouGov poll you couldn’t care less about the King’s Coronation this weekend, and you feel completely overwhelmed by the pomp and pageantry the event is set to unveil across the long weekend - could I suggest taking a trip to your local comic book store and taking advantage of a free comic book? 

This Saturday (May 6) marks another Free Comic Book Day across the world, where comic books fans or those who are unfamiliar with the medium can take a wonder into their friendly local store and pick up one of a number of titles from some of the big publishing names in the industry… and of course, pick up some of those missing Marvel titles that you said you read, but really just watched the movies. I don’t blame you!

Taking place annually on the first Saturday of May, Free Comic Day was established in 2002 in an effort to promote the comic book medium and encourage readership - before the MCU blew up and comic books became a valid (hopefully still to this day - ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 this weekend opening) medium to adapt to film. 

On Free Comic Book Day, participating comic book stores give away free comic books to customers. The event is a way to celebrate the culture and history of comic books, as well as to support local comic book shops. Many comic book publishers release special edition comic books on Free Comic Book Day, which are often designed to introduce new readers to their characters and storylines.

The idea is that you come to the store to pick up one of the titles being released for free on Free Comic Book Day, but stay to pick up another title - may we suggest the trade paperbacks of House Of M for Scarlet Witch fans, or if you fancy something depressing but full of drama, my personal favourite is the Age of Apocalypse crossover, though it is on the pricey side it’s something I hope Hollywood consider with their X-Men reboot.

What titles will be available for free on Free Comic Book Day?

So you’ve decided to venture to your local comic book store (for me in Leeds, that’s OK Comics) but among the racks and racks of comic books, you’re not too sure what is available for free and slightly unnerved by the knowledge your friendly comic book vendor may have. Don’t worry, they won’t bite or treat you like Comic Book Guy in The Simpsons. But if you don’t like social interactions too much, here are the titles that are available as part of Free Comic Book Day 2023:

• Seismic Stories (AfterShock Comics)
• Archie Horror Presents: The Cursed Library (Archie Comics)
• Ranger Academy (BOOM! Studios)
• The Umbrella Academy featuring The Witcher (Dark Horse Comics)
• Red Sonja: She-Devil with a Sword #0 (Dynamite Entertainment)
• DogMan and the League of Misfits  (Graphix Books)
• Star Trek (IDW Publishing)
• Fishflies #1 FCBD Preview Edition (Image Comics)
• Amazing Spider-Man/ Venom (Marvel)
• Avengers/X-Men (Marvel)
• Conan The Barbarian FCBD 2023 Special (Titan Comics)
• Choujin X/ Rooster Fighter (VIZ Media)
• Animal Castle FCBD Edition (ABLAZE)
• Princeless (Action Lab)
• Tom Holland's Fright Night (American Mythology)
• Kotto Kotorra  (Arcana Comics)
• Mech Cadets FCBD Special (BOOM! Studios)

• Star Wars/ Avatar: The Last Airbender (Dark Horse Comics)
• Mexikid (Dial Books)
• Madballs vs. Garbage Pail Kids (Dynamite Entertainment)
• The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers (Fantagraphics Books)
• Investigators: All Tide Up (First Second Books)
• The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Comics (Gemstone Publishing)
• Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Haircut (Graphix Books)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW Publishing)
• The Sacrificers #1 FCBD Preview Edition (Image Comics)
• Shaman King Flowers/ Welcome to Demon School Iruma-Kun (Kodansha Comics) Crimebuster Season 1 Issue 1 (Comic House)
• Marvel Voices #1 (Marvel)
• Spidey and His Amazing Friends (Marvel)
• Punch Up! Preview (Oni Press)
• FrazettaVerse #0 (OPUS Comics)
• Smurfs 65th Anniversary FCBD Special (Papercutz)

• Sweet Valley Twins: Teacher's Pet (Random House Children's Books)
• 2000AD Regened Presents: The Best Comic Ever (Rebellion)
• I Am Stan (Ten Speed Press)
• Runescape: Untold Tales of the God Wars (Titan Comics)
• The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle for Pumpkin King #1 (TOKYOPOP)
• Street Fighter 6 #0 (UDON Entertainment)
• Shadowman Dark Legacy FCBD Special (Valiant Entertainment)
• West of Sundown #1 (Vault Comics)
• The Last Comics on Earth (Viking Books)
• Animal Crossing/ Kirby Manga Mania (VIZ Media)