By Amber M., Public Services Assistant
The first Saturday in May is noted in the US for the annual running of the Kentucky Derby, but in comic book shops around the country Free Comic Book Day is also celebrated. For the last 24 years, new readers and seasoned collectors alike have been invited to enjoy the free offerings at comics retailers.
My husband and I started taking my nephews to Free Comic Book Day over a decade ago, and now we get to enjoy sharing this special day with our 6-year-old daughter. As an emerging reader, we see how comics and graphic novels have started to lead her from simple picture book reading to the world of chapter books and graphic novels. Seeing our love of reading sparked in her brings us joy as a family, and we hope brings a passion for literacy to last her well into adulthood.
Free Comic Book Day is now an official event a part of Children’s Book Week, which is organized by the non-profit Every Child a Reader. This year’s celebration of comics culture features large, mainstream comics publishers alongside smaller, independent producers. These special releases of free comics encourage everyone to explore and enjoy comics while supporting local businesses. There are titles for all ages and interests, from Vault Comics “Dungeon Crawler Carl #0” to Archie Comics “World of Archie One-shot” celebrating 85 years with the Riverdale teens, and even “Aquamanatee #1 Special Edition” from Ben Clanton the creator of Narwhal and Jelly via DC.
Comics and graphic novels aren’t just for kids and superhero fans. Their diverse subjects range within general fiction and non-fiction titles. Series covering history and biographies like John Lewis’s “March” series, or “Rebels” from Dark Horse Comics by Brian Wood and Andrea Mutti, and “I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This” from Eugene Yelchin. There are also fantasy and science fiction stories such as “Mouse Guard” by David Petersen or the ongoing space epic “Saga” by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples. The richness that is added to the words of these stories through beautifully composed pages with images and inked type invokes feeling to draw the reader fully into that tale.
You may even be surprised by the diversity and depth of superhero and fandom favorite works like “Miles Morales: Spiderman” by Brian Bendis, “Star Wars: Poe Dameron. Vol 1 Black Squadron” by Charles Soule, “Ms. Marvel: No Normal” by G. Willow Wilson, or “Chewbacca” by Gerry Duggan. Our digital collection offers even more titles and often includes new issues of ongoing series such as “Star Trek: The Lower Decks,” “The New Girl,” “Redcoat,” or “Godzilla’s Masterpiece Theater Presents” that can be found on Hoopla.
New in 2026, local hobby and board game stores join in the celebration to broaden the scope of community spaces included. All these places serve as physical community spaces where a variety of interests converge. Comic books along with their subjects provide a medium where a plethora of topics can be explored. This exploration of differing ideas and the possibility of engaging with others of similar interests and divergent backgrounds gives us the opportunity to have conversations that expand our understanding and hopefully lead to a better world. My wish for this Free Comic Book Day, whether it is your first or just another installment in long passion for the genre, is that it brings you in touch with a great community of readers.
Check out the list below for ways you can celebrate Free Comic Book Day:
- Check out some trade paperbacks and graphic novels from our collection (don’t forget to check Hoopla and Libby for our digital offerings).
- Visit a few local comic book, hobby, and/or board games shops to pick up some free comics of your own:
- Atomic Planet Comics: 8906 E 96th St, Fishers, IN 46037
- Collector’s Emporium: 17681 Cumberland Rd, Noblesville, IN 46060
- You can also check out Free Comic Book Day’s Store locator here
- Visit the Ignite Studio to check out one of their kits and try your hand at drawing your own comics.
Below you can find some more detailed lists. I hope you have a great day exploring all the great ways that local comics shops and the Hamilton East Public Library provide great community spaces, as well as seeing the diverse offerings of this year’s free comic issues.
Check out some trade paperbacks and graphic novels from our collection, here are some of my favs:
For Kids:
A Bad Buzz Day written and illustrated by Raúl the Third
Narwalicorn and Jelly by Ben Clanton
Kanga-U: Tests and Tournaments: by Sholly Fisch
InvestiGators written and illustrated by John Patrick Green
Tiny Titans. 6, Welcome to the treehouse by Art Baltaza and Franco Aureliani
PAWS: Gabby gets it Together by Michele Assarasorn & Nathan Fairbairn
Comics Confidential: thirteen graphic novelists talk story, craft, and life outside the box by Leonard S. Marcus
For Middle School and High School:
Maus by Art Spiegelman
Just Between Us by Adelin Kon
Teen Titans go! : to the library by Franco and Art Baltazar
Ms. Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson
For Adults:
The Joy of Snacking by Hilary Campbell
Ginseng Roots: a memoir by Craig Thompson
Guerilla green: an urban gardening survival guide by Cookie Kalkair & Ophelié Damblé
Saga by Brian K. Vaughn
Marbles: mania, depression, Michaelangelo, & me: a graphic memoir by Ellen Forney
Feral: Volume 1 Indoor cats writer, Tony Fleecs ; art, Trish Forstner, Tone Rodriguez ; color, Brad Simpson