The 25th annual Free Comic Book Day will take place on May 2, 2026, and we’ve got the details on how you can grab a free comic book next year.
Whether you’re a comic book newbie or an avid collector, Free Comic Book Day is the perfect way to get into comics and grow your collection. What can you expect in 2026 for Free Comic Book Day? Here are the Gold and Silver titles to look for next year.
We have tips on how you can get more freebies beyond free comic books.
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Free Comic Book Day is an annual event where comic book shops give away free comic books in stores.
On Free Comic Book Day every year, over 2,000 comic book shops worldwide give away free comic books to customers. The event was founded in 2002, aiming to attract new readers, promote local comic book shops, and celebrate the art form of comics. Special comic books, including reprints of popular titles and original stories, are offered for free to anyone who visits a participating store.
The next Free Comic Book Day is Saturday, May 2, 2026.
Every year Free Comic Book Day takes place on the first Saturday in May. That means the next Free Comic Book Day, will happen on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Check your local participating comic book shop’s operating hours to find out when you can get your free comic books.
Check the Free Comic Book Day store locator to find a participating store near you.
Before you head to your local comic book store, check the Free Comic Book Day store locator to see if they’re participating in the event. This event is held at independently owned comic book stores, so you won’t find this deal at retailers like Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million.
All you have to do to receive your free comic book is let them know that you’re there for your freebie.
KCL TIP: Some libraries participate in Free Comic Book Day. Their information can be found using the store locator too.
Every participating Free Comic Book Day store offers well-known (or Gold Sponsor) titles.
Every participating store during Free Comic Book Day offers 12 Gold Sponsor titles which include a wide range of stories, from Spider-Man to Archie's Comics to Dr. Seuss Graphic Novels. Here’s what they offered during the last Free Comic Book Day event:
Archie's Comic Spectacular
Conan the Barbarian Scourge of the Serpent
Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures
Dr. Seuss Graphic Novels
Energon Universe Special
Fantastic Four X-Men #1
I Hate Fairyland Special
Minecraft The Manga & Beyblade X
Power Rangers VR Troopers
Speed Racer #0
Spider-Man Ultimate Universe #1
Thundercats Powerpuff Girls #0
KCL TIP: Will your Free Comic Book Day titles be worth anything in the resell market? It all depends on the title, condition of the comic, and how rare the issue is. But you’ll likely have to hang on to the comic for years.
Select locations will also give away Silver Sponsor comic books.
The Gold Sponsor comics are provided to all participating comic book stores for free as part of the Free Comic Book Day program, but there’s a whole separate group of titles — the Silver Sponsor comics. Not every shop has these additional titles because, while they’re also free to readers, stores have to order them at their own expense.
Plus, the number of free Silver Sponsor comics that a store orders can vary based on their budget and anticipated demand. So it’s best to check with your local comic bookstore to see what titles they’ll have available on Free Comic Book Day.
Here were the Silver Sponsor giveaway titles for the lasy Free Comic Book Day event:
Bad Kitty Gets a Job
Best of 2000 AD
Black Mirror #1
Boom Studios 20 Anniversary Special
Champion
Creaky Acres
IDW Dark Finds Your New Fear
Def Leppard's Hysteria #0
Diablo
EC Comics Presents: Blood Type #0
Gargoyles Demona #0
Godzilla New Heroes
Marvel Hulk Teach
Marvel Iron Man & Awesome Friends
Marvel Voices: Ironheart #1
Kagurabachi & Baruto Two Blue Vortex
Keenspot: Mark Spears Monsters #0
Keenspot: Toybox Special
Red's Comic Adventures
Star Wars #1
Star Wars Young Jedi Avatar
The Phantom #0
Tower Dungeon & Issak
Transformers Worst Bot Ever
Valiant Universe
Will Eisner Comic Biography
Visit multiple comic book stores to get the most free comic books.
Each store decides how many comics people can receive; some let you only take one per person, while others let you have one copy of each of the titles they have. It’s best to check with your local store to see what they’re planning.
But if you’re dead set on getting all the titles you can, you can visit multiple participating comic book stores.
You can always read comic books at your local library.
Yep, many libraries have comic books. Comics, graphic novels, and manga have become super popular lately, and libraries have noticed. Many have great collections of these materials nowadays.
Some libraries have special sections just for comics, while others mix them in with other books. A lot of libraries also have digital comics and graphic novels that you can access through their website or app.
Here are some of the best library apps that you can use to find free comics:
KCL TIP: Not every library participates with these apps, so check your local library to see which app they use.
Read free comic books all year long online.
Most comic book companies provide a portion of their library for free through their apps or website. There are even subscription services just for comics. Here’s how you can read comics for free all year long:
Comic Book Plus
Looking for more vintage and old-school comics? The Comic Book Plus library has over 42,000 comics for you to read from the Golden and Silver Age. You’ll be able to filter from genre to year of release.
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics has a digital library that you can enjoy that has plenty of free comics, including some previous years Free Comic Book Day selections. This includes Avatar the Last Airbender and Overwatch comics.
Digital Comic Museum
The Digital Comic Museum houses plenty of Golden Age comics, and it’s constantly being updated with free reads. You can categorize the comics by publisher, and every download is free.
Webtoons
The Webtoons app houses plenty of free comics that you can read by new and established creators from around the world. Popular comics from this app eventually get adapted to Netflix. Just look at Korean dramas like Extraordinary Attorney Woo and All of Us Are Dead.
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