The Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) Retailer Selection Committee has chosen 50 comic book titles for the industry’s most anticipated annual event to take place on Saturday 14th August, 2021, at participating comic shops worldwide. The event will return to a single-day celebration in August for the event’s milestone 20th anniversary, and both 2000AD publisher Rebellion and London-based Titan Comics have provided titles.
For those unfamiliar, Free Comic Book Day is an annual event which traditionally takes place on the first Saturday in May, founded on the belief that for every person out there, there’s a comic book they’ll love. Every year, the 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: local comic shops. These are the hubs of our community, where fans can come together and discover new comics, make lifelong friends, and find a sense of commonality.
Major US publishers such as DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment and Image Comics – and the UK’s 2000AD publisher, Rebellion and Titan Comics, too – put out free comics for fans to enjoy at the more than 2300 local comic shops that participate in Free Comic Book Day.
A committee of comic shop retailers chose 50 titles to be available on Free Comic Book Day: 12 Gold Sponsor comics and 38 Silver Sponsor comics that give fans a great opportunity to discover new titles and genres.
“Every year, we strive to bring fans a memorable Free Comic Book Day experience, and with this year being our 20th anniversary, we hope it will be the best yet,” Ashton Greenwood, Free Comic Book Day spokesperson, said. “The variety of this year’s comic book selection is really exciting! There’s something for every kind of fan, from the long-time reader to the comic book curious. We know comic book retailers are looking forward to treating everyone to a day of fun and discovery, so we hope fans will be able to safely visit their comic shops to celebrate!”
The 12 Gold Sponsor comics are We Live: The Unknown Journey (AfterShock Comics), Archie: Past, Present & Future Fun! (Archie), Enter the House of Slaughter (BOOM! Studios), Critical Role & The Witcher (Dark Horse), Investigators: Ants in Our P.A.N.T.S. Sneak Peek! (First Second Books), Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures (IDW), Lady Mechanika (Image), Marvel Gold Title (Marvel), Who Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott? (Penguin Workshop), Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla & Destiny (TOKYOPOP), Blade Runner one-shot (Titan Comics), and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead/Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaibau (Viz Media).
Titan Comics Blade Runner giveaway connects their titles Blade Runner Origins and Blade Runner 2029 storylines for the first time. Two acclaimed creative teams of Mike Johnson, K. Perkins, Mellow Brown, Andrés Guinaldo and Fernando Dagnino come together for a spectacular FCBD issue.
A sample of the 38 Silver Sponsor comics includes 2000AD Presents All Star Judge Dredd from British publishers Rebellion and Life is Strange from Titan Comics.
2000AD Presents All Star Judge Dredd will be a full colour. 32-page issue dedicated to stories from the universe of Judge Dredd, with big name creators and previews of this autumn’s hottest graphic novels.
The issue will kick off with a bone-rattling all new stand-alone Dredd caper from superstar writer Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk) and artist Caspar Wijngaard (Star Wars)!
Plus, there will be teasers for the epic Autumn 2021 graphic novels from Rebellion. Witness the birth of the world of Judge Dredd in an incendiary preview of upcoming prequel graphic novel Dreadnoughts by Michael Carroll, with art by John Higgins.
And fan-favourite character Judge Hershey leaves Mega-City One and travels to the ends of the earth to dispense her own brand of justice in long-anticipated blockbuster spin-off, “Hershey: Disease” by Rob Williams (Suicide Squad) and Simon Fraser (Doctor Who).
in Life is Strange, explore the comic adventures of Max, Chloe, And Rachel from the award-winning game, in exclusive lead-in to an epic new arc. This FCBD title features the first comic book appearance of an all-new character who will feature heavily in the Life is Strange universe in 2021.
Other Silver Sponsor comics from many US publishers include 10 Tons of Fun Preview (10 Ton Press), World of Zorro #1 (American Mythology), Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend of Korra (Dark Horse), The Boys: Herogasm #1 (Dynamite), The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Comics 2021 (Gemstone Publishing), Allergic(Graphix), Avengers/Spider-Man (Marvel), Oni Press Summer Celebration (Oni Lion Forge), The Smurf Tales (Papercutz), White Ash (Scout Comics),Valiant Uprising (Valiant), and Solo Leveling (Yen Press).
• A complete listing of all 50 FCBD titles can be found in the April issue of Diamond Comic Distributors’ PREVIEWScatalog, on sale at comic book shops on 24th March 2021. They can also be viewed online at freecomicbookday.com
• For more FCBD news and updates, visit freecomicbookday.com and become a fan on Facebook and follow FCBD on Twitter and Instagram
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: 2000AD, British Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, US Comics
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