Heading to your local comic shop this weekend? Of course you are – it’s Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, and no-one’s going to pass up the chance of free comics, are they? Especially when your local comic shop – if participating (some don’t, it’s quite an expensive promotion) – will also be laying on signings, cake and more!

You can find out more about FCBD 2016 and the free comics on offer on the official web site, and follow the event through the day on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for news and updates. Here are a couple of British highlights which are available along with a number of comics “trailing” new lines (such as IDW’s great-looking ROM comic). The full list is here – but note that some comic shops will only have a selection of what’s being released

Jump on board the TARDIS with FOUR all-new short tales of the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors with Titan Comics FCBD Doctor Who 2016 Special. Whether you’re a whizz with a Sonic Screwdriver or completely new to Who, this is the perfect Free Comic Book Day adventure for SF fans of all ages!

The strips in this FCBD Special are written and illustrated by the creative teams of the regular comics, making it an  ideal place to start reading.

Top grab of the Day must, however, surely be the 2000AD FCBD Special, which almost didn’t make it to the list until 2000AD fans rightfully kicked up an enormous fuss about their favourite comic being dropped from the promotion. Your reward – 48  pages of thrill-drenched Sci-Fi from Britain’s greatest comic!

This Special includes exclusive new stories, digital strips, and a downloadable song from MC-1’s favorite band! Creators include Alec Worley, Matt Smith, John Wagner, Alan Grant, Kek W, Barry Island, Hannah Berry, Peter Milligan, Eric Powell, Dani K, John Burns, Rufus Dayglo, Carlos Ezquerra, Henry Flint, Joëlle Jones, and Ron Smith.

UK Newsagents Releases

As usual, don’t forget that despite some British publishers lack of faith in full-blown cover to cover comic strip action and humour, there are plenty of comics on sale in newsagents that still delight in bringing you such subversive delights, including The Beano, Commando (latest release intel here), Judge Dredd Megazine, Panini’s superhero titles, Titan Comics superhero titles and VIZ, with great strips also featuring in titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Doctor Who Adventures, Titan’s Doctor Who: Tales from the TARDIS (collecting their strips from the US format titles) Mega, TOXIC and many others.

Plus, the wonderful Phoenix Comic is now on sale in many (but not all) Waitrose supermarkets and – at last, selected high street WH Smiths stores – and some comic shops (stockist list here) as well as available on subscription.

Hachette Partworks, whose partwork titles include Doctor Who: The Complete History and Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection, continue their How To Draw The Marvel Way, along with their re-release of their hugely successful part work, Marvel’s Marvel Ultimate Graphic Novel series.

Some of you in certain areas of the country may also be able to pick up a copy of the new Star Trek Graphic Novel Collection, which is currently being road tested by Eaglemoss.

Note that you may now have to subscribe if you want to continue buying Part Works some are not distributed in newsagents after their first few issues.

New Digital Comic Picks

Aces Weekly Volume 21 is available now, featuring week one of prison drama, My Way, from Ace stalwarts, Jok LP and Rodolfo Santullo! It’s just one more reason to subscribe for just £1 per week if you’re yet to join this elite readership, and put together by the guy who brought you V For Vendetta! What’s not to like?

Currently-running, Aces Weekly Volume 21 includes, Paul Rainey‘s continuing biting satire on family life in, Why Don’t You Love Me?; Jok and Santullo‘s rich fantasy story, Dungeons and Burglars; the horrorshow retro of Gentleman Ghouls, from Martin Hayes and Alfie Gallagher ; the total and unmitigated wackiness of Duckless, from Marc Makes Comics; willowy witches in Dr Queer; plus the upcoming return of the inestimable, Combat Colin from Lew Stringer; more from Grace’s Imaginary Menagerie; together with an extraordinary tale from Petri Hänninen and Jussi Kaakinen about a world where Wonderful Old Age has a very special quality.

It’s a lot, isn’t it? And easy to grab via www.acesweekly.co.uk/shop. Don’t miss out on all the Previous Volumes, either which have up to 200 pages including Extras, and in full form feature in an exclusive Week-to-Week facility, which transforms any volume’s serialized stories into continuous comic book-sized narratives.

Comics On Sale in UK Comic Shops

On Sale in all good UK comic shops from Wednesday 4th May 2016. Don’t miss out on a special DC Previews, available now. Info via First Age Comics Lancaster

British Publishers

2000AD/ Rebellion

2000AD Prog 1979

Featuring: Judge Dredd: The Lion’s Den by Michael Carroll, PJ Holden, Adam Brown, and Annie Parkhouse; Survival Geeks: Geeks Fatales by Gordon Rennie, Emma Beeby, Neil Googe, Gary Caldwell, and Ellie De Ville; Tainted: The Fall of Deadworld by Kek-W, Dave Kendall, and Annie Parkhouse; Brink by Dan Abnett, INJ Culbard, and Simon Bowland; Sláine: Psychopomp by Pat Mills, Simon Davis, and Ellie De Ville.

Titan Comics

US Comic Publishers

Comics on sale in all good UK comic shops from Wednesday 4th May. This list courtesy First Age Comics Lancaster

3 Floyds Alpha King 1
4001 AD 1
A-Force 5
All New Inhumans 7
Amazing Spider-Man 12
Amazing Spider-Man And Silk: Spiderfly Effect 3
Arcadia TP
Batman Beyond 12
Batman/Superman 12 FINAL DAYS
Beasts Of Burden What Cat Dragged In One-Shot
Black Hood 10
Black Widow 3
Bloodlines 2
Bobs Burgers Ongoing 11
Captain America Sam Wilson 9 ASO
Cinema Purgatorio 1
Comicare Silver Age Boards
Comicare Silver Age Bags
Contest Of Champions 8
Daredevil/Punisher 1
Deadpool Massacre 1
Detective Comics 52
Deus Ex 3
Devolution 4
Discipline 3
Dungeons And Dragons 2016 Issue 1
Elephantmen 70
Empress 2
Flash 51
Ghostbusters International 4
Giant Days 14
Green Arrow 52
Green Lantern 52
Hellboy In Hell 9
Hip Hop Family Tree 9
Howard The Duck 7
Independence Day 2
Injustice Gods Among Us Year Five 9
Injustice Gods Among Us Year Four HC Vol 1
Invincible Iron Man 9 RCW2
Judge Dredd Megazine 371 (b/ord)
Kings Quest 1
Klaus 5
Lady Mechanika Lost Boys Of West Abbey 1
Legend Of Wonder Woman 5
Mars Attacks Occupation 2
Marvel Universe Avengers Assemble Civil War 3
Marvels Mightiest Heroes Vol 62 WINTER SOLDIER HC
Midnighter 12
Moon Knight 2
My Little Pony Friends Forever 28
New Avengers 11 ASO
New Suicide Squad 20
Nova 7
Penny Dreadful 1
Predator Life And Death 3
Punisher 1
Rat Queens 16
Renato Jones One Percent 1
Rocket Raccoon And Groot 5
Rue Morgue Magazine 166
Scarlet 8
Scarlet Witch 6
Scooby Doo Team Up 16
Spider-Gwen 8 SWO
Spider-Man 2099 Issue 10
Star Trek Manifest Destiny 2
Star Wars: Poe Dameron 2
Strawberry Shortcake 1
Stray Bullets Sunshine And Roses 14
Street Fighter Vs GI Joe 3
Superman: The Coming of The Supermen 4
Survivors Club 8
Thunderbolts 1
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ongoing 57
Uncanny X-Men 7 AW
Uncle Scrooge 14
Unfollow 7
Walking Dead 154
Walt Disney Comics And Stories 731
War Stories 18
Weavers 1
Wicked And Divine 19
Woods 22
X-Files 2016 Issue 1
X-Men 92 Issue 3

• First Age Comics celebrates its tenth anniversary of trading on Free Comic Book Day. Drop in for comics cake and more! 3, Moor Lane Lancaster and online at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/First-Age and on Facebook

John Freeman

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, Doctor Who, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News

Tags: downthetubes News, Free Comic Books Day, IDW, New Comics, ROM, Something for the Weekend, Titan Comics