Summary
The list of available titles for the upcomingFree Comic Book Day(FCBD) has been released. In addition to the expected Western comic book titles, there are plenty of titles to appeal to manga fans, too. Withcomics based on anime and games, there is going to be a lot for otaku to choose from around the world next year in May.
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FCBD has been around since 2002, and was originally made to try to draw people into visiting independent comic book stores. It is meant to appeal to both long-time comic book fans, and those curious about getting into reading comics. As the name suggests, it is a chance for people to get a free comic book to try a new series, or read an exclusive story from a series they already love. Now, over two thousand independent comic book stores participate in FCBD, and it has become an international event, even inspiring the same kind of event to take place in non-English speaking countries as well.
This year, FCBD spokesperson Ashton Greenwood said, “The variety of this year’s comic book selection is really exciting! There’s something for every kind of fan, from long-time readers to the comic book curious.” While Free Comic Book Day is often targeted more at fans offranchises like Marvel and DC, this year there is more variety than ever before. This is great considering the point of FCBD is to draw in new people to the industry, so offering something that appeals to people that prefer manga to Western comics makes the event have a much wider reach.
The challenge that FCBD will likely encounter is that it is hard to market to people that do not already go to independent comic book stores. This is especially true with manga fans, who are unlikely to visit a store that specializes in only Western comic books. FCBD will have to do plenty of marketing between now and next spring to make sure thateveryone who may be interestedin this great selection of titles knows about the event and realizes that there is something for them available there, if they really want to draw otaku fans into stores that historically have had little to offer to them.
Free Comic Book Day2024 will be held on May 4th, 2024. Be sure to check your local independent comic book stores to see if they will be participating in the event, so you may grab the titles you are looking for!
