Happy Free Comic Book Day! As the name implies, Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops (and libraries!) across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. While Free Comic Book Day is traditionally held the first Saturday in May each year, this year the event has been pushed to today, Saturday, Aug. 14.
Comic books are an original American art form, created in the early days of the 20th century. They are fun to read, featuring a wide range of diverse story lines that capture the imagination of the readers.
On Free Comic Book Day there are no strings attached. It is truly a day to head to a local store and pick up a free comic book. Each year, the free comics offered change, and we’ve got some good ones for 2021.
All Delaware County District Library locations are participating in the day, in addition to our friends at Flying Monkey Comics and Games, located at 1778 Columbus Pike in Delaware. Different shops have policies on how many free comics you can receive, but you will receive at least one free comic if you enter a participating shop location.
This event celebrates the independent comic book specialty shops, thousands of which exist in North America alone. Each one is unique in its community, with a style and personality all its own, and each one carries a full line of comics, graphic novels, toys and related products.
Want to see if any other local stores are participating? Visit www.FreeComicBookDay.com to view the shop locator service that will show participating retailers in your area. This year celebrates 20 years of Free Comic Book Day, and many will be surprised to find out that some our local retailers have been around for that long, and then some!
Here’s a taste of some of the comics you might see when you stop by a DCDL location or Flying Monkey Comics and Games today.
• “Archie Past Present & Future Fun!” by Dan Parent. It’s the crisis of infinite Archies! Celebrate 80 years of the Riverdale Gang with this tale featuring a dimension-hopping Archie Andrews in his quest to save the multiverse. Then, witness Archie go toe-to-toe with… himself?! May the best Archie win!
• “Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins” and “The Witcher” by Tyler Walpole. In the twentieth year of free comics, we bring you stories expanding on two epic worlds. In Critical Role, explore a small but important corner from the adventures of the Mighty Nein. Then, in The Witcher, it’s an original tale featuring the iconic witcher, Geralt!
• “InvestiGators Ants in Our Pants” by John Patrick Green. Get a sneak peek at book 4 in the bestselling InvestiGators series! With agent Brash trapped in a mysterious coma, the technicians at S.U.I.T. have designed the ultimate replacement: RoboBrash! This high-tech replica has been programmed with all of the original Brash’s crime-fighting skills and knowhow-but it seems he’s got a few bugs in his system! Will Mango and his new partner be enough to stop the giant ants that are on a rampage in the city?
• “We Live The Last Days” by The Miranda Brothers. Before Tala and Hototo began their long journey, there was the beginning of the end of Earth as we know it. In the days after the bracelets fell to earth, a group of young friends embarked on a journey to find one of their own. In the Broken Lands, on the adventure of their lifetimes, these friends face the seedy world of Bracelet Diggers-the dark underground of criminals dealing life-saving bracelets, to those who can afford it most.
• “Who Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott?” by Abelle Hayford. From refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger to sparking civil rights protests across America, explore how Rosa Parks’ powerful act earned her the title “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” A story of resistance, strength, and unwavering spirit, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves in the life of the American Civil Rights leader.
• “The Bailey School Kids: Vampires Don’t Wear Polka Dots” by Pearl Low. The third graders at Bailey Elementary are so hard to handle that all of their teachers have quit. But their new teacher, Mrs. Jeepers, is different – to say the least. She’s just moved from Transylvania into a spooky old house in Bailey City. She wears a mysterious brooch that glows as green as her eyes. Could Mrs. Jeepers be a vampire?
