This year’s Free Comic Book Day is starting to take shape, with publishers announcing some titles and the FCBD website sharing many more. The titles have also popped up on the distributors’ websites, revealing some of the cover art you can expect to see in May.
Universal Distribution now owns Free Comic Book Day and its branding, having bought it in the wake of the Diamond Comics Distributors bankruptcy. They’ve teamed up with Lunar Distribution for the event, which will occur on May 2, which is the same day as Penguin Random House’s Comics Giveaway Day.
Here’s a look at what to expect:
DC Comics has announced four titles, including:
- A sampler of their upcoming DC Next Level titles, like Lobo, Batwoman and Deathstroke: The Terminator.
- A preview of the Aquamanatee all-ages graphic novel by Ben Clanton and Cassandra Freeman.
- A reprint of the first issue of the Sonic the Hedgehog/Justice League crossover.
- A reprint of The Nice House on the Lake #1, representing the Vertigo side of the house.
Titan Comics will have two titles — a preview of Gun Honey Doubles Down, their cheesecake spy comic by Charles Ardai and Ace Continuado, and a Conan the Barbarian title, subtitled “Tides of the Tyrant King,” by longtime Conan scribe Jim Zub and Jesus Marino.
Mad Cave will have black-and-white editions of two recent titles — Flash Gordon #1 and Terrorbytes #1.
Vault also has two titles, both offering previews of upcoming graphic novels — Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, Tevagah and Laurel Pursuit Studio, and Inanna: The Name She Lost by Inanna Sarkis, Tim Seeley and Ademir Leal.
As previously announced, Oni Press will offer a preview of two upcoming titles from Matt Kindt’s Flux House line, Mind MGMT / Fort Psycho.
REKCAH Comics, the comic publishing arm of Black Hills Information Security, will have a preview of their The Future Is ****** 2026 annual.
AMP Comics is bringing The Greatest American Hero back to comics, and they’ll offer a preview of the title by Don Handfield and Alper Gelcel (and a cover by David Mack!)
Udon Entertainment has two video game tie-ins: Mega Man Showdown Special #1 and Street Fighter Forever #0. They’ll also have manga title, Journey To The West.
Many other publishers are also on the list this year, but have not yet released cover art. They include:
- Archie Comics, with a World of Archie one-shot
- Ablaze, with The Cimmerian: The Pool Of The Black One
- AWA Studios with an AWA Sneak Preview anthology
- Dynamite Entertainment with reprints of Stitch #1 and Supernatural #1
- Image Comics/Skybound with an Energon Universe FCBD 2026 Special
- and Keenspot Entertainment with Spotlight 2026 and Toybox 2026.
Free Comic Book Day will be held Saturday, May 2 at participating comic shops.