Can’t Wait for Wednesday | May the 4th be with you, Andor

Check out new comics arriving this week by Benjamin Percy, Luke Ross, Tate Brombal, Gerry Duggan, Matteo Lolli, Gail Simone, Ig Guara, Gene Luen Yang, Joe Casey, Robert Carey, Jadzia Axelrod, Rye Hickman and more.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Wednesday, your guide to what’s coming to your local comic shop this week.

I’ve pulled out some of the highlights for this week below, but for the complete list of everything you might find at your local comic shop and on digital this week, you’ll want to check out one or more of the following:

As a reminder, things can change and what you find on the above lists may differ from what’s actually arriving in your local shop. So check with your retailer to see what’s arriving at their shop this week.

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Can’t Wait for Saturday | Free Comic Book Day + Comics Giveaway Day edition

See what’s available at your local comic shop this Saturday.

Comicdom’s biggest day of the year returns on Saturday, albeit in a new form. As Mark Briscoe might say, the word of the day is “bifurcation.” The event we once knew as Free Comic Book Day and was run by Diamond Comics has been split into two as a result of their bankruptcy and the sale of their assets.

In one corner, you still have Free Comic Book Day, with new owner Universal Distribution and their partner, Lunar Distribution. In the other, you have Comics Giveaway Day, an upstart that came into being when Penguin Random House decided they wanted to participate in giving out free comics, but apparently not in the official “Free Comic Book Day” event. Net-net for fans, there will be free comics on Saturday from a host of different publishers at many comic shops, some with one logo, some with another. Either way, free comics!

So where do you get these free comics? At your local comic shop, of course — if they are participating. The Free Comic Book Day website still has a store locator you can use to find a participating retailer. Comics Giveaway Day does not have a dedicated website, but you can find more details on the PRH website, which has a Google Maps link detailing participating stores.

Many publishers use the event as an opportunity to reshare a recent favorite title or offer a prelude to an upcoming storyline or crossover. Still other will produce something wholly original or introduce a brand new title. I’ve pulled out a few that look interesting to me below. Some things to keep in mind:

  • Not every retailer may have every title. Depending on their shop, they may elect to only have titles they think will excite their clientele.
  • Some retailers may limit the number of free comics you can take, while others may require a purchase.
  • Speaking of which, while titles are free to consumers, they are not free to retailers. So you may want to think about buying some other comics while you’re there regardless.
  • Some of the titles will also be available digitally, in case you can’t make it out on Saturday. So be sure to check your favorite digital comics site on Saturday as well.

Here a few highlights to look for:

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Skybound adds M.A.S.K. to the Energon Universe with new series by Dan Watters and Pye Parr

The classic 1985 Hasbro franchise joins Transformers, G.I. Joe and Void Rivals in Skybound’s shared universe, with the debut issue arriving in June.

Skybound, Image Comics and Hasbro announced today that M.A.S.K., the classic spy-fi franchise that sprung from its 1985 animated series and toy line, is joining Skybound’s Energon Universe.

The ongoing M.A.S.K. series will be written by Batman: Dark Patterns writer Dan Watters and illustrated by Pye Parr of Petrol Head fame. They’ll be joined by colorist Pierluigi Casolino and letterer Rus Wooton when the first issue arrives in June.

The series follows Matt Trakker and his network of civilian specialists — equipped with advanced masks and transforming vehicles — as they battle Miles Mayhem and the criminal organization V.E.N.O.M., who are scouring the globe for weapons of alien origin and threatening to sell out the entire human race.

“Illusion is the ultimate weapon–but also sometimes weapons are the ultimate weapon,” Watters said. “M.A.S.K. is a book about ordinary people taking it into their own hands to face down the awesome weaponry of the Energon Universe–and a high octane, nonstop thrill ride to boot. I couldn’t be prouder to be bringing you this story alongside Pye this summer. Welcome to the M.A.S.K. network. Matt Trakker needs you to save the world.”

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