It's Free Comic Book Day!

I have to admit, I'm really a very bad Louisvillian.

You see, for people in Louisville, KY (where I grew up), the first Saturday of May means one thing, above all else. It's Derby Day. People in Louisville have been celebrating all things related to the Kentucky Derby for a good couple of weeks already, in anticipation for the running of the race this evening.

If the past few years are any indication, I probably won't even watch the race on television, myself (I'm really not a fan of horses...).

For me, the first Saturday of May has a different, but no less consistent, meaning altogether. It's Free Comic Book Day! Today is the day that comic shops across the nation have teamed up with comic book publishers to offer a selection of books for free to anyone who walks through their doors.

What can you expect to find? The various comic book publishers are really pretty good about offering a wide variety of books, so whatever your tastes, you should be able to find something that interests you. Be aware that the images you'll see here are from my own collection, representing books I've picked up over the years. While they represent the variety of books that have interested me, they not only do not demonstrate the full range of what's available, but you probably won't see these actual books available this year (unless, of course, a particular shop still has stock from past years available, as some will). If you want to see a list of what you might expect to find available for this year's Free Comic Book Day, I invite you to check out the official FCBD page. They'll also have a way to find a local participating comic shop in your area, in case you don't already know how to find one on your own.

A word of caution before you head out. You should be aware that not all comic stores are consistent about how they celebrate Free Comic Book Day. Some allow you to pick up as many books as you like (so long as they are designated "free" books). Most will have some kind of a limit (say, up to 5 books, or perhaps 2 books from one stack and 2 books from another). I've even seen some that will actually charge you a quarter or so for books intended to be free on this day. Whenever I find a store doing that, I go right back out the door and go to another shop! (Although, in the interest of fairness, I should note that even these shops will probably give you at least one comic for free, but I still feel that this violates the principle of the event).

Happy hunting!