May has arrived, and that means it’s time for another Free Comic Book Day. Every year, comic shops across the world take part in the event by giving away free books on the first Saturday of May. Many of these books serve as primers for major upcoming storylines or best-selling series, meaning it’s usually worth heading out and braving the crowds to try and snag the most important comics.
This year’s crop is no exception. From DC’s Absolute Power Special Edition to Marvel’s Blood Hunt/X-Men #1 to Titan’s Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone, there are some key stories you can only read as part of Free Comic Book Day. Here are the 11 biggest books to be on the lookout for, along with a breakdown of how and where you can join in on the fun.
Absolute Power Special Edition #1
Publisher: DC
DC is about to kick off Absolute Power, a major crossover event that involves Amanda Waller teaming with Batman’s rogue android Failsafe and the Brainiac Queen to drain the world’s heroes of their power. This prologue issue serves as a primer for the event, with a new story from Mark Waid and Mikel Janin and some bonus material that recaps the various stories that lead into Absolute Power.
Blood Hunt/X-Men #1
Publisher: Marvel
Marvel is continuing its approach of offering two stories in one with its various FCBD specials. This issue serves as a lead-in to both the vampire-themed Blood Hunt crossover and Marvel’s upcoming X-Men: From the Ashes relaunch. Writer Jed MacKay and artist Sara Pichelli handle the Blood Hunt prologue, while X-fans will get a taste of what to expect from Gail Simone and David Marquez’s Uncanny X-Men via a new Jubilee story.
Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone
Publisher: Titan Comics
Titan Comics is preparing for tis first big Conan event called Battle of the Black Stone, and it all starts in this FCBD story. Conan is haunted by a prophecy foretold by his nemesis Thulsa Doom, and it’s one with dire consequences for the entire Hyborian Age. This issue features a story from Jim Zub and Jonas Scharf.
Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor
Publisher: Titan Comics
Alongside their Conan issue, Titan is also releasing a new Doctor Who comic that has the distinction of being the first story to feature Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor. This special is designed as a lead-in to the upcoming Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor monthly series, with a story by Dan Watters and Kelsey Ramsey.
Energon Universe 2024 Special
Publisher: Image/Skybound
Robert Kirkman’s Skybound has been busy establishing a new shared Energon Universe, one which comprises Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici’s Void Rivals as well as the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises. Already, there have proven to be surprising connections between these books, and readers can expect more big plot twists in the first Energon Universe FCBD special. This issue features new stories for all three series and is designed to be an easy gateway into this rapidly growing comic book line.
Hellboy/Stranger Things
Publisher: Dark Horse
Dark Horse is pairing together its two biggest horror franchises for one FCBD special. This book includes Mike Mignola and Mark Laszlo’s Hellboy story “The Fortune Teller,” as Hellboy’s fortune reading quickly goes off the rails. On the Stranger Things front, Derek Fridolfs and Jonathan Case deliver a new tale that features Jonathan and Argyle swapping spooky stories.
Jonny Quest
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Jonny Quest is the latest Warner Bros. property to be licensed to Dynamite Entertainment, with Joe Casey and Sebastián Piriz tappped to chronicle an all-new set of globe-trotting adventures for the Quest family. This special features a 10-page prelude story setting up the upcoming monthly series, and it also features previews of Dynamite’s Thundercats and Space Ghost comics for good measure.
Romeo vs. Juliet: A Kill Shakespeare Adventure
Publisher: Gemstone Publishing
Plenty of comics have been inspired by the works of William Shakespeare, but perhaps none have been more memorable than Anthony Del Col’s Kill Shakespeare. This long-running series reimagines the Bard’s library into a single shared universe. This issue provides a preview of the upcoming graphic novel Romeo vs. Juliet, which follows a pregnant Juliet who has found a new calling as a killer-for-hire.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Big things are brewing for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise this summer. Writer Jason Aaron is relaunching the main TMNT comic with a superstar lineup of artists. This special not only includes a preview of that relaunch, but also two brand-new stories, one of which introduces a new vigilante named Nightwatcher. But who is this new hero, and how are they inspired by the Turtles?
The Worlds of James Tynion IV
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer James Tynion IV is arguably the biggest name in comics when it comes to horror series, and many of Tynion’s best works can be found at BOOM! Studios. This issue is designed as a gateway into Tynion’s horror projects, collecting previously released stories from books like Something Is Killing the Children and The Woods. Fans can also expect previews of some of Tynion’s upcoming horror projects.
Ultimate Universe/Spider-Man #1
Publisher: Marvel
Marvel’s second two-for-one special centers around the new Ultimate Universe line and The Amazing Spider-Man. First, this issue teases Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri’s Ultimates series by introducing a new hero to this evolving universe. Second, the Spider-Man story acts as a prologue to The Amazing Spider-Man #50, setting up the return of the Green Goblin.
For more on what’s coming in the comic book world, check out the biggest new comics of May 2024. And for more reading recommendations, see IGN’s picks for the best Batman graphic novels of all time.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.