Hello Everyone! This past Saturday I went to my second Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) and visited three of my local comic shops. I got a load of free comics and bought some too. Even though Free Comic Book Day has been held in comic stores around the world since 2002, last year was my first time attending the event. In 2015, I found my love for comics and discovered FCBD from an advertisement in a comic book I was reading. Although I only went to one store last year, FCBD left quite an impression on me that I had to attend it again this year.

What is Free Comic Book Day?

Free Comic Book Day is an annual event where participating comic book stores give out free comics to anyone who comes into the store. It is held once a year on the first Saturday in May. Now to be clear, the whole store is not free for the taking. There is a selection of around 50 free comics to choose from (if each store has all of the titles in stock). However, every store has their own set number of how many comics books you can take. I would say the average number is 3-5 comics per store.

Not only are comic stores giving out free comics that day, but sometimes stores have special guests come in for signings. Cosplay is also welcomed on this day. If you dress up as your favorite comic book character, you might get an extra free comic book or two. What I love most about FCBD is that it introduces people of all ages to reading comic books. I’m a huge advocate for getting more people to read, especially children. Comic books and graphic novels take reading to a whole another level. It’s crazy how many individuals and families I see in comic book stores on FCBD than on any other given day. I’m so happy people are coming to support their local comics shops, as well as discovering comics for maybe the first time.

This year was my second Free Comic Book Day, so I knew to a degree what to expect. I only knew of one store’s FCBD protocol. I imagined each and every comic book store would have their own policies and agendas. This year I went with my boyfriend. It’s always fun going with someone to events like this. You can share the experience…and the comics.

Graham Crackers Comics – Chicago Loop

The first place we went to was Graham Cracker Comics – Chicago Loop. I went there for FCBD last year. It’s one of my favorite comic book stores. Probably because it was the first comic shop I’ve ever been to. This year, they had a great selection to choose from. Luckily, we didn’t get there when the store first opened because we didn’t have to wait in line too long to select our free comics. We got 3 free comics each plus a Suicide Squad #1 FCBD 2016 Edition. Of course I wanted to help support the shop, so I bought the latest Giant Days issues, and the new Gwenpool #0. I highly encourage you to check Graham Crackers out if your visiting the Loop area.

Chicago Comics

The second place we went to was Chicago Comics. This is another one of my favorite comic stops because they carry design books and art magazines as well as comics. Plus, I have a weakness for their kids comic bin – they always have back issues of Archie for $1.

Chicago Comics’ protocol for selecting free comics was slightly different than Graham Crackers’. I went to the back of store and saw a display with all of the free comics available. By the time we got there, half of the comics were gone. Each title had a number assigned to it. The girl working the table asked me to choose 3 numbers. You can see what I got in the picture below. Once I chose my 3 free comics, she put them in a bag and stapled them. My guess is they didn’t want anyone sneaking a “5 finger discount” item in their bag (if ya know what I mean). After that, I purchased a few kids comics. I found one that was a C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo) Exclusive. Unfortunately, no new Archie back issues that day. My boyfriend and I go there so often, I probably bought them all haha.

Graham Crackers Comics – Lakeview

The last comic shop we went to was Graham Crackers Comics – Lakeview. Graham Crackers has 9 locations in Illinois. One happens to be a few city blocks away from Chicago Comics. I’ve only been to Graham Crackers Lakeview a few times. It has a different feel than the one in the Loop, so it’s always a new experience. By the time we arrived, the store wasn’t too busy, which made it easy to select my free comics. They were giving out 3 free comics plus 2 Batman comics they selected. My boyfriend was nice enough to give me 2 of his free comics (my choice). Best Boyfriend Award! Most of the comics they had left were kids comics, but that was fine by me because if you haven’t noticed by my comics selections…I have a guilty pleasure for kids comics.

Graham Crackers Comics shops always have a great selection of back issues for about almost any series. With that being said, I was on the hunt for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Archie Comics – two of my favorite comic series. I ended up finding the last issue I needed to complete Season 9 of BTVS, so I was a happy customer.

This year was a very successful Free Comic Book Day. The next FCBD will be on May 6th 2017. If you live in the Chicago area, I hope you will check out Graham Crackers Comics and Chicago Comics. Miss the chance the get your hands on these great FCBD titles? Graham Crackers Comics’ is selling FCBD exclusives from this year and years past for $2 each online. Get them before they’re gone! Use the code: PARAGON to get 10% off your online order (expires 5/15/2016). Visit freecomicbookday.com to learn more about Free Comic Book Day and to see which of your local comic shops participate in this exciting event!

What did you pick up from FCBD? What are your favorite comics shops to visit? Would you like me to review any of the comics I snagged on Free Comic Book Day? Please let me know in the comments below!

♥ Candis