Tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day, the annual holiday for comics fans hoping to fill their longboxes on the cheap. Given that a lot of local comic book shops limit customers to just a handful of gratis titles, though, it’s usually a good idea to know what’s going to be on the shelves before you brave the hordes of junior cosplayers and alluring back-issue sales to grab your zero-cost superhero swag:
Unsurprisingly, Marvel and DC are both using this year’s FCBD offerings to highlight their upcoming (or just-released) films. For instance, did you know that DC is working on a Suicide Squad movie? Or that there’s a new Captain America film in theaters? In case the marketing machines have somehow missed you, both companies have titles from their respective franchises available (plus a preview of Marvel’s upcoming Civil War II, the sequel to the big event that quasi-inspired Captain America: Civil War).
But the smaller studios have their own pop-culture-based lures ready, too. Dynamite has an issue of its Bob’s Burgers comic book ready to go, while Dark Horse finally answers the question, “Where’s Firefly?” with a definitive, “Right here, okay?” (Said issue also includes a Hellboy story, the better to meet all your “Screwed by Hollywood executives” needs.) There’s also the usual assortment of Simpsons and Adventure Time comics, for anybody who likes cartoons, but only when they hold perfectly still.
You can see the entire Free Comic Book Day 2016 line-up—including some comics which, shockingly, don’t have a tie to a major movie or TV series—here, along with previews of a bunch of the issues, and a store locator so that you can find your local shop.