Comics Portal: Free Comic Book Day Goes Digital!

Free Comic Book Day was a success again in 2023, and it went digital more than ever!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2023

The first Saturday in May is always like Christmas for comic book fans! We get to join other members of our neighborhoods as we meet in our local comic book store to sample free comics, some we’ve never read before and others updating us on the better known series!

This year, really the first post-pandemic, saw even more people than last year! A lot of shops seem to have gone all-out when they ordered the “free” comics (they do pay a minimal amount for them, you know), and a lot of creators set up shop in stores to meet fans and sell their various wares! Great to see that happening in force again!

Seems like most FCBD offerings are either previews of upcoming events (like DC’s “Knight Terrors,” IDW’s Star Trek crossover, and Marvel’s Spider-Man/Venom book), reprints of significant issues (like Vault’s West of Sundown #1 or Dog Man and the Legion of Misfits), or a combination of both (Tom Holland’s Fright Night). I’m sure Titan is hoping the exposure for their new Conan line will help that book get big orders as well!

There were a total of 43 books, apparently, and you had to get to stores early in order to have a better choice! That’s true every year, though!

Many sites and digital communications included an app to find the closest comics shop near you, which was very helpful! I’m sure the stores appreciated it!

GOING MORE DIGITAL THIS YEAR

One thing I noticed more in 2023 was that, while many creators were out and about, others chose to turn to digital/online to share their stuff. I received several emails from various comics pros pointing me to places I could download their good materials! Some did both! In fact, there were so many that I couldn’t possibly list them all here!

I liked that! It was impossible for every creator to hit every shop, so this helped spread the word!

I would like to see more of that moving forward!

As I like to point out, I enjoy digital comics for certain needs, such as a book I want to try out rather than invest in. A digital sample makes it easy for me to look the comic over, then decide if I want to go physical, as it were!

Does this take the place of physical comics? Not for me! I still enjoy holding copies in my hands as I read them, but I’ll take digital when that isn’t possible—at least, not right away!

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

I have some friends who look at FCBD as just a blip on the radar, making it a day you do NOT want to go to your shop! Too many people, too much going on, I can’t talk with the employees like I prefer to do during the week, and other reasons are always given to me when I ask why someone doesn’t like FCBD.

The important thing is that this “holiday” really helps reach out to groups we need to talk with, including fans who have fallen out of the habit of buying comics, fans who have turned to TV and movies instead of paper copies, and the curious. That last group is a critical one because they have at least a spark of interest that could be fanned into a flame of genuine fandom.

As I always like to say, we need every single fan we can get these days to keep the industry around, if not growing!

I always tell people who are big on the movies (like this past weekend’s debut of Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3) and the TV shows that these things wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the comics! Yes, some hit the big screen BEFORE they become comics and some do AFTER, but I like to point out that comics are an important part of the process!

Without them, we likely wouldn’t have the live-action versions you enjoy! Really!

We’re facing an uphill battle, though, because so many kids and adults find watching the small or big screens so much easier than having to go through the process of travelling to local stores, picking out the books you want, then taking them home to read them while keeping them in the best condition possible (especially if you are a collector).

I have to tell friends, especially the collectors among us, that it’s READING the books that counts, not bagging and boarding them without ever cracking them open! Why does a comic become desirable? Because many of us actually read them and enjoyed them, making them more in demand! A great story and/or great art makes others want to get a great copy to keep!

Don’t get me wrong—we need the collectors as well, so I don’t want to discourage anyone who wants to buy books for that purpose! But in order to truly enjoy a comic, you really need to dive in and get to know the characters and the surroundings. It seems so strange to me that I have to tell some folks that, but I truly have to keep our eye on the prize—more comics in the future!

Of course, as a DC fan, I liked their books the most of what was available! I have often said that I like their YA (Young Adult) materials quite a lot! I haven’t gotten through them all yet, though, so I might yet again discover my next “new” favorite comic among them!

Didn’t get to go to FCBD? Check with your local shop to see if they have any offerings left! I’m sure they would be happy to get them in your hands!

I like to say that whoever thought up and implemented Free Comic Book Day needs to get a yearly bonus in his or her paycheck! Ya done the industry good! Now if we could only get the Halloween version somewhere close to the same level of interest!

What do you think? Did you find FCBD a fun event at your LCS? Did you have a favorite among the comics out on Saturday? What can we do to make HalloweenFest more popular? Whatever your opinions, be sure to share them in the space below!

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