It is early May, which means it is Free Comic Book Day time again, which in turn means another free Avatar comic is coming out. I know not everyone keeps up with comics or Free Comic Book Day, so this post is here to attempt to explain the event to you and let you know how to get your hands on this year's free Korra comic.
When is Free Comic Book Day?
Free Comic Book Day 2016 is this Saturday, May 7th starting whenever your local participating comic book store opens.
Participating? Is the event not in every comic store?
Only stores that have chosen to participate in Free Comic Book Day will have free comics available. You can find your nearest participating store by checking out this link.
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/storelocator
Great, a store nearby is taking part, how early should I go to make sure I get the comics I want?
It depends completely on how popular your local store usually is. My own local store is one of the most popular comic stores in Ireland so this event is MASSIVE, to guarantee I get the comics I want I usually have to queue up before the store even opens. The last 2 times I went I was 20-30th in the queue about an hour before the store opened.
Check if your local store has a website or a presence on Social Media, they will probably give you an idea on how big they are expecting the event to be.
In short go as Early as possible.
Ok, so I go early and get into the store, what does the Korra comic look like?
Korra is on the cover of the All-Ages Dark Horse Free Comic this year, so it will be hard to miss on the shelf. Here is the cover so you know what you are looking for.
Awesome, are there any other free comics worth picking up while I am there?
Absolutely, there are 50 free comics available covering a wide variety of different comic publishers and franchises. A few notable comics this year include: Doctor Who, The Simpsons, Assassins Creed, Sonic, Pokemon, One Punch Man and even Attack On Titan along with the usual Marvel and DC offerings.
You can check out all of the free comics available here.
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/1/1/27/981
50, that is a lot. Can I really get 50 free comics if I arrive early enough?
In terms of how each store runs the event, it does vary from store to store. My local store has a large queue and they let a couple of people into the store at a time, you can pick up 1 of as many of the 50 free comics as you want (No duplicates). You do have to get all of the free comics scanned through the till so that the store can keep track of how many comics they have given away.
My local store does recommend that you just pick up the comics you actually want and not just pick up 50 comics just because you can get 50 free comics.
I am also aware that some stores give out goodie bags with a selection of the free comics, they separate them into bags with the children focused comics and others with the more adult orientated comics.
Are all comics in the store free?
No, only the 50 comics that specifically have the Free Comic Book Day logo are free, everything else you do still have to pay for.
Is the event just about picking up free comics, or is there more to the event?
Again it does depend on your specific store. Some stores may have artists and writers in to do signings, others may do competitions. Overall the event is meant to get new people into comics, especially kids and really hit it home that comics are not just for adults. Avatar comics are a perfect example, hence why we have had Avatar free comics the last few years.
What if my store is all out of the Korra comic when I arrive?
We will try to have scans of the comic up here on the site on Saturday, so that everyone gets a chance to read the book. Some places will be selling extra copies online afterwards, but if you miss out on a hard copy it may be difficult to get a hold of one. Dark Horse do also make the comic available digitally for free, though it is usually a while after the event.
Will there be a review for the comic up on this site?
Yes, I will get a written and video review up on Saturday as soon as I can. If I manage to get a copy myself it will be pretty early, if I miss out, it could be much later on Saturday.
We will also be recording a podcast review of the comic on Sunday, that will probably be the most in-depth discussion of the book we put out on the site.
Will there be other Avatar comics available to buy in store?
It depends on the stock that your local store has, but most stores should have some Avatar comics in stock. Here are the names of all of the available Avatar/Korra books that should be available.
The Lost Adventures, The Promise (Available in 3 parts or a complete hardback), The Search (Same options as The Promise) and The Rift (Same options as The Promise), Smoke and Shadow Part 1, 2, 3 and also art books for ATLA and all 4 books of Korra.
I think I am all set for Free Comic Book Day, thanks for this guide!
You're welcome!
If you have any additional questions about Free Comic Book Day ask them in the comments below.
Awesome, are there any other free comics worth picking up while I am there?
Absolutely, there are 50 free comics available covering a wide variety of different comic publishers and franchises. A few notable comics this year include: Doctor Who, The Simpsons, Assassins Creed, Sonic, Pokemon, One Punch Man and even Attack On Titan along with the usual Marvel and DC offerings.
You can check out all of the free comics available here.
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/1/1/27/981
50, that is a lot. Can I really get 50 free comics if I arrive early enough?
In terms of how each store runs the event, it does vary from store to store. My local store has a large queue and they let a couple of people into the store at a time, you can pick up 1 of as many of the 50 free comics as you want (No duplicates). You do have to get all of the free comics scanned through the till so that the store can keep track of how many comics they have given away.
My local store does recommend that you just pick up the comics you actually want and not just pick up 50 comics just because you can get 50 free comics.
I am also aware that some stores give out goodie bags with a selection of the free comics, they separate them into bags with the children focused comics and others with the more adult orientated comics.
Are all comics in the store free?
No, only the 50 comics that specifically have the Free Comic Book Day logo are free, everything else you do still have to pay for.
Is the event just about picking up free comics, or is there more to the event?
Again it does depend on your specific store. Some stores may have artists and writers in to do signings, others may do competitions. Overall the event is meant to get new people into comics, especially kids and really hit it home that comics are not just for adults. Avatar comics are a perfect example, hence why we have had Avatar free comics the last few years.
What if my store is all out of the Korra comic when I arrive?
We will try to have scans of the comic up here on the site on Saturday, so that everyone gets a chance to read the book. Some places will be selling extra copies online afterwards, but if you miss out on a hard copy it may be difficult to get a hold of one. Dark Horse do also make the comic available digitally for free, though it is usually a while after the event.
Will there be a review for the comic up on this site?
Yes, I will get a written and video review up on Saturday as soon as I can. If I manage to get a copy myself it will be pretty early, if I miss out, it could be much later on Saturday.
We will also be recording a podcast review of the comic on Sunday, that will probably be the most in-depth discussion of the book we put out on the site.
Will there be other Avatar comics available to buy in store?
It depends on the stock that your local store has, but most stores should have some Avatar comics in stock. Here are the names of all of the available Avatar/Korra books that should be available.
The Lost Adventures, The Promise (Available in 3 parts or a complete hardback), The Search (Same options as The Promise) and The Rift (Same options as The Promise), Smoke and Shadow Part 1, 2, 3 and also art books for ATLA and all 4 books of Korra.
I think I am all set for Free Comic Book Day, thanks for this guide!
You're welcome!
If you have any additional questions about Free Comic Book Day ask them in the comments below.
