After the demise of Diamond Distribution as being the main depot to find comics, and advertise Free Comic Book Day 2026 in their catalogue, it’s harder to know ahead of time what will be released. Thankfully we have the Internet. However, not everyone makes the effort to look ahead. And not everyone knows that there’s “two” events instead of one to cover all the publishers. According to The Beat, there was once a plan to have three, but it’s been scaled back.
Not only is there the normal FCBD, there’s also Comics Giveaway Day. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one and the same, just under different distribution channels. There was supposed to be a third, but when Oni Press threw its support behind the original event, the momentum behind that idea collapsed with it.
Finding out what’s coming out in stores on a weekly basis takes more digging these days, which I covered last year in Beyond Diamond Previews: Tracking Comic Releases in a Split Distribution World if you need a starting point. As for what publishers are actually putting out, the best source is their own websites. Here’s what’s caught my attention so far. Although these releases are offered after the regular running series of the same name, especially concerning Stitch and the Winchester boys, that’s okay. The goal is to hopefully get newcomers to consider the eventual trade paperback releases of each.
Free Comic Book Day
Greatest American Hero
AMP Comics
He’s back. The bumbling superhero from the cult 80s TV series is getting a comic revival, and the hook is a good one: reconnecting with a son who only knows him as “the crazy man in red pajamas.” That’s a premise with heart built right into it. The original show had a charm that’s hard to replicate, but leaning into the generational angle feels like the right way to bring this one forward without just retreading the past.
Stitch #1
Dynamite Entertainment
Dr. Jumba Jookiba, the scientist responsible for unleashing the blue-furred chaos engine known as Stitch onto an unsuspecting galaxy, is now at risk of losing his membership in E.G.G.S., the Evil Genius Group-slash-Syndicate. That sentence alone tells you exactly what kind of comic this is going to be, and honestly, that’s a selling point. Stitch content has been having a serious cultural moment lately, and a story centred on Jumba rather than the experiment himself is a smart angle.
Supernatural #1
Dynamite Entertainment
The Winchesters are back on the road, and Dynamite is leaning straight into what made the show work: Sam and Dean, small-town America, and demonic wrongdoing that needs sorting out. For fans who felt the ending left things unfinished, a comic continuation is at least one more chapter. Whether it can capture the texture of the show is another question, but the setup is pure Supernatural comfort food.
Energon Universe FCBD 2026 Special
Image Comics
If you’ve been following the Energon Universe at Image, this is basically a sampler plate of everything happening across the line right now. Four all-new stories pulling from Transformers, G.I. Joe, Void Rivals, and more, all in one Free Comic Book Day issue. The Energon Universe has built up a lot of momentum, and a special like this is a good entry point if you’ve been curious but haven’t committed to any of the individual titles yet.
Journey to the West
UDON Entertainment / Manga Classics
UDON and Manga Classics bringing Journey to the West to Free Comic Book Day is exactly the kind of pick that makes this event worthwhile. The introductory story covers the origin of Sun Wukong alongside monk Tang Sanzang’s journey to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures from India, and it’s one of the foundational texts of East Asian storytelling. If you’ve only encountered the Monkey King through adaptations and want to go closer to the source in a comics format, this is a solid starting point.
Dungeon Crawler Carl #0
Vault Comics
The LitRPG phenomenon makes the jump to graphic novel, and Free Comic Book Day is your first look at it. For readers unfamiliar with the source material, Dungeon Crawler Carl is a New York Times bestselling series with a devoted following, and a comics adaptation has been a long time coming. This zero issue is the first chapter, which makes it a genuinely good jumping-on point rather than just promotional material.
Comics Giveaway Day
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe / Dungeons & Dragons
Dark Horse
The issue pairs two fantasy stories: He-Man and the Heroic Warriors going up against Hordak and the Evil Horde, and a D&D tale set in the Forgotten Realms featuring spell-slinging and sword-swinging across Faerûn. Written by Tim Seeley with art by Andrew Krahnke on the MOTU side, and Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on the D&D side. Two distinct properties sharing a flipbook format is a solid value grab, and Seeley writing He-Man is exactly the kind of assignment that should work.
The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade: The Graphic Novel Sampler
Penguin Young Readers
This is a sampler of the second book in the series, adapted as a full-colour graphic novel. The zombies are disappearing, which sounds like good news until Jack Sullivan starts hearing an eerie shrieking noise that seems to be calling them somewhere. Jack and his friends, plus their pet monster Rover, need to figure out why before they’re next. By Max Brallier and Brian Churilla. Solid younger-reader pick with enough monster chaos to keep it fun.
Disney Manga: Stitch! Best Food Forever!
Tokyopop
Stitch returns to Izayoi Island for a reunion with Yuna, who introduces him to the joys of good food and even better friendship. Written by Nao Jodaka with adaptation by Tom Mason. Lighter fare, but the Stitch/Yuna dynamic from the anime series has its fans and this is a gentle preview of what the manga brings to it.
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