Go Support Your Local Comic Book Shop–It’s Free Comic Book Day!

The first Saturday of every May comic book publishers prepare several special issues to be given away at stores all over the country for free. You walk into the store (you can locate yours here), ask one of the associates where the free comics are, and then go where they tell you and take as many as you want.

Glen Weldon, NPR’s resident comic book expert, has a wonderful guide to what titles to look for depending on what you’re into. His advice? Tell the staff what you like, “What movies, books, television shows you seek out, and they’ll be able to find something that should line up with your tastes, whether or not it’s an FCBD offering.”

If you’re not convinced, here’s a Hugh Jackman, aka Wolverine and that singing guy from the French Revolution:

Even though there are literally over a hundred free comics to choose from (though every store will have it’s own unique selection), maybe use the opportunity to actually buy something as well. My own advice? If you like superheroes, give “Wolverine and the X-Men” and “Hawkeye” a shot, or, if you prefer DC, “Aquaman” and “Batman.”

For non-superhero comics I recommend “The Massive,” “The Manhattan Project,” and “Saga.” For graphic novels (and trades), here’s the Times listing of what’s hot right now.