The Free Comic Book Day Retailer Selection Committee has announced the 48 comic book titles it has selected for its annual event, which is set to take place on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at comic shops worldwide. The lineup is filled with your usual fare of superheroes, Star Wars, and the like, but I’m here to share all of the titles that might interest you if you walk on the spookier side of life.
The Worlds of James Tynion IV
In this Free Comic Book Day exclusive from Boom! Studios, the publisher celebrates the horror works of writer James Tynion IV, author of “Something is Killing the Children,” “The Woods,” and “Memetic.” This release will feature a curated lineup of some of Tynion’s most terrifying and thought-provoking stories and features an exclusive collectible cover (which is still under wraps).
Hellboy and Stranger Things
For Free Comic Book Day 2024, Dark Horse Comics is releasing a special double issue featuring two original stories from the worlds of “Hellboy” and “Stranger Things.”
The “Hellboy” short story titled, ‘The Fortune Teller,’ is written by Mike Mignola and follows a murder investigation that leads to a mysterious Romanian fortune teller who is way too interested in Hellboy’s past and future.
Then, writer Derek Fridolfs serves up a new “Stranger Things” tale with ‘Deliver Me from Evil,’ which finds Argyle and Jonathan swapping fantastical and scary stories as they make one last pizza delivery for the night.
Witches of Brooklyn
“Witches of Brooklyn” returns to Free Comic Book Day with an all-new story from writer Sophie Escabasse that can be enjoyed by new and existing readers. Join Effie and friends on a one-of-a-kind, magical adventure that also includes fun activities.
Cannibal
This Free Comic Book Day release gives readers the chance to get a taste of one of the hottest new titles in horror manga. Already lauded in Japan and spawning a live-action adaptation on Hulu, ABLAZE is publishing this horrifying tale in English for the first time! After the mysterious disappearance of a countryside cop, the role is reassigned to Officer Daigo Agawa. He finds the remote village quaint and looks forward to an easygoing post among the warm and welcoming citizenry. Then… He gets a call. The body of a local grandmother has been found. A human bite mark has been left on the corpse, and any voiced suspicion of Agawa’s is met with a strange, sudden, and intense hostility. Something dark is lurking under the idyllic façade of the charming mountain village. But can Officer Agawa spare himself and his family from it?
The Cursed Library Prelude
Archie Comics’ Archie Horror imprint expands on last year’s Free Comic Book Day release, “The Cursed Library,” with “The Cursed Library Prelude.” The last 10 years of Archie Horror content all lead to this terrifying new story where Jinx Holliday and Madam Satan unpack the mystery behind the horrors that seem to descend upon Riverdale and its surrounding towns. In this unlikely team-up, Jinx and Madam Satan discover the source of these horrors is Jinx’s very own library, and the tales it houses are an endless collection of dark worlds all created for the demonic Cursed Library. Who created this collection, and how can the horrors finally be stopped?
Maleficent #1
Rediscover, or experience for the first time, Disney and Dynamite’s “Maleficent.” Inspired by the iconic Disney villain, this first issue reprint from writer and artist Soo Lee tells a stunning tale of the Queen of the Forbidden Mountain.
Marvel & Fantagraphics Present The Atlas Comics Library
In the fall, Marvel and Fantagraphics teamed up to release classic comics from the pre-Marvel Atlas era. In May 2024, the fun continues with a 32-page Free Comic Book Day release showcasing several pre-Code comics from the House of Ideas. Included are Stan Lee and Joe Maneely’s satire on anti-comics crusader Fredric Wertham, “The Raving Maniac”; Gene Colan’s horror story “The Clock Strikes”; Basil Wolverton’s horror story “Where Monsters Dwell”; Maneely’s gritty war story “Rain”; Maneely’s Hank Ketcham parody, “Pascal the Rascal”; and Bill Everett’s romantic horror story “The Kiss of Death,” starring Atlas heroine Venus.
Monster High: New Scaremester
This Free Comic Book Day release gives “Monster High” fans their first look at IDW and Mattel’s very first Monster High comic book series, “Monster High: Scaremester.” The ghouls are back at school, and it isn’t all creepovers and monster balls like before. You won’t want to miss this if you’re into frights, fiends, and fangs; it’ll be totally spooktacular.
The Night Librarian
Get your first taste of “The Night Librarian” in this Free Comic Book Day 2024 release. “Night at the Museum” meets “The Land of Stories” in this thrilling new graphic novel adventure series in which two siblings, a mysterious Night Librarian, and a motley cast of book characters try to save the New York Public Library. Twins Page and Turner know about the magic a library holds. They’ve been visiting their beloved New York City public library for years, especially since their parents always travel for work. But a secret mission involving their dad’s rare and valuable edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula uncovers a world they’ve never known, featuring a mysterious Night Librarian, famous heroes (and villains) that have broken free from classic books, and an epic battle to save the library from total destruction!
Tons of Strange
This Free Comic Book Day 2024 issue from 10 Ton Press features three strange tales, but the most notable for All Hallows Geek readers is a story from the world of “Becoming Frankenstein.” This look ahead takes place several months after the events of “Becoming Frankenstein #6” and finds Victor in the hellish confines of the Ravenstone Asylum while Elizabeth revisits her past that will be the catalyst for her future as a Frankenstein.
Free Comic Book Day will take place at participating comic shops on Saturday, May 4, 2024. To find a participating comic book shop near you or to view next year’s full lineup of comic book titles, visit https://www.freecomicbookday.com/
