This week Free Comic Book Day unveiled the titles that will be available as part of Free Comic Book Day 2020. The annual comic shop event, held on May 2 encourages kids and adults alike to read comics and support their local shops. This year comic retailers selected 47 different titles for the 2020 event, but here are the ones Halloween and horror lovers will most likely be interested in.
Full details on these 2020 titles have not yet been released, so I have pieced together details on each title based on my own research and knowledge of each comic.
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins / Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology
This Free Comic Book Day release from Dark Horse Comics will introduce readers to the world of “Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins.” The comic series that tells the origin story of a band of adventurers known as Vox Machina. The comic will also introduce Neil Gaiman’s new comic series “Norse Mythology,” which is being adapted by award-winning comics artist P. Craig Russell.
Dark Ark: Instinct
For Free Comic Book Day 2020 AfterShock Comics is releasing “Dark Ark” Instinct” a one-shot by writer Cullen Bunn that continues the story from their “Dark Ark” series, which tells the story of the sorcerer Shrae who built his own version of Noah’s Ark to house the monsters and mythical creatures that populate the earth.
Hillbilly: The Lizard of Rusty Creek Cave
Hillbilly is an Appalachian fantasy epic that tells the story of Rondel, a wandering hillbilly who wanders the wooded hills where witches and magical creatures dwell. This Free Comic Book Day release is likely a one-shot tale from Rondel’s adventures.
Stranger Things / Minecraft
This is the second year Dark Horse has released a “Stranger Things” comic for Free Comic Book Day. Last year’s offering was less than stellar considering the caliber of “Stranger Things” comics Dark Horse has put out (You can read my thoughts on it here), but if you judge a book by its cover this year’s offering looks promising. The released cover art suggests we’re going to get some sort of story revolving around the Scoops Troop from “Stranger Things 3.” This issue will also include a Minecraft comic.
Disney Masters: Donald Duck
I’ll be honest, I know nothing about this comic beyond what the cover tells me. I included this solely because: BATS.
Richard Fairgray’s Monster Showcase
This 2020 Free Comic Book Day offering appears to be a collection of stories from comic author/illustrator Richard Fairgray and will likely include an excerpt from his middle-grade graphic novel Black Sand Beach, which is due to be released in 2020 as well as a tale featuring his popular Blastosaurus character, which has been a long time hit in New Zealand, but has just recently been introduced to the states through Golden Apple Books. “Black Sand Beach” tells the story of a young boy spending the summer at his cousins beach house where he’ll discover aliens, a haunted lighthouse, zombie sheep and more. Blastosaurus is a mutant triceratops who has been known to battle monsters, robots, and other bizarre villains found in Freak Out City.
Brandon Sanderson’s Dark One #1
“Dark One” has been a concept of author Brand Sandersonfor a number of years and has been considered for a number of adaptations including television. But for now, it appears the story will be released in graphic novel format and this release from Vault comics will be our first look at the story. Pitched as “Harry Potter from Voldemort’s viewpoint,” “Dark One” tells the story of a young man in our world who is prophesized to be the one who will destroy a fantasy world. The story follows this young man as he is sought out by assassins and forced to confront the possibility that he might do what the prophecies say.
The Weirn Books
In November author Svetlana Chmakova announced a brand new series titled “The Weirn Books.” The trilogy of books will reintroduce readers to the world of “Nightschool,” a series of graphic novels previously released by the author, but will take place in a new location and feature an all-new cast of characters. The series will tell of a school filled with shifters, vampires, weirns, and other night things. This Free Comic Book Day comic will likely introduce us to the new series, which is set to be released in Summer 2020.
You can view the full list of Free Comic Book Day 2020 titles and find a participating local comic shp over at FreeComicBookDay.com.
This article has been updated to reflect new information about Svetlana Chmakova’s Free Comic Book Day contribution “The Weirn Books” based on new information obtained after the original publishing.
