And just like that, the most exciting month of the year has arrived. Not only is it my birthday month, but it’s also May the 4th, the day a year that we can let our Star Wars freak flag fly high, and it’s also Free Comic Book Day!
For those who don’t know, Free Comic Book Day is an annual event where comic shops across the world give away free comics. It always falls on the first Saturday of May, and many of the comics given away serve as primers for major upcoming storylines or best-selling series.
Over two thousand stores worldwide participate, and millions of comics are given away. So, if you’re looking to participate this year but don’t know the first thing about comics, here are ten comics based on your favourite video games to keep your eye on and add to your collection this Free Comic Book Day.
Cyberpunk 2077: Kickdown
Writer: Tomasz Marchewka
Artist: Jake Elphick
Bio:
Fire up the engines, it’s a street takeover! With her foot on the pedal of the hottest ride in Night City, the daughter of a famed carjacker is out to fix the past. In a crowd of gangsters, racers, and criminals, word on the street travels fast-and that’s all according to plan.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage: A Soar Of Eagles
Writer: Michael Avon Oeming
Artist: Mirko Colak
Bio:
Years before the events of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, a young Fuladh must return to his homeland to investigate political unrest that could point to a secret Order of the Ancients’ stronghold.
But in order to discover what’s behind the chaos and violence in Adulis, Fuladh and Roshan will have to confront a more immediate danger.
Blacksad
Writer: Juan Diaz Canales
Artist: Juanjo Guarnido
Bio:
Private investigator John Blacksad is up to his feline ears in mystery, digging into the backstories behind murders, child abductions, and nuclear secrets.
Whether John Blacksad is falling for dangerous women or getting beaten to within an inch of his life, his stories are, simply put, unforgettable.
The Witcher: Corvo Bianco
Writer: Bartosz Sztybor
Artist: Corrado Mastantuono
Bio:
Geralt acquires a taste for a simple life-good wine and good company. With Yennefer at his side, the routines of a witcher are eclipsed.
But the stains of history are deep, and with blood and wine, every drop attracts those who want more.
Life Is Strange: Forget-Me-Not
Writer: Zoe Thorogood
Artist: Claudia Leonardi
Bio:
It’s been a year since Alex and Steph Gingrich left Haven Springs, Colorado, at the end of Life is Strange: True Colors.
Though Alex might have found control over her psychic powers, she struggles with knowing when to use her powers and when to let those around her battle their own demons, if they’ll be strong enough to do so.
Dead By Daylight
Writer: Nadia Shammas
Artist: Dilon Snook
Bio:
When twenty-year-old Frank crashes into the lives of Julie, Joey, and Susie, together they’ll unleash bloody chaos onto the sleepy, dead-end town of Ormond. Witness the terrifying origins of The Legion.
The Last Of Us: American Dreams
Writer: Neil Druckmann
Artist: Faith Erin Hicks
Bio:
Nineteen years ago, a parasitic fungal outbreak killed the majority of the world’s population, forcing survivors into a handful of quarantine zones.
Thirteen-year-old Ellie has grown up in this violent, postpandemic world, and her disrespect for the military authority running her boarding school earns her new enemies, a new friend in fellow rebel Riley, and her first trip into the outside world.
Horizon: Zero Dawn – Liberation
Writer: Anne Toole
Artist: Elmer Damaso
Bio:
Horizon: a far-future Earth full of epic natural beauty and forgotten ruins, where awe-inspiring, animal-like machines are the dominant species and humans struggle to survive in pre-industrial tribes.
Set during the events of Horizon Zero Dawn, Erend and Aloy are on the hunt for the killer of an important member of the Oseram tribe, fending off deadly machines along the way. As the hunt progresses, Erend reveals the sweeping tale of the liberation of Meridian, and how his sister, Ersa, Captain of the Carja Vanguard, was murdered.
League Of Legends: Zed
Writer: Odin Austin Shafer
Artist: Edger Salazar
Bio:
He aims to protect his homeland of Ionia…even if he must spill innocent blood! The man known as Zed, formerly of the honourable Kinkou Order, is now the leader of a band of assassins.
When the magically gifted psychopath known as Khada Jhin returns to kill again, Zed must confront his troubled past in more ways than one – including a reunion with his former friend Shen, son of the master that Zed killed!
Dark Souls: The Willow King
Writer: George Mann
Artist: Maan House
Bio:
The mighty king Ustrad of Uthrel linked the flame, after his servant Herad failed and was consumed by the fire, reduced to ashes.
Now, the time has come to link the fire again, but Ustrad now refuses to do his duty to his kingdom. Herad, resurrected as unkindled, returns to unite three mighty warriors to venture into the Willow King’s domain, and do what needs to be done.
Honourable Mentions:
- Bloodborne: The Bleak Dominion
- Dragon Age: The Missing
- Gears of War: Hivebusters
- God of War: Fallen God
- Halo Wars: Genesis
- Mass Effect: Discovery
- Sam & Max
- Silent Hill: Among The Damned
- Street Fighter Masters
- Wolfenstein
But now I want to know if you will be heading to your local Comic book store to pick up any comics on Free Comic Book Day. If so, let me know what comics you have your eyes on in the comments below.