Free Comic Book Day Returns To Alternate Reality

CHICAGO — The South Side’s premier comic book store, Alternate Reality, in Mount Greenwood, will participate in Free Comic Book Day Saturday, May 7.

Over 2,000 stores around the country will take part in Free Comic Book Day, which is intended to promote comics and attract new readers to independent comic books stores across North America.

Alternate Reality, 3149 West 111th St., Chicago, will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store will be handing out 50 free comics, first come, first served.

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This is the 20th anniversary of the national event, which began in 2002 on the day after the release of the first “Spider-Man” film. It is held annually on the first Saturday of May, typically on the same weekend as the release of a major film based on a Marvel comic.

This year’s Free Comic Book Day takes place the same weekend as the release of the latest Marvel superhero film, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

A committee of comic book retailers has selected 46 comic book titles at participating comic shops worldwide. The comics are categorized into "gold" and "silver" categories. "Gold" comics include "Doctor Who," and "Stranger Things Resident Alien," while "Avengers X-Men" and "The Guardian of Fukushima" are among the "silver" comics.

This year, Free Comic Book Day will also be introducing an age rating system, so everyone gets the comics they want, indicated on the cover by a color-coded Free Comic Book Day logo: green denotes books appropriate for readers of all ages, including kids. The blue logo denotes books appropriate for teen readers, ages 13 and up, and the red logo denotes mature titles, most appropriate for those 18 and up.

Remember, you’re getting something for free, so be sure to say thank-you. Free Comic Book Day is not free for retailers, that have to order the selections, so buy something too.

Click here to find a store near you by Zip Code, and visit Free Comic Book Day for more information.