DC Comics Reveals 2024 ‘Free Comic Book Day’ Line Up

‘Free Comic Book Day’ is one of my favourite days of the year where publishers including DC Comics and Marvel, offer free comics, usually to promote their upcoming graphic novels. This year ‘Free Comic Book Day’ takes place on Saturday 4th May in participating comic shops.

This year, DC are offering four free comics, their secret one will launch one of their upcoming major events, two offer previews for their upcoming Young Adult and Middle Grade graphic novels and the other is a collaboration with MAD Magazine. DC Comics have described their secret issue as “the prelude to the biggest DC comics book event of 2024”, which has supposedly been 30 years in the making. The issue will tell an original story that will then launch a new series in the summer of 2024 and will change the DC Universe.

The two preview issues will focus on their upcoming middle grade and young adult graphic novels’ ‘Barkham Asylum‘ which is set for release on 7th May 2024 and ‘Barda‘, which will release on 4th June 2024.

‘Barkam Asylum‘ is written and illustrated by Yehudi Mercado and it tells the story of the pets of DC’s Super-Villains going to the titular maximum-security pound after their owners are put into Arkham Asylum. The novel features Jester (The Joker’s dog) who meets a tough stray cat named Penny as the two work together to win a talent show and get the chance to visit their owners in Arkham.

‘Barda‘ is written and illustrated by Ngozi Ukazu and finds Granny Goodness deeming Big Barda as “soft” and assigning her a tough task to prove her might. On a mission to break the unbreakable Mister Miracle (Scott Free), Barda finds herself questioning how he has such hope and what he has done to make Granny hate him. Barda finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Scott, making ‘Barda’ a story of self-discovery, friendship and first love. 

‘Free Comic Book Day’ takes place on Saturday 4th May 2024 in participating comic book stores.