Free Comic Book Day 2025 at CNJComics

It’s that time of year again! Free Comic Book Day returns to Cleveland on Saturday, May 3rd, from 10 am to 7 pm! This is our 24th year hosting a Free Comic Book Day event! (yes, we’ve been doing it since its inception in 2002, when Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film came out.)

Everyone attending this year will be able to pick out 12 books from the 45 titles that are being offered. We will be using the same space as last year, the old tanning salon 50 feet from the shop. This is our favorite spot we’ve ever used due to its close proximity to the store.

It’s been a tough year so far, and quite a few FCBD books have been canceled due to Diamond’s bankruptcy and impending tariffs. (a vast majority of comics are printed in Canada)

Rest assured, we’re on top of everything we can do and will have every available free comic book and then some. It ain’t our first rodeo, and it’s a labor of love. (Be advised, the struggle is real, though.)

Here’s a link to the books from the official Free Comic Book Day website, which is run by Diamond, and in true Diamond form, wildly inaccurate. (But hey, it’s something.)

Did you know Diamond owns the IP for Free Comic Book Day? This year we feel like the band playing on the Titanic as the ship is going down. (So like, the song they’re playing is our FCBD!)

We always say this but the selection is pretty great this year with something for everyone, a lot of it foreshadowing an incredible summer of pop culture.

Our event this year will have some Superman theming, and you can see a few people who were flying around Cleveland in Superman’s Good Guy Gang!

On the other side of the multiverse, we’ve got the Fantastic Four / X-Men Special. They’ve got a movie coming this summer too, you know!

As I write this, I’ve got tickets in my pocket for the new Minecraft Movie, so here’s a Minecraft Manga comic that’s sure to be a hit on the day.

You can always use a great all ages Spidey Comic on FCBD! This year he shares the billing with Iron Man.

As in years past, all books have three age ratings identified by color: Green for all ages, Blue for teens (meaning 13+, but we find these comics to not have anything too objectionable in them.) and Red for Mature (meaning 18+). We keep these books grouped by color, with red at the very end of the line, clearly identified. Parents, please keep an eye on your children’s selections. We’ve laid the groundwork but it’s up to you to make sure your kids have the right kind of books for your family.

This year’s event will have a Superman theme, to honor his history in Cleveland as well as the movie coming out this summer. This starts with the new FCBD 2025 print, which is an homage to Neal Adams and Superman #233.

We dropped Superman into the iconic Cleveland Arcade, which will make an appearance in the aforementioned film. This print is available now at the shop, free with any purchase! 11×17 on cardstock paper and designed by Jameson Campbell, Great Lakes Brewing Company’s creative manager. If you can’t make it out to pick one up before the event, Jameson will be signing free copies from 10am to noon on the day of the event. Look for his table right after you get your free books.

This year’s mural by the Rust Belt Monster Collective will also have a “Superman in Cleveland” theme. Every year, this crew paints a twelve-foot-long mural live outside the shop. Watching it come together is always a highlight of the event for me, personally.

We will also set up our usual kids’ play area in the foyer attached to the shop. This area will be accessible from the outside as well and is a great place to let the little ones burn off some energy after waiting in line.

Outside of this area, from 10am to 1pm, there will be a special guest, “The Bee!” We had the Bee out last October and it was so cool we decided to have him out for a wider audience.

All are encouraged to wear their full comic book regalia, costumes included. Bring a camera, as many cosplay groups show up early in the day to add to the fun.

After getting your free comics, be sure to check out our local artists area, we’ve got a full house this year including Jeff Ritchie, Quill Kolat, Angela Oster, Ashley Ribblett, Perris Mackey, Ryan Kacsandy, Gary Dumm, Cory Holliday, CHOD, Ryan Drost, Philip Fried, Randy Crider, Zach Nelson, Jake Kelly, Sleepy Robot, Nerdy’s Magpie Curiosities, Regeeked and Sergio Andujar and Rick Sans!

Be sure to share some love (and money) around the room. If you’re so inclined, please stop into the shop as well! We’ll have 50% off all back issues all day, and I can totally say our inventory is at an all-time high. We’ve put extra care into crafting our all-ages and gift book selections this year. Don’t know what to buy? Ask a staff member, and we’ll help you figure it out! We live for that interaction.

We will also be supporting several library branches on the day, including Westlake Porter, Cuyahoga County’s Parma Snow and Brooklyn Branch, as well as some Cleveland Public LIbrary branches as well. We highly recommend visiting as many comic shops as possible on the day to see all the hobby has to offer.

We love comics, and we love the community that has formed around them in Cleveland! It’s a day to forget everything else except a common love of the medium and the bond that comes with that. We set the stage for the event, but it only works when you show up to fill it with awesome people! It’s a big day for my family as well, and I’ve gotten to see my girls grow up within the event.

We’ve been selling comics to Cleveland for over 34 years now, and it’s a privilege to still be here after all this time. We’ll make sure to have Carol out there this year to honor that fact as well.

Thanks everyone, and we’ll see you soon at the comic book shop!