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'''Free Comic Book Day''' is an international event in which good little boys and girls get free comics! It is held on the first weekend of May every year.
[[File:FCBD logo.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.]]


Publishers often give away (sometimes partial) reprints of stories from a few of their current comic lines in a bid to draw <s>money</s> attention to the series they originally featured in.
'''Free Comic Book Day''', aka '''FCBD''', is a wondrous event in which good little boys and girls all over the world get free comics! ''FREE!'' It is held on the first Saturday of May every year.


==Free Transformers comics==
In celebrating FCBD, publishers typically opt for one of two options:
#Create entirely new mini-comics that feature brand new stories that have not been, and will likely never be, available by other means. It can prove to be quite an expensive and time-consuming project to undertake, so this usually limits the publisher to making only a handful of releases of this kind without affecting their regular business.
#Reprint parts of stories from a few current comic lines in a bid to draw <s>money</s> attention to the series from which they originated. Since these stories are already written and drawn, this option is considerably cheaper than the first, allowing publishers to produce several books of this kind while adhering to the same budget and schedule.
It's swings and roundabouts.


==Free Comic Book Day issues==
===2003===
===2003===
[[Image:DwArmfcbd_cover.jpg|thumb|200px|]]
[[File:FCBD 2003 cover.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
*'''Published by:''' [[Dreamwave Productions]]
* '''Published by:''' [[Dreamwave Productions]]
*'''Date:''' [[May 3]]rd, 2003.
* '''Date:''' [[May 3]]rd, [[2003]].
*'''Cover:''' Reprint of a panel from [[Dreamwave Armada issue 3|Armada issue 3]] by [[James Raiz]], [[Rob Armstrong]] and [[Erik Sander]].
* '''Cover:''' Reprint of a panel from ''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'' [[Dreamwave Armada issue 3|#3]] by [[James Raiz]], [[Erik Sander]], and [[Rob Armstrong]].
**'''Featured series:''' ''[[Armada (Dreamwave comic)|Armada]]''
** '''Featured series:''' ''Armada''
***'''Story:''' "[[Armada Free Comic Book Day]]"
*** '''Story:''' [[Armada Free Comic Book Day|Free Comic Book Day Edition]]
 
;Advertisements
* ''Armada''
{{-}}
{{-}}


===2006===
===2006===
[[Image:FCBD 2006 coverA.jpg|thumb|200px|left]]
[[File:FCBD 2006 coverA.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
[[Image:FCBD 2006 coverB.jpg|thumb|200px|right]]
[[File:FCBD 2006 coverB.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55]]
*'''Published by:''' [[IDW Publishing]].
* '''Published by:''' [[IDW Publishing]]
*'''Date:''' [[May 6]]th, 2006.
* '''Date:''' [[May 6]]th, [[2006]].
**'''Featured series #1:''' ''[[Beast Wars (comic)|Beast Wars]]''
* '''Cover A:''' Reprint of page 1 from ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' [[The Gathering issue 2|#2]] by [[Don Figueroa]].
***'''Story:''' [[The Gathering]] [[The Gathering issue 1|issue 1]] (preview)
* '''Cover B:''' Reprint of cover D from ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'' [[Infiltration issue 1|#1]] by [[Guido Guidi]].
**'''Featured series #2:''' ''[[IDW continuity|Generation One]]''
** '''Featured series #1:''' ''The Gathering''
***'''Story #1:''' [[Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer]] [[Stormbringer issue 1|issue 1]] (preview)
*** '''Story:''' ''The Gathering'' [[The Gathering issue 1|#1]] (preview)
***'''Story #2:''' [[Infiltration]] [[Infiltration issue 3|issue 3]] (preview)
** '''Featured series #2:''' [[2005 IDW continuity]]
**'''Featured series #3:''' ''[[Evolutions]]''
*** '''Story #1:''' ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'' [[Stormbringer issue 1|#1]] (preview)
***'''Story:''' [[Hearts of Steel]] [[Hearts of Steel issue 1|issue 1]] (preview)
*** '''Story #2:''' ''Infiltration'' [[Infiltration issue 3|#3]] (preview)
====Advertisements====
** '''Featured series #3:''' ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''
*''Beast Wars: The Gathering''
*** '''Story:''' ''Hearts of Steel'' [[Hearts of Steel issue 1|#1]] (preview)
*''Stormbringer'' #1
 
*''[[Generations (comic reprints)|Generations]]''
;Advertisements
*''Infiltration''
* ''[[List of Beast Wars comics|Beast Wars]]: The Gathering''
*''Evolutions:'' Hearts of Steel #1
* ''Stormbringer'' #1
* ''[[The Transformers: Generations (comic)|Generations]]''
* ''Infiltration''
* ''[[The Transformers: Evolutions|Evolutions]]: Hearts of Steel'' #1
{{-}}
 
===2007===
[[File:FCBD 2007 cover.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
* '''Published by:''' [[IDW Publishing]]
* '''Date:''' [[May 5]]th, [[2007]].
* '''Cover:''' Reprint of the back half of the ''[[Transformers: Movie Prequel|Movie Prequel]]'' [[Movie Prequel issue 1|#1]] wraparound cover by [[Don Figueroa]].
** '''Featured series:''' ''Movie Prequel''
*** '''Story:''' ''Movie Prequel'' #1 (preview)
 
;Advertisements
{{-}}
 
===2008===
[[File:FCBD 2008 cover.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
* '''Published by:''' [[IDW Publishing]]
* '''Date:''' [[May 3]]rd, [[2008]].
* '''Cover:''' Reprint of the stock-art cover from ''[[Transformers Animated (IDW)|Animated]]'' [[Transformers Animated Volume 1|Volume 1]], recropped to show more of the image.
** '''Featured series:''' ''Animated''
*** '''Story:''' ''Animated'' Volume 1 (preview)
 
;Advertisements
* ''[[Transformers (2007 comics)|Transformers]]: [[Transformers: The Reign of Starscream|The Reign of Starscream]]''
* ''Animated'' Volumes 1–4
{{-}}
{{-}}


===2009===
===2009===
[[Image:Animated FCBD cover.jpg|thumb|200px|]]
[[File:FCBD 2009 cover.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Stop steaming up my optics!]]
*'''Published by:''' [[IDW Publishing]].
[[File:FCBD 2009 coverB.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55|Yo us!]]
*'''Date:''' [[May 2]]nd, 2009.
* '''Published by:''' [[IDW Publishing]]
*'''Cover:''' Reprint of cover A from [[The Arrival issue 5]] by [[Marcelo Matere]].
* '''Date:''' [[May 2]]nd, [[2009]].
**'''Featured series #1:''' ''[[Transformers Animated (comic)|Transformers Animated]]: [[The Arrival]]''
* '''Cover A:''' Reprint of cover A from ''[[Transformers Animated: The Arrival|The Arrival]]'' [[The Arrival issue 5|#5]] by [[Marcelo Matere]].
***'''Story:''' "[[The Arrival issue 5|Survival Skills]]"
* '''Cover B:''' Reprint of cover B from {{i|G.I. Joe issue 1|''G.I. Joe'' #1}} by [[Robert Atkins]].
**'''Featured Series #2:''' ''[[G.I. Joe]]''
** '''Featured series #1:''' ''The Arrival''
***'''Story:''' "One Word"
*** '''Story:''' "[[The Arrival issue 5#"Survival Skills"|Survival Skills]]"
**'''Featured Series #3:''' ''G.I. Joe: Origins''
** '''Featured series #2:''' ''{{i|G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe}}''
***'''Story:''' "In and Out"
*** '''Story:''' "{{i|One Word}}"
** '''Featured series #3:''' ''{{i|G.I. Joe: Origins|Origins}}''
*** '''Story:''' "{{i|In or Out?}}"
 
;Advertisements
* ''The Arrival'' TPB
* ''[[Transformers Animated (IDW)|Animated]]'' Volumes 1–4
* ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Official Movie Adaptation|Revenge of the Fallen]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Destiny|Destiny]]'', ''[[Transformers: Alliance|Alliance]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Defiance|Defiance]]''
* ''Speed Racer: The Next Generation'' Volumes 1–3
{{-}}
 
;Notes
* The online preview for this issue featured an image composed of equal parts of the ''Animated'' and ''G.I. Joe'' covers, divided diagonally.
{{-}}
 
===2012===
[[File:RG1 80pt5 cvr.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
* '''Published by:''' [[IDW Publishing]]
* '''Date:''' [[May 5]]th, [[2012]].
* '''Cover A:''' A scarred Optimus Prime amongst important Marvel G1 events by [[Andrew Wildman]].
** '''Featured series:''' ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]''
*** '''Story:''' "[[Counterpoint]]"
 
;Advertisements
* ''[[The Transformers Classics]]''
* ''[[The Transformers Classics UK]]''
* ''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection]]''
* IDW ''Transformers'' comics
* ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]''
* ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise]]''
* ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy]]'' (including three-page preview)
* ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]: Retaliation'' prequel
* IDW ''G.I. Joe'' comics
{{-}}
 
===2014===
[[File:TFvsJoe0.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
* '''Published by:''' [[IDW Publishing]]
* '''Date:''' [[May 3]]rd, [[2014]].
** '''Featured series:''' ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]''
*** '''Story:''' "[[The Golden Boys]]"
 
===2015===
* '''Published by:''' [[IDW Publishing]]
* '''Date:''' [[May 2]]nd, [[2015]].
** '''Featured series #1:''' ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)|Robots in Disguise]]''
*** '''Story:''' "[[Fire, When Ready!]]"
** '''Featured series #2:''' ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]''
*** '''Story:''' "[[FCBD Funnies]]"
 
===2018===
* '''Published by:''' [[IDW Publishing]]
* '''Date:''' [[May 3]]rd, [[2018]].
** '''Featured series:''' ''[[Transformers: Unicron|Unicron]]''
*** '''Story:''' "[[Our Darkest]]"
 
===2024===
[[File:Energon Universe 2024 Special FCBD Cover.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
* '''Published by:''' [[Skybound Entertainment]]
* '''Date:''' [[May 4]]th, [[2024]].
** '''Featured series:''' [[Energon Universe 2024 Special]]
*** '''Story #1:''' ''[[Transformers Energon Universe 2024 Special story|Transformers]]''
*** '''Story #2:''' ''[[Void Rivals Energon Universe 2024 Special story|Void Rivals]]''
*** '''Story #3:''' ''[[G.I. Joe Energon Universe 2024 Special story|G.I. Joe]]''
 
===2025===
[[File:Energon Universe 2025 Special FCBD Cover.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
[[File:Worst Bot Ever.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55]]
* '''Published by:''' [[Skybound Entertainment]]
* '''Date:''' [[May 3]]rd, [[2025]].
** '''Featured series #1:''' [[Energon Universe 2025 Special]]
*** '''Story #1:''' ''[[G.I. Joe Energon Universe 2025 Special story|G.I. Joe]]''
*** '''Story #2:''' ''[[Transformers Energon Universe 2025 Special story|Transformers]]''
*** '''Story #3:''' ''[[Void Rivals Energon Universe 2025 Special story|Void Rivals]]''
** '''Featured series #2:''' ''[[Transformers: Worst Bot Ever]]''
*** '''Story:''' [[Meet Ballpoint!#Chapter 1|''Meet Ballpoint!'' (Chapter 1)]]
 
;Advertisements
* ''Family Force V'' (including nine-page preview)
 
===2026===
{{-}}
 
==Other free ''Transformers'' comics==
==="Halloween Special Edition"===
[[File:MarvelUSG2-00.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
* '''Published by:''' [[Marvel Comics]]
* '''Date:''' [[October 31]]st, [[1993]].
* '''Cover:''' Original art by [[Geoff Senior]].
** '''Featured series:''' ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]''
*** '''Story:''' "[[Ghosts]]"
 
;Advertisements
{{-}}


====Advertisements====
==Notes==
*''The Arrival'' TPB
* While [[IDW Publishing]] didn't release a ''Transformers'' comic for Free Comic Book Day 2016, they ''did'' release a dual ''[[ROM (comic)|ROM]]'' / ''[[Action Man (comic)|Action Man]]'' issue, containing preludes for ''[[Earthfall: Prelude|ROM]]'' and ''[[To the Victors the Spoils|Action Man]]''.
*''[[Transformers Animated (IDW Publishing)|Animated]]'' Volume 1-4
*''[[Revenge of the Fallen Movie Adaptation]]''
*''[[Destiny]]: [[Alliance (comic)|Alliance]]'' and ''[[Defiance]]''
*''Speed Racer: The Next Generation'' Volume 1-3


==External links==
* [https://www.freecomicbookday.com FreeComicBookDay.com]
* {{w|Free Comic Book Day}} at Wikipedia


[[Category:Comics]]
[[Category:Comics]]

Latest revision as of 21:35, 8 January 2026

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Free Comic Book Day, aka FCBD, is a wondrous event in which good little boys and girls all over the world get free comics! FREE! It is held on the first Saturday of May every year.

In celebrating FCBD, publishers typically opt for one of two options:

  1. Create entirely new mini-comics that feature brand new stories that have not been, and will likely never be, available by other means. It can prove to be quite an expensive and time-consuming project to undertake, so this usually limits the publisher to making only a handful of releases of this kind without affecting their regular business.
  2. Reprint parts of stories from a few current comic lines in a bid to draw money attention to the series from which they originated. Since these stories are already written and drawn, this option is considerably cheaper than the first, allowing publishers to produce several books of this kind while adhering to the same budget and schedule.

It's swings and roundabouts.

Free Comic Book Day issues

[edit]

2003

[edit]
Advertisements
  • Armada


2006

[edit]
Advertisements


2007

[edit]
Advertisements


2008

[edit]
  • Published by: IDW Publishing
  • Date: May 3rd, 2008.
  • Cover: Reprint of the stock-art cover from Animated Volume 1, recropped to show more of the image.
    • Featured series: Animated
      • Story: Animated Volume 1 (preview)
Advertisements


2009

[edit]
Stop steaming up my optics!
Yo us!
Advertisements


Notes
  • The online preview for this issue featured an image composed of equal parts of the Animated and G.I. Joe covers, divided diagonally.


2012

[edit]
Advertisements


2014

[edit]

2015

[edit]

2018

[edit]

2024

[edit]

2025

[edit]
Advertisements
  • Family Force V (including nine-page preview)

2026

[edit]


Other free Transformers comics

[edit]

"Halloween Special Edition"

[edit]
Advertisements


Notes

[edit]
[edit]
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