Since 2002, comic shops around the United States and across the world have been celebrating Free Comic Book Day. It's a chance for retailers and companies to show their love to their fans and give back in the form of free comics. Now, every year, on the first Saturday of May, comic fans of all ages can pick out free books from their favorite companies. To figure out if there's a store in your area participating, check out the store locator on the FCBD website.

There is a ton of books being released this Saturday for the event. Let's take a look at just some of the offerings for FCBD. You can find a complete list of offerings on this page.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY/SPIDERVERSE

In this FCBD giveaway, Brian Michael Bendis, along with artist Nick Bradshaw welcome Venom and Captain Marvel to the GotG. Also, this is a flipbook, with the other side being the launch to the November event, Spiderverse, written by Dan Slott. While the GotG book is exciting, you're going to want to pick this up for the upcoming Spidey-event.

ARCHAIA HARDCOVER ANTHOLOGY

Here's what's really cool about Archaia's FCBD offering, aside from the fact fans will get a first look at their new FARSCAPE series, it's a hardcover book. They did this a couple years ago as well, and it was really cool. If you can, get your hands on this to see the cool stories Archaia has to offer.

DC THE NEW 52 FUTURES END

It's your first look at the newest weekly series from DC Comics. This book features an all-star team of DC creators, including Brian Azzarello, Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, Jeff Lemire, and Ethan Van Sciver. Most of you will really want to pick this up because it's the first time we'll see Batman Beyond, Terry McGinnis, in DC continuity.

VALIANT ARMOR HUNTERS SPECIAL

The upcoming Armor Hunters event is starting up at Valiant! Coming out of the fantastic series X-O MANOWAR, this FCBD offering features writer Robert Venditti and artist Doug Braithwaite, among other Valiant creators. This promises to be one amazing upcoming event, so you may want to check this out too.

2000 AD SPECIAL

The 2000 AD special really does a great job at capturing what 2000 AD is all about. It's a collection of short stories featuring some of this magazine's biggest characters, Judge Dredd, Sláine, Anderson, and more. If you've ever been interested in this magazine, then you'll really want to pick this one up.

Free Comic Book Day also has a ton of offerings for younger readers, not just stuff for the older folks. Here's a couple books you can pick up for the kid or the kid at heart.

BONGO FREE-FOR-ALL

For fans of the world of the Simpsons, you may want to check out what Bongo Comics has in store. Each year, they put out some great Simpsons-related stories for fans, and this year's book, written and drawn by Matt Groening, looks to be a blast.

KABOOM SUMMER BLAST

Boom Entertainment is putting out a FCBD book with a lot of recognizable characters for kids. Their FCBD book will contain stories from Peanuts, Garfield, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Steven Universe, and Herobear & The Kid. They are also boasting the debut of a new all-ages series.

This is only a small highlight of everything being offered on Free Comic Book day. When you head down there, remember this, Free Comic Book Day is for everyone, so don't be greedy. Leave some books for other people. Many places have a limit to how many you can take. Take a comic loving friend with you and grab different books, then trade after you're done reading, so you're both not grabbing two of everything. As much as you may love comics, there's a whole new generation of folks getting into them, so let them in on the fun too.

See you this weekend, Saturday, May 3rd, at your local shop for Free Comic Book Day! Remember to use the store locator to find the closest participating shop in your neck of the woods!

Ah, Free Comic Book Day. One of my favorite days of the year!

I have finals to study for, but I will find time to go and pick these out.

Gotta love FCBD. Always a great time.

Yet to enjoy FCBD, closest shop to me is thirty to forty minutes away, and I typically work every day. Plus, the owner doesn't opt into a lot of things.

I have to say I'm a bit excited since will be the first time I've ever had the chance to go to my LCS on FCBD.

I think I might actually be able to pick some of them up today.

I can't wait! I plan on on hitting a few stores.

Yay :) Hopefully I'll make it this year.

Funny, seeing Batman Beyond in the regular continuity is the thing that scares me away. Other then that Futures End looks great.

Terry is canon now? Shway!

@g_man@inferiorego did you guys ever decide if you were going to check out 2000AD or Judge Dredd Megazine?

Remember to get this:

BB

I already have the Marvel and the Image/Top Cow ones.

@billy_batson said:

Remember to get this:

BB

Definetely I will get it...again!

I currently have the 2000 AD FCBD book, does that count?

Hmmmm no? But seriously you guys should review Judge Dredd Megazine, it's the sister comic to 2000AD and it's monthly so it's easier to keep up with.

I'm getting the DC one, Marvel one and Image ones.

I'd love to get the GotG/Spiderverse or DC: New 52 Futures End, but I don't see myself being able to make it out to my lcs.

Will be celebrating my first Free Comicbook day here in London, vacationing here atm and I'm soo excited!!!

It's great having a comic book shop within walking distance of my house. The next closest one is downtown Pittsburgh, which is quite the drive. Def will be picking up Marvel's comics this Saturday!

I love my local store's policy. They just say, "No dupes!" And you can take every single free issue as long as you just take one copy.

I'll be getting the Marvel and Valiant ones. Hopefully. I have work from 12-6 so like…FML.

@ftw201: I'm from Pittsburgh too, I haven't been to the one downtown yet. Phantom of the Attic is where I go, is the one downtown any better?

I'm looking forward to Guardians of the Galaxy comic, that's about it honestly for me

@godzilla_bk: phantom of the attic was the downtown one I was referring to. I do like that place a lot.

Honestly sometimes FCBD is great, sometimes it's just not. Well at least with DC and Marvel, as I'm not into anything beyond those. One year they put out Blackest Night #0. I thought that was pretty good. Two years ago, they did something we can't really call anything other than something along the lines of "New 52 FCBD 2012 edition" which got me excited for the Phantom Stranger series and curious about Pandora and the new Question. That too was good. But last year, I didn't even bother to go because all they were putting out was a booklet containing the first few pages of the first issue of a new series which was to come out a month later. That's Superman Unchained, for those of you who don't know what I'm referring to. And it looks like each year DC and Marvel each just put out one regular and one young readers title, and both of Marvel's and DC's YR title looked even less interesting than the Superman thing. However, this year, I am excited for Futures End #0, and I'll probably pick up the GoTG thing too, even though I don't read that or Spider-Man. Anyway, I think this year's FCBD will another good one.

@ftw201@godzilla_bk Go Penguins!

FCBD was started at my local comic shop! Always a packed house.

Ugh... Dammit. I want the Mega Man X, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Bleeding Cool Magazine but we can only get 1 each and only my brother and I will be going.. Dammit :|

My top priority would be Mega Man X and GotG but... Power Rangers... childhood... D:

I missed it last year, there's no way I'm missing FCBD this year.