Free Comic Book Day 2022 takes place May 7th and for comic fans, it’s one of the best days of the year! We get a chance to sample amazing comics from so many publishers and also teased what’s to come for a few. We got a chance to check out some of what’s coming out this year ahead of release. See what we think of this year’s releases!

10 Ton Press Presents: 10 Ton Tales – Featuring around 5 different comics of varying types, 10 Ton Press delivers an interesting sampler of what the publisher has to offer. My review copy felt a little incomplete and without a physical copy to compare it to, the comic is exactly what it is, a sampler. Some stories feel more like sketches, others a tease of something greater. Overall, it’s an interesting release but not sure about the execution of how it’s presented.

Audience: Generally for all ages. There’s nothing bad for younger kids but nothing they’d really appreciate.

Three Stooges Celebration — Published by American Mythology, this release gave me the opportunity to check out their Stooges comics which I don’t believe I’ve read before. Consisting of three different stories, the comic attempts to capture the trio as they head into a virtual world, are superheroes, and then a meta story following them as they make a film. It’s not bad and at moments captures what makes them great but it’s hard to capture comedy that’s so physical. This one is for die-hard Stooges fans who enjoy the characters being put into varying situations.

Audience: General for all-ages

25 Years of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Special – BOOM! Studios celebrates 25 years of the beloved franchise. The first half is a literal yearbook going over characters and moments. As someone that doesn’t know the franchise, it’s kind of meh, but the art is pretty good. The second half is a teaser for the newly launched The Vampire Slayer series. It’s pretty good and definitely had me faked out. It might even be enough for me to check out the first issue!

Audience: Teens and Buffy fans.

Hollow – A new spin on the Legend of Sleep Hollow is coming in this graphic novel. We get a pretty solid teaser of what we can expect and so far, I’m digging it. This is a project I wanted to check out anyways so to be able to get this teaser has me more excited to read more when it comes out in September.

Audience – Tweens and up

Trese – The graphic novel series is being published in English by Ablaze and well worth checking out. We’ve praised what’s been released and it’s been turned into a Netflix series. It’s pretty much horror manga out of the Philippines. If you’re into horror, and especially horror manga, this is a perfect chance to read a bit of it before diving into the first volume.

Audience: Teens and up/fans of horror

The Rema Chronicles: Realm of the Blue Mist – I really enjoyed the entire graphic novel so it’s not a surprise I’d enjoy this segment from it. The comic cuts out a lot of the opening and drops you into the action which gives readers a solid idea of what to expect. If you like magical worlds and fantasy, snag this one and get a test of the graphic novel.

Audience: Middle-grade readers and up

Dav Pilkey Sampler Featurng Dog Man – I’ve never read any of Dav Pilkey’s work so this was probably the first time ever. I completely get why kids will enjoy this and it’s perfect for them to pick up. Featuring Captain Underpants, Dog Man, and Cat Kid Comic Club, and more, the comic is a perfect all-ages release.

Audience: All-ages

The Incal Universe – Confession time, I’ve never read any of Incal by  Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius. I know a lot of people that enjoy it but it’s just something that never quite interested me. Humanoids will be expanding on that world with a series of new comics set in it. This comic is a solid introduction as it not only explains the general story but also features a tease of what’s to come. My interest has definitely increased and the comic is smart enough to even provide a guide for those who want to dive in and need to know where to start! A very smart idea and great for long time fans and new readers.

Audience: Teen and up/Sci-fi fans