Free Comic Book Day is back in multiple cities across North America, and Grande Prairie is no different.
Every year on the first Saturday of May, comic shops across the US and Canada open their doors and give away free comic books to encourage new and returning readers to try out a new series, franchise, or hero that they might not otherwise give a chance, or simply build up their collections.
In Grande Prairie, local comic and game shop Wonderland Games will open up their basement collection for eager comic fans to dig through and hopefully find something new to read.
Wonderland Games Acting Manager Sheldon Wendt says the store’s basement collection usually sells comics for $1 a piece, and the expansive selection is sure to have something for everyone.
“We essentially have three stores worth of comics in the basement,” he says. “There’s entire rooms that are just comic book boxes for people to pick through.”
Wendt adds that in today’s landscape, traditional comic books are not as profitable as they once were; however, Free Comic Book Day presents a unique opportunity for the store to bring people in the doors, while giving fans a chance to read something new.
“Free Comic Book Day, is definitely a way to reintroduce old heroes and stuff like that, and even older themes that you don’t necessarily see in comic books anymore,” he says.
The event is scheduled for May 4th and will see numerous titles given away at comic shops around Grande Prairie and the rest of the province as well.