Comic book lovers come out in droves for Free Comic Book Day

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Whether you’re a fan of Marvel or DC, there was a comic book for everyone at Fanboy Comics in Wilmington as they gave away hundreds of comics for Free Comic Book Day.

The shop had a wide variety of titles people could pick up free of charge, like Star Wars, The Avengers, and more.

Fanboy Comics owner Thomas Gilbert says that Free Comic Book Day is his shop’s busiest of the year.

He hopes that Saturday’s event can spark a lifelong interest in comics, whether you’re a kid or an adult.

“We get a lot of new readers who have never read a comic before,” Gilbert said. “We get older readers who got out of the hobby and have been reenergized by the movies and got back interested in it again.”

Five million comic books were expected to be given away worldwide. It was the 17th time that Free Comic Book Day was held on the first Saturday in May.