FCBD 2026 Special. Welcome to Wednesday Comics. Each week, we will highlight our Comic of the Week, along with other notable releases, classic favourites, and industry news. Please note the links to Forbidden Planet are not affiliate links, and we receive no revenue from them. They are provided as an alternative if you don’t have access to a local comic shop. You can also pick up most of these books digitally from a number of online sources.
This week in advance of FCBD this week we skip the usual releases and focus on some of the great free books you should be on the look out for. As usual we will be at our local comic book shop Worlds Apart Birmingham, but wherever you are on planet Earth take the trip this Saturday May 2nd, 2026 and pick up some free comics and see all of the other wonderful books your local comic shop has to offer.
If you want to send any comics for review or details of any comic related events we should feature, feel free to reach out to me at keith@geekybrummie.com or comics@geekybrummie.com
Now on with the comics…
Free Comic Book Day 2026: Energon Universe 2026 Special #1
IMAGE COMICS · SKYBOUND
By Dan Watters, Simon Parr, Rus Wooton, Robert Kirkman, Jason Howard, Sarah Stern, Conor Hughes, Patricio Delpeche, Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly and Lee Loughridge
Pick up FREE from your Local Comic Book Store this Saturday May 2nd
The biggest year in Energon Universe history is here, with four all-new stories from the worlds of Transformers, G.I. Joe, Void Rivals, and more in this Free Comic Book Day issue.
Join the biggest names in comics for both a perfect Energon Universe jumping-on point and a can’t-miss experience for long-time fans.
Free Comic Book Day 2026: Supernatural #1
DYNAMITE
By Greg Pak, Eder Messias, Thyago Brandao and Jeff Eckleberry
Pick up FREE from your Local Comic Book Store this Saturday May 2nd
THE BROTHERS WINCHESTER RETURN! Get ready to hit the road again with Dean and Sam as they prowl the highways and byways of small-town America in search of demonic wrongdoing to put right!
Set between the foundational first and second seasons of the landmark television series, this brand-new title from acclaimed author GREG PAK (Darth Vader, Lilo & Stitch) and preternaturally gifted artist EDER MESSIAS (Sam Wilson: Captain America) brings readers back to where the dark magic first began — and reveals a disturbing new threat that the bickering brothers will have to face before they can return to hunting down the demon who killed their mother.
In this first issue, the monster hunters must uncover the entity responsible for a series of mysterious fires in a decaying rust belt town — attacks that begin with a Windler Industries factory burning down, and then escalate to several Windler employees themselves going up in flames. But finding the malevolent force behind the otherworldly arsons may not be as straightforward as it might seem — especially once the suspiciously well-prepared CEO Steff Windler gets personally involved!
Free Comic Book Day 2026: Dungeon Crawler Carl #0
VAULT COMICS
By Matt Dinniman, Laurel Pursuit, Tevagah, Rethon and Ali Zaghlul
Pick up FREE from your Local Comic Book Store this Saturday May 2nd
NEW ACHIEVEMENT: You can read the first chapter for FREE! Wow, you can read?! The LitRPG smash hit phenomenon and New York Times bestseller, DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL, is now a graphic novel for the very first time and this Free Comic Book Day is your chance to read the first chapter early. You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Getting stuck on a sadistic alien game show with her cat. This FCBD special collects the first episode (and more!) of the WEBTOON series with over 3 Million Reads and 175,000 subscribers.
Free Comic Book Day 2026: Conan the Barbarian – Tides of the Tyrant-King #1
TITAN COMICS
By Jim Zub, Jesús Merino, Jão Canola, Richard Starkings, Comicraft and Tyler Smith
Pick up FREE from your Local Comic Book Store this Saturday May 2nd
CONAN OF CIMMERIA believed that THULSA DOOM’s evil had been banished forever, but the Atlantean necromancer’s dark power stirs once more and, if it cannot be stopped, the dead shall overtake the living! The Tyrant-King of Atlantis returns and all shall suffer, unless Conan and his brave allies can turn back the tide!
Free Comic Book Day 2026: Mind MGMT / Fort Psycho Special #1
ONI PRESS · FLUX HOUSE
By Matt Kindt and Brian Hurtt
Pick up FREE from your Local Comic Book Store this Saturday May 2nd
From the mind of New York Times best-selling, Eisner Award-nominated creative powerhouse Matt Kindt (BRZRKR), welcome to FLUX HOUSE – the first and only comics imprint designed to conjoin directly with your nervous system to deliver controlled bursts of paranoia, anxiety, and adrenaline as designated by our mysterious benefactors at Oni Press.
Before the arrival of Kindt’s first two shrapnel-laced new series under the FLUX HOUSE banner – MIND MGMT: NEW & IMPROVED in June, and FORT PSYCHO with co-creator/artist Brian Hurtt (The Sixth Gun) in August – experience the psychotropic effects of FLUX HOUSE firsthand with this EXCLUSIVE DOUBLE FEATURE … featuring TWO BRAND-NEW SHORT STORIES debuting first right here, ONLY ON FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!
First: Congratulations! You have been selected to join the ranks of MIND MGMT – the secretive agency rumored to influence global affairs from the shadows through assassination, sabotage, and psychic espionage. In the hands of our elite instructors, you will be schooled in the exotic arts of mental manipulation, information warfare, subliminal conditioning, and more. This comic book is part of your training. Read on to discover who we are, who we are fighting, and why our lives are no longer our own in this self-contained, educational introduction to the vast underground network we call MIND MGMT: NEW & IMPROVED #1, as written and drawn by Matt Kindt.
Then: BOOM! BANG! DUCK! For the international commandos codenamed SHIV, LYCAN, and DRAGONFLY, a routine mission to catch-and-kill a fugitive from the world’s most wanted terror sect is about to go very, very wrong. Who are THE SEVEN SEALS? And what terrible price will the men and women of FORT PSYCHO pay to bring them to justice? Master storytellers Matt Kindt and Brian Hurtt present an all-new, high-octane prelude to the events of FORT PSYCHO #1 – the action comic so extreme, it might just catch on fire.
Farewell Gerry Conway
It’s with great sadness we say farewell to Gerry Conway, who has died recently aged 73. Gerry was one of the most influential American comic‑book writers of the modern era, a figure whose work reshaped superhero storytelling on both sides of the Atlantic. Although best known for his tenure at Marvel Comics in the 1970s, Conway’s influence reached far beyond the American newsstand, helping to define characters and themes that became staples of British comics fandom, television, and cinema for decades to come. Writing with emotional seriousness from a remarkably young age, he brought a sharper moral edge to a medium that was rapidly coming of age.
Conway’s most enduring legacy lies in the characters he co‑created, foremost among them Frank Castle, the Punisher — a grim anti‑hero whose brutal realism stood in stark contrast to traditional caped crusaders. First appearing in The Amazing Spider‑Man, the Punisher became a global cultural icon, reflecting a darker, more conflicted vision of justice that resonated strongly with British readers of the 1980s and beyond. Conway was also instrumental in the creation of Carol Danvers as the original Ms. Marvel, laying the foundations for one of Marvel’s most important female heroes, as well as introducing figures such as the clone Ben Reilly and the villainous Jackal, characters that permanently expanded Spider‑Man’s mythos.
Turning Point
His influence extended well beyond Marvel. At DC Comics, Conway co‑created Firestorm, Power Girl, Jason Todd (the second Robin), and the fearsome Killer Croc,. Perhaps his most famous single story, The Night Gwen Stacy Died, is still regarded as a turning point in comic‑book history — a moment when superhero stories accepted lasting consequence and emotional loss. Taken together, Gerry Conway’s creations helped establish the modern tone of superhero fiction, ensuring his work would be read, watched, and debated by generations of fans in the UK and around the world.
The Geeky Brummie team would like to extend their condolences to Gerry’s family and friends. He will be missed by a great many comic book fans everywhere.
Your Local Comics Shops
Britain has some of the best comics shops in the world. This updated lists features just a few of the shops you can pop in to for your geek fix. Check out you own local shops and if they don’t appear on this list let me know and we can add them.
WORLDS APART BIRMINGHAM (part of FPI)
Birmingham’s premier comic book store and Pokestop.
Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 09:30 – 17:00
Wednesday, Friday: 09:30 – 18:00
Saturday: 09:30 – 18:00
Sunday: 11:00 – 17:00
14-16 Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham B5 4EN Tel: 0121 643 0143
Website: Forbidden Planet International and Twitter: @WorldsApart_Bir
FORBIDDEN PLANET (BIRMINGHAM)
Graphic novel/comic store with merchandise & T-shirts, plus character figures & toys.
Monday to Saturday: 09:30 – 17:30
Sunday: 11:00 – 17:00
74 Bull St, Birmingham B4 6AD Tel: 0121 236 3026
Website: Forbidden Planet and Twitter: @ForbiddenPlanet
GOSH! COMICS (LONDON)
A mean little comics shop in the heart of London.
Open Daily: 10:30 – 19.00
1 Berwick St, London W1F 0DR Tel: 0207 437 0187
Website: Gosh! Comics and Twitter: @GoshComics
OK COMICS (LEEDS)
Twenty Year Old, Eisner Award Nominated Comic Book Shop in the beating heart of Leeds City Centre, UK.
Open Monday to Saturday: 11.00 – 17.00
Sunday: 11.00 – 15.00
19 Thornton’s Arcade, Briggate, Leeds LS1 6LQ Tel: 0113 246 9366
Website: OK Comics and Twitter: @OKComics
PAGE 45 (NOTTINGHAM)
UK Comic Shop created & curated since 1994 by Stephen Holland, Comics Laureate 2021-23.
Open Monday to Saturday: 09.00 – 18.00
Sunday: 11.00 – 16.00
Closed on Bank Holiday Mondays, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
9 Market St, Nottingham NG1 6HY Tel: (0115) 9508045
Website: Page 45 and Twitter: @PageFortyFive
TRAVELLING MAN (VARIOUS)
Travelling Man Is The UK’s Friendliest Comic & Games Shop Since 1991. Shop Online Now! Explore The Rich Genres & Worlds That Games, Comics & Independent Press Have To Offer. Since 1991.
Open Monday to Saturday: 10.00 – 18.00
Sunday: 11.00 -17.00
LEEDS
32 Central Road, Leeds LS1 6DE Tel: 0113 245 0822
YORK
74 Goodramgate, York YO1 7LF Tel: 01904628787
NEWCASTLE
43 Grainger Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 5JE Tel: 0191 261 4993
MANCHESTER
4 Dale Street, Manchester M1 1JW Tel: 0161 237 1877
Website: Travelling Man and Twitter: @TravellingManUK
MEGA CITY COMICS (LONDON)
Mega City Comics, was established in 1981, initially as a mail-order business, supplying comics, graphic novels, and collecting supplies. After 6 years of mail-order and trading through the comic marts, we opened our shop in Camden Town in 1987.
Open Monday to Friday: 11.00 -18.00
Saturday: 10.30 – 18.00
Sunday: 11.00 – 18.00
18 Inverness Street, Camden Town, London NW1 7HJ Tel: 020 7485 9320
Website: Mega City Comics and Twitter: @MegaCityComics
MEGA CITY COMICS LIVES
Mega City Comics was aquired by Forbidden Planet in February 2025 and will now continue to be one of the best comic shops in the UK.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS (VARIOUS)
A trio of comic shops in Bedford, Northampton and Peterborough.
BEDFORD
20 Allhallows, Bedford MK40 1LJ Tel: 01234 270777
Open Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 17.30
Saturday: 09:30 – 17:30
Sunday: 11:00 – 16:00
NORTHAMPTON
29 Abington Square, Northampton NN1 4AE Tel: 01604 602311
Monday: CLOSED
Open Tuesday: 10:00 – 17:30
Wednesday: 10:00 – 19.00
Thursday to Friday: 10:00 – 17:30
Saturday: 09:30 – 17:30
Sunday: 11:00 – 16:00
PETERBOROUGH
25 Broadway, Peterborough PE1 1SQ Tel: 01733 892827
Monday: CLOSED
Open Tuesday: 10:30 – 17:30
Wednesday: 10:30 – 18:00
Thursday to Friday : 10:30 – 17:30
Saturday: 09:30 – 17:30
Sunday: CLOSED
Website: Close Encounters and Twitter: @CEncountersUK
THAT COMIC SHOP (PRESTON)
Retailers of new Comics weekly, Magic the Gathering Card Games, Board Games, Toys, T-Shirts plus loads more.
Monday: CLOSED
Open Tuesday to Thursday: 10:00 – 17:00
Friday: 10:00 – 21:00
Saturday: 10:00 – 16:00
Sunday: CLOSED
116 Friargate, Preston PR1 2EE Tel: 01772 204287
Website: That Comic Shop and Twitter: @ThatComicShop
PARADOX COMICS (DORSET)
Comic book shop in Dorset, dealing in graphic novels, statues, action figures, card games, limited edition comics and more
Monday: Closed
Open Tuesday to Friday: 10:30 – 17:00
Saturday: 10:00 – 17:00
Sunday: 11:00 – 16:00
19 High Street, Poole, Dorset BH15 1AB Tel: 01202 661346
Website: Paradox Comics and Twitter: @ParadoxComicsUK
WAKEFIELD COMICS 616 (WAKEFIELD)
Comic Book Shop in the centre of Wakefield. Stocking the latest comics direct from the US.
Open Monday: 9:00 – 17:00
Tuesday: 9:00 – 16:30
Wednesday to Saturday: 9:00 – 17:00
Sunday: CLOSED
3 The Springs, Wakefield West Yorkshire WF1 1PU Tel: 01924 375234
Website: Wakefield Comics 616 and Twitter: @wakeycomics616
COMIC BOOK GUYS (BELFAST)
Comic Book Guys – Northern Ireland’s newest independent comic book store also stocking movie memorabilia, toys & other collectibles… excelsior!
Open Monday to Saturday: 10.00 to 17.00
Sunday: CLOSED
130 Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7BG Tel: 02890 080169
Website: Comic Book Guys and Twitter: @comicbookguysni
RAYGUN COMICS (RICHMOND)
A welcoming and friendly comic book shop. Comics, toys, books, games and merchandise for all ages.
Open Monday to Saturday: 10:00 – 18:00
Sunday: 11:00 – 17:00
26 Red Lion Street, Richmond TW9 1RW Tel: 0208 948 8476
Website: Raygun Comics and Twitter: @Raygun_comics
DAVE’S COMCIS (BRIGHTON)
Dave’s Comics, The Graphic Novel Shop.
Open Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 18:00
Saturday: 09:30 – 18:00
Sunday: 11.00 – 17:00
5 Sydney St, Brighton, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 4EN Tel: 01273 691012
Website: Dave’s Comics and Twitter: @DavesComics
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