Comics Giveaway Day™ is coming in May! PRH made it official in an email to retailers and even showed off a logo. Comics Giveaway Day™ will be held May 2, 2026, the same day as Free Comic Book Day, because, as we previously reported, the traditional FCBD will be a joint venture between Universal Distribution (which owns FCBD), Lunar, and Diamond UK.
However, Penguin Random House is doing its own thing with Comics Giveaway Day™, and will make available comics from Marvel, Dark Horse, IDW, Boom, Ignition Press, Kodansha, Random House Children’s Book, 10 Speed Graphic, and WEBTOON Wattpad. We’ll have more on that later, but for now, Marvel has four titles planned, including previews of big summer events Spider-Man #1000 and Armageddon, some classic Fox properties, and of course, Jeff the Landshark and new sensation Symbie. The line-up:
Experience every corner of the main Marvel Universe with AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1000/QUEEN IN BLACK #1 CGD 2026 and ARMAGEDDON/X-MEN #1 CGD 2026! AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1000/QUEEN IN BLACK #1 CGD 2026 continues the countdown to AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1000; sets up the upcoming symbiote event, QUEEN IN BLACK; and teases what’s on the horizon for the monstrous INFERNAL HULK! ARMAGEDDON/X-MEN #1 CGD 2026 will present a key chapter for Marvel’s 2026 summer event, ARMAGEDDON; deliver a prelude to the next X-Men milestone; and check in with Marvel’s First Family.
Then, enjoy Marvel’s acclaimed 20th Century Studios storytelling with stories set in some of the world’s most iconic sci-fi franchises with ALIEN, PREDATOR & PLANET OF THE APES #1 CGD 2026. And for little ones, SPIDEY & HIS AMAZING FRIENDS #1 CGD 2026 provides the best first comic book experience you can get with a Spidey & his Amazing Friends adventure guest starring Jeff the Land Shark and Symbie!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1000/QUEEN IN BLACK #1 CGD 2026
Written by JOE KELLY, AL EWING & PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
Art by JOHN ROMITA JR., IBAN COELLO & NIC KLEIN
Cover by DIKE RUAN
The road to AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1000 takes a big turn here as fate bears down on Peter Parker! The Queen in Black has been coronated, and Mary Jane Watson as Venom is not ready for her! The Eldest has taken control of the Hulk, and what happens next will make every past Hulk battle look like a skirmish!
ARMAGEDDON/X-MEN #1 CGD 2026
Written by CHIP ZDARSKY, JED MACKAY & RYAN NORTH
Art by FEDERICO VICENTINI, FRANK ALPIZAR & DELIO DIAZ
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
The heroes of the Marvel Universe assemble to take on the Red Hulk in a critical story by Chip Zdarsky that sets the stage for this summer’s Marvel event…ARMAGEDDON! Armageddon is here, and no one is safe from the coming end.
PLUS: Your first look at this summer’s big X-MEN event…and DOOM!
ALIEN, PREDATOR & PLANET OF THE APES #1 CGD 2026
Written by SALADIN AHMED, JORDAN MORRIS & MORE
Art by ROLAND BOSCHI AND MORE!
Cover by DAVIDE PARATORE
In this issue, you’ll find stories from across 20th Century Studios – from ALIEN to PREDATOR to PLANET OF THE APES! Saladin Ahmed presents a tale set on a planet that’s already succumbed to Xenomorphs! And in Jordan Morris’ story, a Yautja warrior stalks one of Earth’s greatest fighters.
All this and a return to the Planet of the Apes!
SPIDEY & HIS AMAZING FRIENDS #1 CGD 2026
Written by DANIELLE KREGER
Art by GOODMAN YAMADA
Cover by PACO MEDINA
SPIDEY AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS, Spin and Ghost-Spider, think they have their web-shooting hands full when JEFF THE LAND SHARK pays them a visit! But they haven’t seen anything yet – because shapeshifting alien SYMBIE is here to turn Jeff’s world upside down!
Will you be checking out Comics Giveaway Day™? Or just sticking with Free Comic Book Day? OR are you smart enough to realize that was a trick question?
