FCBD 2023 Spider-Man Venom #1

This will be the most popular title on Free Comic Book Day.

How do I know? Well, I guess one answer would be I've been doing this for 20+ years and Spider-Man seems to have established a bit of staying power in that time. This means you're likely to get it, even when you see, say, that 2000AD book for kids. Since you're getting it, you'll also maybe want to know if it is any good.


Tony the Tiger would be yelling here and pointing a finger at the sky if we could afford the finicky feline, but we can't, so I'll be the one to tell you that its great! Our lead story is a Spider-Man/escaped gorilla fight that features Patrick Gleason's best work on the character, and his best Marvel work overall. It may also feature not one but TWO! classic Spidey villains whose efforts have sometimes been superior.

Next, Al Ewing gives us a Venom period piece set during the late 1940's that is ridiculous. But Venom is ridiculous, and this set up, ridiculous as it may, be builds on that to a conclusion that will get you to read the next issue.
SPOILER ALERT! That's the whole reason Free Comic Book Day exists!


Lastly, there's a tease of the next big Marvel event book from the writer of Secret Wars, House of X/Powers of X, and drawn by the artist for the first two Ultimates series. Yes, Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch are teaming up for the unquantifiably anticipated Ultimate Invasion.
Don't be surprised when you're grabbing this book if someone points at the giant 'F' on their mask and yells 'Do you think this letter on my head stands for Free? BECAUSE IT DOES!'