Free Comic Book Day 2023: What ‘Star Wars’ Readers Need To Know
Annually since 2002, on the first Saturday of May, participating local comic book shops give away several new comic books from all major publishers absolutely free. The 2023 edition of the event is happening this weekend on May 6, and Star Wars fans have reason to take part.
Dark Horse Comics is releasing a brand-new Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures story titled Starlight Coda. It features the return of Lula Talisola, a Jedi Padawan from Daniel José Older’s 2021 run of the series, in an untold tale about what happened when she was on Starlight Beacon on the day of its downfall. These free issues often come with a side story; this year’s Star Wars title will be paired with a tale from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Check out the cover below, along with a brief synopsis and what else you need to know as you prepare to head into your local shop this weekend.
From DarkHorse.com:
Get set for adventure with a new tale from the farthest reaches of a galaxy far, far away; and a new story from the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender!
In Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures, the galaxy-wide conflict between the Jedi Order and the dangerous marauders known as the Nihil intensifies, and a shuttle full of younglings gets caught in the crossfire. This lost tale set during the fall of Starlight is written by New York Times bestselling author Daniel José Older and is illustrated by Harvey Tolibao, who also provided the cover art for this issue. Colors are by Michelle Madsen and letters provided by Comicraft’s Tyler Smith and Jimmy Betancourt.
In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang and his friends come across a village decimated by the Fire Nation. One survivor–a young child named Luumi—refuses to open up to anyone except fellow Earth Kingdom native, Toph. This comic is written by Amy Chu, with art by Kelly and Nichole Matthews, and is lettered by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt.
This issue is designated as a Free Comic Book Day silver issue, which means availability will depend on how much stock your local shop orders. So be sure to call ahead or get there as early as possible so you don’t miss out on grabbing it. If you cannot make it to your shop on Saturday, stores will likely keep whatever they have left on shelves until they are gone. Digital copies should also be available at some point. And if all else fails and you are unable to snag a copy, this year’s Star Wars issue will be collected in Dark Horse’s Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures — The Complete Phase 1 trade collection, releasing on August 29, 2023. For a full list of issues coming to stores on Free Comic Book Day 2023, you can visit here.
In my own personal experience, comic book shops will also hold sales on trade paperbacks and omnibuses. So if The High Republic Adventures doesn’t suit your fancy, Free Comic Book Day could be a chance to complete your Star Wars collection or start something new. To see if your local shop is participating, you can head over here.
Before we go, we had the chance to check out Starlight Coda, and while it isn’t overly groundbreaking, fans of The High Republic Adventures won’t be disappointed. It feels like artist Harvey Tolibao has leveled up. The series seems more dark and grisly than it ever has. Something also happens with Lula and Q’ort that leaves me curious about their arcs when their story returns this December. This is an essential piece of the puzzle, and it doesn’t mess around.
Free Comic Book Day 2023 is this Saturday, May 6. Be sure to support your local comic shop if you are able and happy reading!
Nate uses his love for Star Wars and movies in general as a way to cope with the pain of being a Minnesota sports fan. When he's not at the theater, you can usually find Nate reading a comic, listening to an audiobook, or playing a Mario video game for the 1,000th time.
