Free Comic Book Day brings out fans and newcomers alike in Waterloo

Comic book fans and newcomers alike flocked to Carry-On Comics in Uptown Waterloo for Free Comic Book Day on Saturday.

During the event, which takes place on the first Saturday of May annually, comic book publishers send books to stores across North America who distribute them for free.

Former employee of Carry-On Comics, Rob Taylor, said Free Comic Book Day is a great opportunity for new people to come and explore the world of comics.

"Today is almost like 50/50. We've had new people come in that this is their first Free Comic Book Day, so it's like that new experience, and then of course we've got our regulars that come in and they bring their families," said Taylor.

NEW AUDIENCE EMERGING

With the success of recent Marvel and DC movies, a new audience has emerged, eager to learn more about their favourite characters and their backstories.

"You can find out the storyline which adds to the movies and just expands the whole universe of the comic book world," Taylor added.

For comic book fans like Connor Kint, Free Comic Book Day is a much-awaited event.

"In my hometown, there was one comic book store, and all of my friends, we would go even though none of us were big collectors at the time. It was the one day of the year we would all go and see the origins of all of these movies we were watching every couple of months in theaters together," he said.

Along with allowing newcomers to dip their toes in the vast universe of comic books, the event lets fans get their hands on one-off comics and new releases, enabling them to dive deeper into the characters and their stories.

For Rachel Sousa, another comic book fan, Free Comic Book Day is a chance to read a variety of these stories.

"The stories are all really fun and interesting, and they're all very different. You can get anything from deeper stories about mental health to just fun superhero stories with some action in it,” said Sousa.