Free Comic Book Day showed manga some love this year with two comic samples of One-Punch Man/My Hero Academia and an Attack on Titan Anthology.

For those unfamiliar with FCBD, it is a national American comic book store holiday celebrated every year on the first Saturday of May. Comic book publishers large and small release free comics to give away as a small preview of the stories they sell and what is to come later in the year.

Viz Media gave away a bundle of One-Punch Man by One/Yusuke Murata and My Hero Academia  by Kohei Horikoshi. These each had 15 pages from the first chapters of the mangas. For fans of the smash hit One-Punch Man anime, Murata’s art is one-of-a-kind in the original manga with incredible detailing that transferred seamlessly to the animation.

My Hero Academia is being aired this anime season through Studio Bones and Funimation. This follows the story of young Midoriya who has entered a private high school full of students perfecting their “quirks.” Quirks are special abilities and powers similar to the X-Men, each unique and specialized to each character.

The bundle gives us just enough of a tease to want to keep reading on, but that is the idea. FCBD comics are made to introduce you into something you haven’t read before, or just to collect if you are a big fan.

By Michael Avon Oeming

Originally made by Hajime Isayama, Attack on Titan has enraptured audiences world-wide. For the first time this October, a handful of American authors and artists are going to have a go at the story in a 250 page full colour anthology. Each interpretation is a play on Isayama’s world whether that is an extension to his universe from dramatic stories or a comedic parodies.

By Evan Dorkin and Sara Dyer

With award winning authors like Michael Avon Oeming (Powers) and dream teams like Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr (New 52 Batgirl), the anthology looks to be a promising homage to Isayama’s work.

6cf9d4d8ff51b59860cad1162063fdf11458916248fulljpg

By Kevin Wada

By Afua Richardson

If you did not get a chance to to pick up these freebies last Saturday, be sure to scour your local comic shop for the actual titles. All are great reads and make sure to reserve your copy of the anthology this fall!