It’s the first weekend in May, and that means that Free Comic Book Day is upon us again. Retailer Joe Field came up with the idea back in 2001 to capitalize on the popularity of the upcoming Spider-Man film. Since then, the first weekend in May has generally been reserved for a new comics-themed movie—this year it’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine—and retailers and creators all over the country are joining in.

Both Marvel and DC are taking advantage of the event by offering original stories by top creators. Brian Michael Bendis is writing The Avengers—a book that will give newcomers a taste of what’s going on in the Marvel Universe at the moment—and Geoff Johns kicks off his epic Green Lantern event with Blackest Night No. 0.

Bill Galvin (Archie Comics) and Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) is signing books at Night Flight Comics (6222 S. State, 801-263-1940), and other shops around the valley are participating as well. So find the store closest to you and pick up some freebies.

Free Comic Book Day @ various retail locations, Saturday, May 2. FreeComicBookDay.com