Graphic Novels & Comic Books and Where to Find Them

Published on 19 December 2024 at 14:21

Are you a fan of graphic novels and comic books? Personally, I find myself going to this format (and some of my favorite characters) when I need a comforting and familiar read, but still want a new story I've never read before. In this post, I share some of the resources I have found for reading graphic novels and comic books affordably. Some are free, while others include a small fee. I hope that one of these resources will help you find new books to read and enjoy within this format.

Image Description: A young woman with tan skin and brown hair lays on her stomach between bookshelves in a library. Her hair is styled into two loose, messy buns on either side of her head. She is wearing glasses and a navy t-shirt. Several comic books lay open on the floor around her. She is flipping through the pages of one of the comic books.

Credit: Joe Ciciarelli / Unsplash

Access Graphic Novels and Comic Books Affordably

  1. Free Comic Book Day: Celebrated on the first Saturday of May, this promotional holiday offers free comic books one day a year. Check with your local vendor to see if they participate in this event.
  2. Amazon Comixology: The online shopping behemoth participates in Free Comic Book Day, but also has a small collection of comic books and graphic novels covering a wide range of genres available as free ebooks outside of the popular holiday through their platform, Comixology. This article lists 20 graphic novels available for free on Amazon. You are also able to upgrade to Comixology Unlimited for $5.99/month to gain unlimited access to the rest of the comic book and graphic novel library.
  3. Centsless Books: This website tracks all of Amazon's free Kindle ebooks and organizes them by genre so that you can be sure you are looking at free books that suit your interests. It includes all genres of ebooks, including comic books and graphic novels.
  4. Barnes & Noble: The online store for Barnes & Noble has an array of comic books and graphic novels available for free. It may not take you all the way through a series, but it's a good place to start.
  5. GlobalComix: This platform offers free and professional ($19.99/month) options for accessing their database filled with popular comic books as well as smaller, independent publications. You're able to search by free vs. paid content as well as by genre or theme.
  6. Hoopla: Popular among local library networks, Hoopla helps you identify comic books and graphic novels (as well as many other books) available through your community's library.
  7. Open Library: I've referenced Open Library on many occasions because it houses a huge collection of ebooks as a free, digital library. Comic books and graphic novels are among the books available. This platform also has some accessibility features for readers with vision impairments and other print-related disabilties.
  8. Internet Archive: Connected to Open Library, Internet Archive also houses a large assortment of books as well as other forms of media in its database, making a useful research database. Comic books and graphic novels are available in its collection. It also has some accessibility features for readers with print-related disabilities.
  9. Attix Comics: Attix Comics sells comic books from 17 publishers. While they don't have a free option, they do have a "bargain box" through which they sell discounted books for a couple dollars.
  10. Marvel Infinity Comics: While not all Marvel Infinity Comics are available for free, you can started by reading the 30 comic books they have made available for free. The list includes X-Men, House of Harkness, Avengers, and Spider-Man content among others.
  11. Marvel Unlimited: Marvel has some comic books available for free on the Marvel Unlimited website, with the intention of getting you started with the Marvel Unlimited program. The paid subscription is $9.99/month.
  12. Webtoon: This American-South Korean company hosts a large selection of web-based comics across an array of genres. They operate a bit like a social platform for fans of this storytelling format and have many individual creators sharing their work through the platform. The website is free to access.
  13. VIZ: If manga is your preferred style of comic book, VIZ might interest you. This platform offers free trials, but ultimately charges $1.99/month to access their digital library through the VIZ Manga app or $2.99/month to access the Shonen Jump digital vault through the Shonene Jump app.
  14. DC Universe Infinite: The subscription for this platform is on the pricier side ($7.00/month), but they offer 12 comic books at a time for free. As I write this, Wonder Woman, King Shark, and Batman are all represented among the small selection of free reading material. The free content rotates from time to time.
  15. Dark Horse Comics: This publisher offers 100 comic books free to read through their website. The caveat is that you must create an account in order to access the free content. Some of the comics available for free include content from Hellboy, Stranger Things, and Umbrella Academy.
  16. Tapas: Similarly to Webtoon, Tapas is an online space for independent creators to share their work. Content is generally free and is searchable by genre and format.
  17. WorldCat: While this platform does not host books, it does help you identify the nearest library that carries the book you're looking for. This is not exclusive to graphic novels and comic books, rather it is useful for any type of book you are interested in reading.

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