A Guide to Finding and Reading Free Comics

By: Anja Racke

If you love reading comics, graphic novels, and manga like me, you know that they’re not always the easiest to get our hands on. Not all of us live close to a comics shop, and not all bookstores carry comics and graphic novels. And on top of that, comics can be expensive, and you may not be able to afford all the comics you’d like to read.

Luckily, there are a lot of convenient and accessible resources for reading comics that are absolutely free! In this guide, I will be sharing all of the resources I use to find and read comics, all for little to no cost.

1. The Library

Most libraries have their own collection of comics, graphic novels, and manga, and in most cases you can get a library card from your local public library for free! If you’re a SCAD student attending classes in Georgia, you can get a free Georgia Pines library card even if you aren’t a resident of Georgia. You can go to gapines.org to learn more.

If you’re in Savannah, the Bull Street Library is conveniently located next to Arnold Hall, and you can always go to SCAD’s own Jen Library, which has a great comics and manga collection.

2. Hoopla

Hoopla is a vast online library of digital content, and it’s free with most library cards. Just download the Hoopla app or go to hoopladigital.com and make an account using your library card number. Once your account is all set up, you’re able to borrow 20 digital items from Hoopla every month, including eBooks, audiobooks, movies, TV shows, and of course, comics! Hoopla has one of the greatest comics collections I’ve ever seen, so you’re sure to find something you love!

3. OverDrive and Libby

Similar to Hoopla, OverDrive is a digital library that you can access for free with most library cards. Just download the OverDrive app or Libby by OverDrive and sign up with your library card number. The OverDrive library mainly consists of eBooks and audiobooks, but they do have some graphic novels and picture books that are worth checking out!

4. Webcomics

There are a wide variety of self-published and professionally published webcomics available to read for free online. Webtoon, Tapas, and Hiveworks are some of the most popular webcomic platforms, and they have thousands of free comics to check out. You can download the Webtoon and Tapas apps on your devices or go to their desktop websites to read their vast collections of webcomics.

5. Comixology

Comixology is an online comic shop that sells digital comics. Most of the comics on Comixology are not free, but they do have a section on their website specifically for free comics. You can also get a free 30 day trial of Comixology Unlimited, which allows you access to their entire Comixology Unlimited library for a month. Download the Comixology app or go to comixology.com to learn more.

6. Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day is an annual comics promotional event where many comic publishers give out free comics. Most local comic shops participate, and all you have to do is go to the shop on Free Comic Book Day and pick out your free comics. The event usually happens on the first Saturday in May, but in 2021, Free Comic Book Day will be on August 14. Go to freecomicbookday.com to learn more.

That’s all the free comic resources I have for now! I hope you enjoy using these resources and reading free comics. Let us know if you have any methods of your own for finding free comics.