It's that time again, friends. Free Comic Book Day (FCBD)! Slated to go down all day nationwide on Saturday, May 3, the people behind FCBD have lots more fun and surprises up their sleeves for the fans this year.

According to the official FCBD website, "Free Comic Book Day is a single day -- the first Saturday in May each year -- when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE to anyone who comes into their stores."

Additionally, according to the FCBD Facebook page, the folks behind FCBD are holding various sweepstakes and other contests geared around this year's festivities.

Among them, fans can sign up for the FCBD newsletter prior to the release of "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (the movie) in order to win Spider-Man-themed prizes and IMAX tickets to the film. Also, fans can post photos taken during this year's FCBD on the organization's Facebook wall and be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to your local comic book shop.

The FCBD folks have taken the time to compile a list of tips for fans on their site to help navigate your way through an "unforgettable" Free Comic Book Day. Here it is, in a nutshell:

First things first: Find a participating comic book shop. You can use the FCBD Shop Locator on the event website to find a store near you, and if you're close to several participating shops you're encouraged to make a day out of the event and map out which stores to visit to get a variety of free comic books.

Tip No. 2 is to contact your local comic book shop or check out their website to see what their FCBD policy plans are.

And moving on to No. 3, fans should plan to arrive early. Some shops can have long lines so, again, it's advised to contact your local shop to see how FCBD has played out in previous years in terms of how many people can be expected to show up and what kind of selection fans will get.

The next tip is to visit the Free Comic Book Day Facebook page. On the page you can find up-to-date news about the FCBD comics, special events, interviews from the FCBD creators and artists, cosplayers, videos about FCBD and daily giveaways.

The fifth and final tip is to have fun with FCBD! It's an opportunity to celebrate the art of comic books, a chance to find new types of comics, familiarize yourself with your local comic book shop, read new comic books, get your kids involved and to "have fun as a community."

Curious about what kind of comic books you can bank on this year? The FCBD 2014 selection includes 60 different titles. Here's a taste of what you can expect to see in stores:

Archie Digest #1; DC The New 52: Future's End (Special Edition); DH Avatar Hellboy: Juice Squeezers; Rise of the Magi; Hatter M: Far From Wonder; Intrinsic Vol. 2; Les Miserables: Fall of Fantine; Sherwood TX: Boondock Saints (double feature); The Smurfs; The Tick; and more.

You can download previews for many of this selection of comic books online at the FCBD website.

A side note to fans: Each comic shop pays for the comic books they give away for free. Although they cost less than a regular comic book, they do cost the retailer money, which is why the supply is limited each year. The folks behind FCBD urge fans to "make sure you thank your retailer for participating!"

Now, the countdown to FCBD 2014 continues...

While we're all waiting, why don't you drop us a note and let us know what your all-time favorite comic books and characters are (in the comments section below). We'd love to hear from you!

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