Here Are Over 100 Comics You Can Read for Free Right Now

Here at Nerdist, we love celebrating great art and bringing it to you so that you can enjoy it with us. Though the current coronavirus situation might not immediately seem like it’s the best time to discover something new, artistic communities from around the world have been coming together online to share their work for people who are currently self-isolating or who are under quarantine.

The comic book community has been at the center of the digital response to the coronavirus, and over the past week, creators and publishers have been generously sharing their comics for free. So I’ve curated some of the best, brightest, and most exciting offerings for you right here in a collection that includes over 100 free stories you can read right now!

Newly added amazing free comics!

The comics community has continued to share their beautiful work with the internet over the last week so we’ve updated this piece with some of the new and brilliant free comics you can read right now.

Zainab Akhtar’s Short Box is one of the most exciting comics publishers in the industry. Not only do they send curated boxes of comics right to your door, they constantly put out stunning, surprising, and utterly unique work. They’re currently sharing some of that work for free beginning with Emily Carroll’s haunting comic Beneath the Dead Oak Tree.

Humanoids is also sharing free comics each week, and they have a solid selection. “From the streets of Phoenix to ancient depths, Carthago creators Christophe Bec and Eric Henninot unleash a sprawling ensemble about a mysterious corporation excavating ocean trenches…and releasing the prehistoric monsters trapped within. And for young readers, Gregory and the Gargoyles (Denis-Pierre Filippi, J Etienne, and Silvio Camboni) follows a young boy’s adventures as he time travels back to the 17th century, where a lush world of wonder and magic awaits.”

If you’ve ever wanted to get into the sprawling world of 2000AD then you’re in luck as the groundbreaking British publisher currently has 400 pages of classic Judge Dredd comics available to download right now! The searing political satire is the perfect read right now and also works as a brilliant introduction to the wider world of 2000AD’s satirical sci-fi!

Lucie Bryon is a talented cartoonist and illustrator. You’ve probably seen her gorgeous and super cute work online. If you’ve always wanted to know more about the creator behind the cute, check out Hot Milk. A collection of diary comics from the artist Hot Milk is available for free on Bryon’s Gumroad and is a total and utter joy!

This is the perfect time to discover new comics and cartoonist and illustrator Juni Ba is offering you the chance to do just that by making all of their work free on Gumroad. Perfect for reading on your tablet or phone, these awesome and experimental comics will delight and intrigue in equal measure!

Greg Pak is the man behind many of your favorite Marvel comics. From Planet Hulk to X-Treme X-Men, Pak has been one of the most innovative and interesting writers in comics, and now he’s sharing a ton of his creator owned comics for readers to enjoy!

Super Cool Publisher Collections

Image Comics, Todd McFarlane

Vault Comics is highlighting their free first issues collection, which includes great number ones from series like Submerged, Friendo, and Fearscape. The publisher has also promised that they’ll be adding more comics to this collection, so keep your eyes peeled!

Image Comics has long been at the forefront of groundbreaking change in the comics industry; this week, they’ve opened up their first issue vault and have put them all online for free. You can read more comics than you can shake a cat at here, including massive hits like Descender, Bitch Planet, Monstress, and The Walking Dead. It’s also the perfect time to try out some lesser known gems like Angelic, Olympia, and Crowded.

Brian Michael Bendis’ publishing imprint Jinx World currently lives at DC Comics. If you’re excited to try out his non-superhero stories, then make sure to check out this 81-page Jinxworld sampler, which showcases some of the rad work that Bendis and co are doing.

The sprawling superhero publisher Valiant Comics has so much more to offer than just Bloodshot. In solidarity with those stuck at home at the moment, the publisher is sharing a new free comic or trade collection each day starting with issue one of The Valiant. From Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, Paulo and Joe Rivera, the series is great for fans who want to learn more about heroes like Bloodshot, Eternal Warrior, Geomancer, and the wider Valiant universe.

Top Cow Comics is the home of heroes like Witchblade and The Darkness, as well as amazing series like Sunstone and Blood Stain. Luckily, for comic fans everywhere the publisher has not only made some of their first issues free but also some of their trade collections too!

Spectacular Sci-fi and Horror Comics

Josh Eckert

Contact High is the Eisner-nominated sci-fi love story that you never knew you needed. In a world where human contact is illegal, two people come together against incredible odds. James F. Wright and Josh Eckert’s beautiful creation will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

On a Sunbeam is a sequential storytelling masterpiece. Award-winning cartoonist Tillie Walden brings her unique and beautiful talents to the wilds of space in this epic story of love, loss, and finding the future.

Old City Blues is the creative baby of Giannis Milonogiannis and the neo-noir story takes place in a desperate but not so distant future where mech-smugglers and drug dealers run rampant. When a high-powered cybernetically enhanced CEO is found dead, the New Athens Special Police will have to unravel the strange and horrifying mystery at the heart of their city.

Come into Me takes the horror comic to the next level with a body-horror-drenched take on fear. Full disclosure: I donated a super cool essay to be part of the back matter of Come into Me issue three, but that was just because I was such a big fan of what Zack Thompson, Lonnie Nadler, and Piotr Kowalski were doing. Check this rad series out now!

The Dregs sees Nadler and Thompson turn their eye to noir as a homeless mystery enthusiast dons a detective cap to solve a series of crimes in a six-block area known as the Dregs. This meta mystery is as dark as it comes and is quite unlike anything else you’ve read.

Awesome Creator-Owned Comic Collections

One of my all-time favorite cartoonists, Michael Sweater, has put over a thousand pages of his brilliant work online for free this month. Sweater’s “Comics Quarantine Megapack” includes Please Destroy the Internet alongside a bunch of his other best work, and he also added the hilarious Please Keep Warm to his Gumroad!

Jenn Woodall is one of the most exhilarating creators working in comics today and her Gumroad page includes a few of her rad comics for you to read completely free. Marie + Worrywart is a particularly timely read, as the 32-page collection works as a thoughtful meditation on the pervasiveness of anxiety.

Jim Zub has written comics including Conan the Barbarian, Dungeons & Dragons, and Samurai Jack. During this trying time, he’s sharing two full volumes of his comics, Wayward and Skull Kicker. The former is an awesome female-led supernatural romp and the latter centers on two monster-killing mercenaries! Basically a whole bunch of free fun to be had!

Matthew Rosenberg might be better known for his work on X-Men, but he made his name at Black Mask with comics like We Can Never Go Home and 4 Kids Go into a Bank. You can now read the first issue of both of those series thanks to Rosenberg sharing them this week!

Bun and Tea takes on the classic magazine format that we grew up on and turns it on its head. Crafting something exciting and unique, collecting comics from a number of creators including Priya Huq, Nola Pfau, Lindsey Richter, and more. (Plus it includes a cool quiz by me!)

Cute Comics for Younger Readers

Oni Press, Lionforge

Nutmeg is basically Breaking Bad but with baking (in other words, Baking Bad). When a crew of middle school kids discover a super addictive new ingredient, they begin a school-wide baking racket that will change all of their lives forever. Nutmeg is perfect for readers of all ages and is a cute, cheerful, and utterly unique crime comic from James F. Wright and Jackie Crofts.

Wrapped Up is the perfect pick-up if you or your little ones need a magical distraction this month. Milo is just a normal 12-year-old boy… except for the fact that his parents are mummies, his best friend is a gnarly old wizard, and his babysitters are witches! Dave Schiedt, Scott SCOOT McMahon, and Sean K. Dove deliver this super cute and spooky kids comic.

We hope these rad reads keep you inspired, entertained, and engaged whilst you’re staying safe! Plus remember if you have a library card you can access services like Hoopla which include hundreds more comics and graphic novels for you to enjoy. And if you get the digital comics bug then make sure to check out the amazing webcomics community and check out sites like Webtoon where creators make brilliant free comics all year round!

Feature Image: Image Comics, Black Mask, Avery Hill