There isn't too much you can get for free nowadays, but today (Saturday) is Free Comic Book Day at area comic book stores including the Coliseum of Comics in downtown Kissimmee.

More than two million comic books will be given away at participating stores today, as comic book dealers do their annual part to introduce as many as people as possible to the wonders of comic books.

“Comics are often portrayed using that sort of “BIFF! POW!” clicheestablished over forty years ago,” Joe Littrell, manager of Coliseum of Comics’ Kissimmee location said. “The truth is, the wide array of comic books being published today ensures that readers of all ages — children, teens, and adults – can find something appropriate to not only entertain, but possibly also to educate and inspire them.

“Comic fans are everywhere these days – even in the White House,” he said.

Now in its ninth year, Free Comic Book Day has proven to be an outstanding success, spreading the word that comics are terrific reading.

“If you’ve never picked up a comic book, if you’re coming back to the hobby after a long time, or you’re just trying to find something to encourage your kids to read, a stop at your nearest Coliseum of Comics will show you options you probably never even considered, ” Litrell said.

Comic books have been propelled to the front ranks of pop culture; many being adapted into movies, from the Spider-Man and Batman franchises to the award-winning Road to Perdition and American Splendor. Many television, motion picture and book properties havemade a similar leap to comics, with adaptations and additions to  the worlds of Star Wars, Battlestar: Galactica, Twilight, Star Trek, Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter, and Stephen King’s The Stand and Dark Tower series. Iron Man 2, the sequel to the 2008 hit film, hits the big screen on May 7, a week after Free Comic Book Day.

Characters and properties featured in titles being given away at this year’s event include Archie, G.I. Joe, Fraggle Rock, Shrek, Toy Story, Iron Man, Superman, Sonic the Hedgehog, the Green Hornet, Atomic Robo, and Owly And Friends. Regular updates, information about comic books, and a list of participating publishers and their free comics can be found online at www.FreeComicBookDay.com.

Free Comic Book Day will run throughout the day  at all five Central Florida Coliseum of Comics locations.

Free Comic Book Day is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to help bring new readers into independent comic book stores. The event began in 2002 and is coordinated by the industry's single large distributor, Diamond Comic Distributors. For additional information, visit freecomicbookday.com.