Jeff MurrayElmira Star-Gazette
April 27, 2026, 10:07 a.m. ET
Whether you grew up rooting for comic book heroes or have never opened a comic book, a local outlet is helping to host an event designed to spark more interest in the decades-old art form.
For the fourth year, Heroes Comic Books, 130 W. 14th St. in Elmira Heights, will help host Free Comic Book Days and Pop Market Weekend on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3.
The event, which is part of an annual national promotion, will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 2 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 3 at the Elmira Heights American Legion, 236 Scottwood Ave.
Admission is free and thousands of free comic books will be available.
“There is a phrase I say almost daily and it’s ‘putting books in people’s hands.’ Availability is paramount. Accessibility is vital,” said Jared Aiosa, owner of Heroes Comic Shop. “Having a day that people of all ages can visit with us, and receive a handful of books, at no cost, helps toward that goal of encouraging reading.”
Free Comic Book Day is organized by Universal Distribution Network and supported by Marvel, DC, and other major comic book publishers.
“There’s a comic out there for everyone,” according to the Free Comic Book Day website.
Locally, attendees at the American Legion event will have the opportunity to meet published comic creators who worked on Batman, Green Lantern, Nightwing, Rick and Morty, Invader Zim, and many more comic books who said his business also partners with the Game Shoppe in Corning during Pop Market events
Attendance at past events has been strong and Heroes Comic Shop has given away thousands of books to help encourage more readership, Aiosa said.
“I believe it is a conscious choice to put our phones away, and pick up a book, or a pencil and exercise our brains in a different, more beneficial way,” he said. “Not everyone is ‘a comic book super fan’ and that’s alright. I want readers of all levels. This isn’t a contest, but a celebration of books and those that help make comic books.”
For more information, go to heroescomicshop.com.
