Free Comic Book Day is back, bigger and better than ever.

First, the details: On Saturday, participating comic shops will give out free comics. It's not a hoax: The comics are free to anyone who shows up (although some shops may require a purchase or have other rules).

How can they do this? Well, the publishers spend a lot of money on the books, but they can write it off, at least partly, as promotion. Ditto the comic shops, which pay a nominal fee for each book. So on the commercial end, they're anything but free. But to you and yours, the books are free.

And this year, there are 60 of them. They range from comprehensive stories to catalogs, from all-ages stories to adults-only. With 60 books from 40 publishers, there's bound to be a wide variety. You can see a comprehensive list and participating stores at freecomicbookday.com. For a little general guidance, here are some handy categories.

All-ages

Go straight for the "Archie Comics Digest." The Riverdale gang is timeless fun for kids of all ages, by some of the best creators in the biz. And at a whopping 96 pages, Archie says, "We challenge you to find a Free Comic Book Day offering with more pages than this!"

And while you're at it, pick up DC's cartoon-related "Teen Titans Go!", find the Disney ducks in "Uncle Scrooge: A Matter of Some Gravity!" and check out the Simpsons crew in the "Bongo Comics Free-For-All!" Dark Horse offers an all-ages triple threat in a book titled, appropriately, "Avatar/Itty Bitty Hellboy/Juice Squeezers." Plus you'll find favorites like Hello Kitty, Jellaby, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the Smurfs and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Capes and cowls

Marvel Comics is looking forward to its next blockbuster movie with two books, "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Rocket Raccoon." The former book guest-stars Captain Marvel and a mystery character (it's Venom), who is unlikely to be in the movie but may join the regular "GotG" title. The latter book stars the cranky outer-space rodent who loves guns and hates to be called "Rocky."

DC Comics doesn't have a big movie coming up, but it does have a big story line called "Future's End" that it teases with a book of the same name. "Future's End" will be published weekly — no, that's not a typo — beginning May 7, and will explore a threat to TV's "Batman Beyond": an army of cyborgs that look a lot like the Justice League! (Cue dramatic piano chord.)

DC isn't the only publisher using FCBD to tease upcoming series. Image Comics offers "Rise of the Magi" #0, about a fellow named Asa who gets caught up on a magical war. "The Magi are awake and they are legion," Image warns, "and only seven magicians, sorcerers, thieves and killers can stop them. But as Asa will soon find out, among thieves there is no honor." The first issue of the ongoing "Rise of the Magi" arrives in late May.

Strange brew

Looking for something a little different? How about "The Fall of Fantine"? That's a chapter from the manga version of "Les Miserables." Or maybe the black humor of "Zombie Tramp" is what you're looking for (and, yes, it's exactly what it sounds like). How about a sample of Shigeru Mizuki's "A History of Japan" for the histor-o-philes? And for fans of "Star Wars," there's a steampunk version from Antarctic Press, called — naturally — "Steam Wars."