Forbidden Planet has announced a high-profile signing schedule for Free Comic Book Day 2026, headlined by a 50th-anniversary celebration of the controversial British title Action. The event, held at the London Megastore on Saturday, 2 May, features Garth Ennis, John Higgins, and Rob Williams, alongside modern heavyweights Ram V and Matthew Rosenberg.
The 2026 programme marks a significant shift in how comic retail handles physical events, blending legacy revivals with aggressive “ashcan” marketing strategies to drive footfall in an increasingly digital landscape. Beyond the standard giveaways, this year’s celebrations lean into the “collector hierarchy,” prioritising limited-edition signed variants and hand-drawn aesthetics as a counter-movement to generative AI in the industry.
Censorship vs. Celebration: The Action Legacy
The return of Action is more than a simple exercise in nostalgia; it is a tactical reclamation of a title once dubbed the “most dangerous comic in Britain.” Originally published in 1976, Action was famously withdrawn from newsagents following a moral panic led by Mary Whitehouse, who targeted the comic’s “extreme violence” in strips like Hook Jaw and Kids Rule OK.
The Action 50th Anniversary Special, published by Rebellion’s Treasury of British Comics, appears to be doubling down on the very grit that saw it banned. Garth Ennis and John Higgins are reviving Dredger, the lethal secret agent, while Rob Williams and Patrick Goddard return to the violent world of Look Out For Lefty.
Crucially, the 50th-anniversary celebration is framed as a tribute to the “spirit of anarchy” that gave birth to 2000 AD. However, the friction remains: while Rebellion celebrates the comic’s historical defiance, the modern market demands a level of corporate stability that the original, volatile Action never had. The 2026 special is oversized and priced for collectors – a far cry from the “Sevenpenny Dreadful” that terrified parents in the 70s.
Summer Trends: The Collector’s Hierarchy
As we head into the summer 2026 season, the “Summer Trends” are clearly defined by three distinct movements:
- The Signed Ashcan Strategy: Matthew Rosenberg’s launch of If Destruction Be Our Lot is the prime example of a Tier-2 access system. By selling signed “Preview Ashcans” at Forbidden Planet on 2 May, four days before the official release, publishers are creating a “fear of missing out” (FOMO) that rewards physical presence over digital convenience.
- The “Anti-AI” Aesthetic: Ram V, signing Deicidium: Omens, is championing a “slower release schedule” and “gorgeous black and white interiors.” This trend emphasises human-made, traditional inking as a luxury product. In a market flooded with digital polish, the “raw” look of Anand Radhakrishnan’s work is being marketed as a premium, human-centric alternative.
- High-Concept Mixed Media: The release of titles like If Destruction Be Our Lot—which features a robotic Abraham Lincoln in a post-human world—highlights a trend toward “weird visual” storytelling. Collectors are no longer just buying stories; they are buying “bookish products” supported by animated trailers and high-end physical commissions.
As roleplaying games and comics continue to converge at major hubs like Forbidden Planet, the summer 2026 outlook suggests that while free giveaways draw the crowd, it is the controversial history and the exclusive “handmade” limited editions that keep the registers ringing.
