Did somebody say Mario Kart tournament with other free games and prizes? That’s not all this museum will have 50 percent off trades all day, $5 paperbacks and $10 hard covers, $1 back issues until 3 p.m., 30 percent off T-shirts, 25 percent off of toys and statues, and 35 percent off of toys and statues if you are a member. Sound good? Not to mention that Geppi’s is one of the coolest places in Baltimore. It is a museum devoted to pop culture while specifically focusing on the world of comic books. Behind protective glass one can gawk at some of the rarest and most important comics ever to be printed.

The museum shows, through comics and pop culture memorabilia, how the United States has transformed as time has progressed. Owner Steve Geppi says the little elevator inside the big historic building is like a time machine. Once you enter the museum you are transported to another era, whether it is your childhood, the 30s and the birth of Superman, or as far back as the late 1800s during the onset of newspaper funnies and The Yellow Kid.

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Barbarian Comics has been a staple of Maryland since the 1970s. It is also the only comic book store in Wheaton, Maryland. If history is our teacher, then they’ll be here to stay. For every Free Comic Book Day, the store gets a lot of foot traffic due to its great deals and good selection.

A guest dressed as Spider-Man also usually stops by to entertain the other customers. They sell comics dating back all the way to the 1940s and all the way up to the present. So if you’re searching for precious Golden or Silver Age comic,s Barbarian might be the place to go. May the 6th be with you.

Alliance is a big shop. Their size allows them to have one of the best comic book selections in the DMV. They even have Archie comics. Alliance has an old school, friendly vibe probably inherited from the previous owner Steve Geppi, of Geppi’s Museum fame. Geppi owned the store from the 70s to the late 90s until the space evolved into Alliance Comics, much like how Jean Grey transformed into the Phoenix.

On Free Comic Book Day, Alliance will offer free titles as well as 20 percent off all merchandise on their top floor. The top floor has autographed memorabilia, t-shirts, action figures, magnets, Pokémon cards, Yu-Gi-Oh cards, Magic the Gathering cards, posters, buttons, key chains—you name it they probably have it. They also carry a decent amount of back issues spanning different eras of comic book. This is because they buy and sell used comics which can bring in some rare treats. You are sure to be pleasantly surprised on May 6.

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You can find Fantom Comics right on the outskirts of Dupont Circle. The interior of the store is so colorful even Matt Murdock would see it. They offer mostly modern age comics spanning the traditional genres of superhero. They also have titles that cater to more specified tastes including anime, horror, science fiction, and much more.

The management encourages everyone to stop by on May 6. They’ll be giving out free comics of varying titles while also offering a plethora of great deals. Cosplay is both encouraged and welcomed says the staff.

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If you could fly, then you could hover over George Mason University’s Fairfax campus like a satellite. You would see Mason students milling about campus reading comic books willy-nilly. Why? There has been a comic book store in University Mall for twenty years. The Amazing Comic Shop was once called Laughing Ogre Comics, and before that it was called Phoenix Comics and before that it was something else. It has had just as many names as Weapon X has had aliases. One thing has remained the same through the years. They offer a terrific selection of pop culture memorabilia, including comics, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, key chains, statuettes, t-shirts, and knick knacks of every form, shape, and color.

On Free Comic Book Day, the store will give nearby Mason students a welcomed respite from their studies. Non-Mason students can come too of course. Everyone is welcome. In addition to the free comics, The Amazing Comic Shop will offer a sidewalk sale with special deals, dollar bins, and limited time offers on their varied merchandise. Rrring, rrrring, class dismissed.

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Victory Comics is a large store that specializes in both comic books and board games. They sell action figures, statues, Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokémon, and Magic the Gathering cards along with a wide range of pop culture merchandise. Victory celebrates Free Comic Book Day in a big way. The 501st Legion will be stopping by the shop to entertain customers. If you’re unfamiliar with the 501st Legion, they are a professional Star Wars Cosplay group. They usually dress as storm troopers and other miscreants of the dark side including the infamous Darth Vader himself. These evil doppelgangers do a lot of events for charity, so unlike their counterparts in a galaxy far far away, they may in fact be considered heroes.

Victory will also have local artists stop by to sell artwork and do commissions for children and good humored adults. There will be raffles of comics and board games, and there will be storewide sales including discounts on most of the merchandise in the shop. If you see Darth Vader, do not be scared; he’ll probably only use the force to hug you.