Be wary, sons, daughters, husbands and wives of comic book fans. For the seventh year in a row, fanboys of America have a reason to play dress up and embarrass their loved ones for the low price of zero dollars.

Free Comic Book Day, May 2, is the unofficial holiday to celebrate and help promote independent comic book stores across the country. Chicago is home to more than a dozen comic shops, so the opportunities to celebrate the holiday are numerous.

Across the country, publishers print special comics just for the holiday to help support retailers. The publishers range from Marvel and DC to Dark Horse and Archie Comics. This year, the available titles include Avengers, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Disney/Pixar’s Cars, Wolverine and William Shatner Presents, to name a few.

Some stores are keeping it relatively simple. Chicago Comics, 3244 N. Clark St., is offering a storewide 20 percent discount for customers who come dressed up as their favorite comic book character.

“It has to be an actual costume. It can’t be just a T-shirt,” said Eric Kirsammer, owner of Chicago Comics. “Other than that, we’re pretty open.”

Other stores, however, are making it a very thorough and in-depth event. At The Comic Vault, 1530 W. Montrose Ave., hardcore comic collectors can enter in the chance to win a comic book that, if in mint condition, nets $45,000. The store is raffling off an original copy of the first issue of Amazing Spider-Man. Store owner Matthew Sardo said the copy is worth about $3,000.

In addition to a 30 percent discount on all merchandise in the store, The Comic Vault is hosting a number of comic book creators to visit and sign books. In attendance will be Tom Stillwell (Honor Brigade), Jim Terry (Lie Down Low), Jeff Balke (The Living Corpse), Shaun Lapacek (Lillim) and Lee John Cutrone and Michael Gallinari (The Crush).

Unlike stores that put a stack of comics on the counter just to be swiped up as customers walk away, Sardo said The Comic Vault strives for a deeper connection with local comic fans.

“Our mission at The Comic Vault is that it’s more than a store, it’s a community,” Sardo said. “So we definitely push that through at events like this.”

Because Free Comic Book Day is a celebration of independent comic shops, Sardo tries to keep the event as local as possible. For example, most of the comic creators coming to the store live in Chicago. They’re also going to host a podcast, “The Comic Hour with Two Adams,” which is also based in the city.

“That’s why we don’t have big names from Marvel and DC, because it’s all about celebrating the comic book industry itself and supporting the local guys and bringing them up,” Sardo said.

Although Free Comic Book Day is a great way to support local business, Brion Salazar of AroundComics.com said it could serve a greater purpose: literacy. He argued that not many casual readers will travel out to a comic shop for free comics, so he thinks the day should branch out to schools and libraries, as well.

“I’ve been reading comics since I was about 10 years old, and it’s certainly something that increased my ability to read and my interest in reading,” Salazar said. “I absolutely think it can help young readers learn the benefits of reading, as well as entertainment.”

Still, some shop owners see new faces in their stores on Free Comic Book Day. Kirsammer said he sees the unofficial holiday as a way to introduce new people into the world of comics.

“I think it’s getting people in the store and getting them excited about comics. We have people come in who haven’t been in a comic book store or who hadn’t been in a while or who just want to try it out,” Kirsammer said. “And to just get something for free is pretty cool.”

To find a complete list of stores participating in Free Comic Book Day in Chicago, visit FreeComicBookDay.com.