From the littlest Batman to the friendliest Imperial Stormtrooper, Free Comic Book Day brought hundreds of visitors to Comic Book Ink Tacoma on East 72nd Street.

The shop, which will celebrate its seventh anniversary later this year, was once again participating in the national giveaway, which is held each year on the first Saturday in May.

“It’s all about literacy,” said proprietor John Munn, who expected to give away between 6,000 and 7,000 comics. A limited number of titles are provided each year at cost by comic publishers.

Munn hopes the offerings will help get kids excited about reading and about comic books in the same way he was transformed when his father gave him issues of The Amazing Spider-Man.

This year the event came one day after the opening of the latest installment of the comic-based X-Men movie franchise. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” was far and away the weekend favorite, according to boxoffice.com.

Audrey Stowe, 3, was looking forward to reading about the adventures of Owly, a kind-hearted owl, while her older brother Barrett was more into Star Wars.

“I got to shake the Stormtrooper’s hand,” the 5-year-old announced.

Asked whether he favored the good guys or the bad guys, Barrett admitted he liked them both.

Seemingly unaware of the controversy surrounding President Barack Obama’s greeting of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the Summit of the Americas last month, Barrett said he would even shake Darth Vader’s hand.

“It’s always a good excuse to get the family down here,” said their father, James Stowe.

Adding to the carnivalesque excitement were roller derby’s Dockyard Derby Dames on skates and a costumed member of Garrison Titan, whose Web site calls it “the elite Seattle based group of Stormtroopers stationed in the Northwestern United States.”

Some youngsters also dressed in costumes, and Federal Way artist Jesse Munoz gave away free sketches.

“I’m trying to get my own comic book published,” he said.

Ian Demsky: 253-597-8872

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Dean Koepfler: 253-597-6173

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