Glen Burnie's newest comic book superstore is throwing open its doors for Batman Day this Saturday, offering 20% off Bat-family graphic novels, toys and merchandise alongside a free comic and mask with any purchase while supplies last. Third Eye 97, the 10,000-square-foot flagship that took over a former Walmart space near Interstate 97, will run the celebration from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. as one of seven Third Eye Comics locations across the region marking the occasion.
The Glen Burnie store opened on July 25, according to The Baltimore Banner, making it the ninth location overall for a chain that also runs specialized game and music facilities. For its grand opening, the retailer gave away door prizes including an Absolute Batman axe signed by artist Nick Dragotta.
As Eye On Annapolis reports, Batman-themed cosplay participants at the September 19 event can win a Bat prize pack, and Third Eye Comics will release four exclusive graphic novels tied to the holiday. The chain regularly hosts events tied to comics, gaming and pop culture, and its shelves carry comics, graphic novels, trading cards, toys, games, music and other collectibles beyond the Batman Day specials.
A Publisher-Driven Holiday With Strict Rules
National Batman Day itself is a DC Comics and Warner Bros. creation, first declared on July 23, 2014 for Batman's 75th anniversary alongside San Diego Comic-Con before the event moved to mid-September starting in 2015, according to Wikipedia. This year's flagship release is Batman of Two Worlds #1, a $2.99 special pairing main-universe Batman writer Matt Fraction with Absolute Universe Batman writer Scott Snyder, as detailed by Murphy's Multiverse.
DC Comics also commissioned artist Ryan Sook to draw four collectible paper masks for Batman Day 2026, giving participating shops retro-styled giveaways that homage distinct eras of Batman history, per CBR. Those publisher-provided masks are distinct from store-level prizes like Third Eye's cosplay contest, and the giveaways come with real consequences for retailers: DC Comics and distributor Lunar Distribution issued strict street-date notices this September warning comic shops that displaying or selling Batman Day titles before September 19 violates publisher agreements and risks losing future event shipments, according to Bleeding Cool.
Five Special Hardcovers Round Out the Slate
DC Comics also created five special hardcover graphic novel editions for the holiday featuring event-exclusive variant dust jackets, including Batman Vol. 1: Daylight and a Batman '89 edition homaging Tim Burton's 1989 film, according to CBR.
From Annapolis Storefront to Regional Chain
Third Eye Comics traces its roots to a 2008 launch in Annapolis with $4,000 in capital, according to The Comics Journal. Anderson later co-created Awesome Con in Washington, D.C. in 2013 alongside Ben Penrod, after the pair had already launched the Annapolis Comic-Con, per Awesome Con's own account.
The company's growth has accelerated in recent years. Retail industry outlet SKTCHD reported that Third Eye Comics posted a 35% company-wide revenue surge in 2024 compared to 2023, while maintaining 12.5% same-store sales growth even when excluding new store openings. That trajectory helps explain why the chain has continued expanding into bigger-box formats like the Glen Burnie superstore, which now anchors the company's presence in Anne Arundel County alongside its original Annapolis roots.
