To get audiences pumped up for the upcoming Marvel blockbuster, Fantom Comics put on a show of Wakandan elegance.

FRIDAY >> The legendary Patti Smith is at the 9:30 Club tonight, and tickets are incredibly still available for $25. Doors at 9, show at 10 p.m. >> The idea of attending a lighting display, particularly after Christmas, might sound a bit cheesy. But the Garden of Lights in Wheaton might just change your mind. The designer tours the county gardens each year for inspiration for his display; this year, it invokes the four seasons….

FRIDAY: >> Local comic book store Fantom Comics is celebrating the grand opening of their new Union Station store tonight with a party from 6 to 10:30 p.m. They’ll be serving up free pizza on the early side and the comedy stylings of the Geek Comedy Tour during the second half of the night. There will also be a trivia contest with $500 gift certificates up for grabs. The party is inside the Union…

This Saturday is the sixth annual Free Comic Book Day, which is exactly as awesome as it sounds. Independent shops all over the country will be handing out a hearty selection of comics to anyone who wants one. The idea emerged as a way to introduce people to the art form who might only associate comics with this guy or a childhood fascination with Superman. These days comics are as diverse as any other medium,…

Late last week marked the grand opening of Fantom Comics, purveyor of comic books, graphic novels, figurines and the like. The small boutique is located in the commercial development above the Tenleytown-AU Metro stop (map), alongside Best Buy and The Container Store. With the opening, Tenleytown will now become an attractive destination for Washington geeks, who can hit Best Buy for all their computer and videogaming needs, pick up some X-Men figurines at Fantom Comics,…