A Star Wars stormtrooper leans back and chats casually with Batman, while various zombies, elves and superheroes mill about comparing notes and swapping stories.
Sydney's Pitt Street gets pretty surreal on the first Saturday of May and this year will be no different when the city's pop culture fans descend upon the CBD for Free Comic Book Day.
First suggested in 2001 by a Californian comics retailer hoping to promote what was still mostly a niche hobby, Free Comic Book Day has spread across the globe and Australians have embraced it with particular aplomb.
A sizeable proportion of fans turn up dressed as their favourite characters and while the figure-hugging spandex get-ups don't always flatter - after all, few boast the physique of Chris "Thor" Hemsworth or Scarlett "Black Widow" Johansson - that doesn't deter the most enthusiastic.
This Saturday, the faithful will be out in force again as comic shops, bookstores and libraries around the country hand out thousands of free comics on a first-come, first-served basis.
There was a queue around the block when as many as 4000 readers turned up at Sydney's Kings Comics last year, and the numbers could be even bigger this time around as superhero movies continue to push comics into the mainstream.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was Australia's No. 1 movie on its release over the long weekend, while Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier has built upon the buzz from 2011's The Avengers to become the highest grossing April release of all time.
"It was The Avengers which really broke the barrier and any negative stereotypes surrounding buying and reading comic books," says Kings Comics' Stephen Ford.
"The Avengers was so accessible to all age demographics - from children right through to the elderly, it had something in it for everyone.
"The Marvel Studios movies - Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers - are so integrated, much like they are in comic books, that it has driven lots of young readers and teens into wanting to explore these characters further."
Contrary to the stereotype best portrayed by The Simpsons' overweight, male and single Comic Book Guy, Ford says many new readers are women in their teens to thirties interested in The Walking Dead, Doctor Who and Arrow television shows.
Australian tastes in comics overall are pretty much similar to those in the United States.
"We love the big characters and series such as Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, Captain America and Iron Man," he says.
Even so, it isn't just about superheroes and sci-fi.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Game of Thrones are also hugely popular, as is Lee Falk's The Phantom, reprints of which come from Australia's Frew Publications.
This year's free comics also include The Smurfs, Hello Kitty, Archie and Spongebob Squarepants, while there is more adult fare such as 2000AD (home of the antihero Judge Dredd) and a how-to guide on using comics and graphic novels to encourage kids to read.
* For more information including how to find participating stores: www.freecomicbookday.com
