Try Try Again

On Saturday morning I found myself awake at 9:30 in the morning. Saturday morning is actually a glorious time for shopping, but I typically spend it sleeping, as I wake so early during weekdays that Saturday is the morning I look forward to, knowing on this morning, I can sleep as long as I want.

Unless I can't of course.

So I went to the local market. I purchased arm fulls of glorious fresh produce, including cilantro I found by smell, and on my way home I stopped off at the other local comic shop in town.

When I walked in the young guy behind the counter said hello to me. It wasn't too busy as it was 11.00 in the morning--a time I imagine isn't the prime comic selling time, so they were organizing trading cards.

This place had an entire wall dedicated to the DCnU, and they had so many titles still available. I started looking through with excitement. They had Animal Man still, and Frankenstein, and Batwoman, and ... okay they didn't have Batgirl, but no one has Batgirl.

Since I had already ordered everything that I wanted online, they didn't really have anything that I wanted. But, I had heard some good things about Green Lantern and Superboy, and some mixed things about Demon Knight so I figured while in Rome...

And when I went up to the counter I asked about reserving comics. There was the young guy behind the counter and an guy about in his 50s. The young guy behind the counter gave me a list to write down all the comics I wanted reserved for me. I made a long list and told them I was trying some of these titles to pick what ones I wanted to start reading regularly. They told me if I changed my mind on a comic after I tried the first issue it was no big deal. They said these comics were still returnable at this point.

We got to talking about how I had trouble picking up the titles I wanted at the other location. The older guy behind the counter, who seemed like the owner, admitted how difficult he had heard ordering had been for other comic shops.

This is the gist of his explanation.

We've all been burned in the past he said. Like in the 90s with the foil covers. We all bought big and then couldn't sell stuff, so when this new "thing" came along, people didn't want to get trapped the same way. You could say we are a bit skeptical of what the comic companies say will drive sales. But when this came a long I told the guy that orders our comics to order big. And it's turned out well for us. We've managed to have plenty of stock for the higher demand.

I was there early, so I wasn't really exposed to this comic shops community. When I was there only a kid and his dad came in looking for some Simpsons issue, and the kid seemed mostly excited about the Family Guy action figures that talked. However, neither of these guys seemed dismissive of me though. They were helpful, informative, and courteous about my ignorance. They even gave me a card with my reserve account.

So yes, I am now a card carrying comic book person.

It's actually not that exciting at all. No pizzaz to speak of.

Ironically enough though, I don't think I want anything that comes out this week. Indeed I have nothing on my reserve for this Wednesday.

The books that come in the mail (hopefully) will tide me over until the last release week. If I hear some good buzz though, I'll head downtown and have a reasonable chance to find the book available.