Visiting Heroic Adventures

Comic book wall  at Heroic Adventures, 2013

Alright, it's been years since I wrote about Heroic Adventures, the main comic book store where I shop. But that's not a reflection of my real world activities. For the last 7 or so years now, I've stopped by the store nearly every Wednesday, which is New Comic Book Day, or #NCBD as folks say over on Twitter. Put another way, I've visited Heroic Adventures somewhere around 350 times since 2012.

I've now been frequenting the shop longer than many of the current employees. But that's not a big deal, as there are many folks who've been regulars there longer than me.

When I first started visiting, the only comic book on my pull list was The Walking Dead. I would pick up other titles here and there, and I eventually added Chew. I progressed to a few more comics, including Thief of Thieves, Noble, Clones, Superb, and more.

Comic book wall at Heroic Adventures, 2017

These days, I'm reading Black Panther, Ironheart, Farmhand, a few different titles written by Bryan Hill, and other selections. My pull is modest. I still enjoy chatting with the folks in the store, and I'm always down to do some browsing.

Checking out the dozens of colorful titles on the wall each week energizes my creativity. Or maybe just my curiosity. Who's writing, drawing, and reading all these various comic books? And who knew so much was out there?

I take some time to look over things and ponder. But I almost always stick to my pull list. It feels like I work hard to keep up with what I have. Plus, I tend to want to read several reviews and commentary before settling on a single title.

Comic book wall Heroic Adventures, 2019 

For the last year, I have co-taught a course on comic books. I'll continue co-teaching the course this coming semester. I'm always encouraging students to visit a comic bookstore, which give an even broader sense of the culture surrounding the books we cover.

Related:
• A Notebook on Comic Books