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.

Do Comic Shop Communities Want New Customers?

So, of the titles I listed in my Wednesday pull list, I managed to acquire not a single one none of them. Disappointing to say the least, and a really off putting experience all around.

On Wednesday, M and I got to the comic book shop relatively early after work. I was later last week and missed getting Animal Man and Batgirl. I figured this time would prove more fruitful.

It did not.

Apparently at this particular store, DCnU is the best selling thing since Tickle Me Elmo. They arrange all the new titles alphabetically on boards. I was scanning through and saw various copies of Wolverine, Spiderman, and what have you but I couldn't find Frankenstein, or Batwoman. There were these meaningful empty spots of the boards where you would expect to find each title.

So all these DCnU titles sold out in the first hours of their release? Out of this week's titles, I could only find Demon Knights, Grifter, and Mister Terrific (of course).

And no wonder. The shop was packed. We had to awkwardly move around other customers to make sure that we weren't just missing a board. They had so few of DCnU comics that we thought we were simply not seeing them.

Not wanting to waste the trip, we bought a Fables trade for M and the second Sweet Tooth trade for me. More importantly, I wanted to ask the dude at the counter how I could order the sold-out comics and how I could actually get the comics I wanted each week. It seemed to me that there was some sort of transparent process that enabled these other customers to get what they wanted.

It was busy though, so we had to wait in line for a bit.

There was a crowd of people in the waiting-to-buy area, some in line, some just chillin and it was not immediately apparent who was who. Everyone was talking enthusiastically. They were teasing each other and talking about order sheets and then teasing each other again. One person would be a prick, and then the other would prick back. So forth. It was the sort of conversation that exists within its own community and excludes those outside of it.

I don't resent them their conversation, I'm not there for friends, but I wanted to buy my books and leave.

The gentleman in front of M and I got to the register and had a stack of comics the size of a correspondence box. Likely $30-40 worth of comics. He also had a stack of cash, not as thick but still a make-it-rain sort of a stack. He asked for a bag and board for the cash, which resulted in even more teasing and guffawing.

Once he is out of the way though it was my time to buy stuff and to solve this mystery of why I don't get the comics I want. The problem is though, that when I got up to the register, the man behind the counter began yelling around me to continue his conversation with the previous customer.

Which is for one, socially rude, but also bad customer service. And I know maybe I sound a tad posh when I expect someone I'm buying something from politely look me in the eye and listen to me if I want to speak.

I got a little angry. I decided I didn't feel like asking how I could get my comics because this guy didn't care that I was there at all. I also didn't feel like asking about ordering comics in front of everyone that already knew how to get the comics they wanted.

And I think my irritation was a little evident on my face because the owner eventually did turn to me, and made the joke "oh, comic book guys, we're all just assholes".

Which really pissed me off.

Not because I found his statement offensive, but because he dismissed M and I. We aren't comic book people, we're just foot traffic.

Nevermind we're buying comics. I guess trades don't count?

We aren't part of that community, so we don't get the comics we want, nor do we warrant assistance with getting the comics we want.

TO HEDGE MY BITCHING: I have been to this store before, and spoken to the women that also works there and she has never been anything but helpful. Last week she even tried finding if she had a stashed copy of Animal Man for herself she'd sell me. It was this guy in particular that ruined the experience for me.

And I wonder how comic people around the world feel about this DCnU. These books are selling out everywhere, so there must be more people like me. People taking this as an opportunity to get into comics again. What do the people that liked the comics before the reboot think about us newbies? Are we posers? Hopping on to the new trend that they were into first? Are they suddenly comic book hipsters?

They'd have to dress better I think.

This is an interesting problem. There is a existing and specific community that is situated in and around comic shops and I am not part of it. But I do have to enter into to it to get my comics. And I've been doing so very unsuccessfully thus far.

To me, the obvious tactic as a comic store owner is to make the workings of the process clear. Maybe say something to me when I ask to have back copies ordered, that I can order the comics I want and they'll be set aside for me. Or even put up a poster. I'm new to this community and process, and need to be initiated, not dismissed. Why wouldn't you try to keep these new customers? Make them like the other people spending $30 a week. Is it too much trouble? Do you look down on them because they are excited about this reboot? Excited about a pseudo-publicity stunt?

I don't know if these people are trying to secure their circle, but I wish I could buy some comics, at the store, on Wednesdays, and not feel like I'm intruding in on their thing.

There is a somewhat happy ending to my tale of exclusion though. I found a website, allnewcomics.com, where I was able to get all the comics I hadn't managed to get, including Batgirl. There was a $10 shipping fee, but I consider it an acceptable tradeoff for getting the comics that were sold out everywhere else.

They haven't arrived yet so we'll see in a few days how I feel about this different kind of comic book buying experience. I know they also have a subscription service, but it's sad that if I choose to get my comics this way, I've circumvented that comic book store community all together. I want to go and support local stores, not mail order my comics, but if I can't get the books I want, what am I supposed to do?

My plan, for next week, is to try a different store. It's the blessing of living in a city that is actually two cities.

Hopefully these comic book people will be careful of my delicate disposition.