SASB: Death of the Superfan: Part 1

You haven't been back home in a while. You moved out to the city for work and have gotten used to the Thai food, the busyness, and a new local comic shop where you make regular visits for the latest "Saga" and "Resident Alien." But now because your little sister graduated, you're in your hometown, and decided to check out the comic store that's near your parents' house. You stand outside and you recall what your first time here was like...

You had the hawkish owner/ manager (you're still not clear) who greeted you at the door. He wore glasses, a tucked-in, checkered, collar shirt and seemed like he wouldn't want to answer you're stupid questions. Scattered throughout the store  are isolated men, with the exception of the two engaged in a conversation over Warren Ellis's Planetary and a young couple, perhaps just really close friends, pawing and laughing over the latest X-men.

 And then there was Paul.

You mustered up the courage, and asked the manager where you can find the Doom Patrol comics. You were right; the manager didn't feel like answering you question, especially since he doesn't know what you are talking about. You started to describe it explaining that they were a team like the X-Men with a guy in wheelchair, similar to Professor X. 

"Actually, the Doom Patrol came before the X-Men, So really Professor X is like Niles Caulder, your "wheelchair guy." says Paul glancing up at you intently. His angry eyes above his hair filled cheeks, daring you to challenge his knowledge,

"Doom Patrol started in My Greatest Adventure #80, in June 1963, and X-Men started in September 1963," he continued unsolicited. "You shouldn't be reading it if you don't know about it..."

...

You enter the old, disheveled shop from that memory and you trip over something. You turn around and to your horror, it's the body of Paul, the former resident expert, with blood and  self-significance pouring out of an open wound.

Who? Who could have done this, you think, your mind quickly races towards the list of suspects.

To be continued... 

POOR PAUL!

Dimitrios Fragiskatos is an irate Greek who enjoys prodding speculators. You can read his work on titles like Greasers in Greece or Greasers in Geese, and his new series he has a bunch of artists locked in a room working on called Frankenstein vs. Dracula.