Chapter 15 | Page 19a: Please step forward

Last week, Cassie Cruz’s gaggle of former villains and outsiders were sent to stop a gigantic creature that was threatening the city. Today, we rejoin the Firmount branch of Evil Inc where CEO Dr. Whoosh is ready to make an important announcement.

Transcript

Evil Inc: Nov. 19, 2024

Alt Text:

A comic page from Evil Inc. by Brad Guigar shows a group of superheroes gathering for a meeting at the “Fairmount City Business Park.” The CEO, Doctor Whoosh, addresses them about his previous plans to close the branch. He has changed his mind due to their recent teamwork. He announces he will promote a manager from within, calling Iron Dragon forward. Iron Dragon, a muscular hero in a dragon-emblazoned costume, humbly steps forward.

Transcript:

Panel 1

(Narration box): Morning dawns on Fairmount City.

(Sign) Fairmount City Business Park.

Voice from inside: Gather around... Doctor Whoosh has an announcement.

Panel 2

Doctor Whoosh: Earlier, I notified you of my intention to close this branch.

Panel 3

Doctor Whoosh: However, I’ve seen a level of teamwork recently that has truly impressed me. So, I’m keeping the office open.

Panel 4

Doctor Whoosh: And — thanks to a suggestion from my assistant — I’m promoting a manager from within...

Desdemona (thought balloon): “Teamwork?” “Suggestion?!”

Panel 5

Doctor Whoosh, loudly: Iron Dragon... Would you please step forward?

Panel 1

Hall of Heroes, Cherry Hill Mall, NJ

I have a new comic store. And they just made me a loyal customer.

See, here’s the deal, I fell for the whole Countdown to Infinite Crisis hook like a hypnotized lemur. I put them all on my reserve file at my old comic book shop.

I checked back in a while later. I had issues 1 and 3 from one title. Only issue 2 from another. Only issue 3 from a third… it was pretty pathetic. So, I wandered into Hall of Heroes in Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey and ended up talking to the guy behind the counter. He helped me plug most of the holes in all four series… even going to the back room to find some. He pointed out some great titles I’d forgotten to look for (Like “The Defenders”) and was an all-around likeable comic-shop guy. 🙂

Before I knew it, I’d started a new reserve list there and left with plans to cancel my reserve at the old place.

Good enough, right?

Well, first a little backstory…

I’m still sore about the OMAC project series. Issue #3 leaves off and says you have to read three other titles to fill in the gap between OMAC #3 and OMAC #4. I hate that. And I didn’t read it until I already had OMAC #4 in my hands, saying, “Wha–? When did that ha–? What’s going on h–?!”

So I go in to pick up my reserves today, and I get the OMAC #5 and a bunch of other titles.

It’s not till I get home when I find a little something that they threw in for me: The issue of Wonder Woman that was one of the three you needed to read to understand the OMAC gap. A wonderful ish. An ish not in my reserve list, but one I wanted very much.

The guy behind the counter (a different guy) had asked me to check them over to make sure they were the ones I wanted — and I didn, kinda — but I kinda thought it was a formality.

Anyway… Whoever was thoughtful enough to throw that WW issue into my file won over a loyal customer for a long time… and a little plug. If they had a Web site, I’d link it. But suffice it to say, stop in to Hall of Heroes in the Cherry Hill mall. It’s a really swank store with books, T-shirts, figurines, Godzilla stuff… kind of a comic con in a can.