Like the Flash to St. Louis

I had to take a quick trip to St. Louis today for an appointment and on the way home our route took us by two comic book stores. Naturally, stops had to be made.

Until today I hadn't been to The Fantasy Shop, but I'm glad I stopped by their location on Manchester. Here's a shot of the back entrance (I was happy to find free parking. I'm sort of parking scarred after previously living in LA).

I was there to buy comic books, but of course the gaming aspect had me hooked when I got inside. The selection of pen-and-paper RPG books was amazing. I spied the superhero RPG series Mutants and Masterminds which will be forming the basis of the new DC RPG line and had a quick look through the system, but there was more to see. Everything from gaming gear like dice to a nice selection of board games. The store was a good size, but not huge, and it was full of a lot of great items without seeming even a bit crowded or overwhelming. I was constantly finding great things and the arrangement of the store lead to easy browsing. I didn't even make it through the back issues or the t-shirts because I was distracted by the wall of comic books!

The best thing you can say about any store of this nature is, "I had fun while I was in there" And I did! I also picked up some goodies, of course.

The one thing I was searching for was the new Birds of Prey. Due to a mix-up I wasn't able to get my copy of it Wednesday. Well, this series has been a HOT item. I've seen numerous updates online of it selling out all around the country. It was no different in St. Louis. This location didn't have any. The manager graciously offered to have a copy delivered from another store, but since I was only in St. Louis for today that wouldn't work. He gave me directions to Star Clipper, a store I had been to before, but I wasn't sure how to get to from Manchester.

We left the store with intentions of returning on our next trip to St. Louis. Outside the sky was turning the dull blue of a very grumpy storm system, but we soldiered on. It turned out to be insanely easy to drive from Manchester over to Delmar.

Our last stop was Star Clipper.
Once again, this is a store that makes you feel happy. It's a very different vibe than the gaming/comic combo that I am more used to, but it's full of an very extensive selection of graphic novels, comic books and fun items. There was a veritable wall shrine to the Scott Pilgrim series and it was a delight to behold.

At last, I picked up a copy of BIRDS OF PREY! My mission was complete. We drove home in a torrential mess, but it was well worth it.