A sad state of affairs

So I was in my local comic shop today, picking up the new volume of Promethea I had ordered awhile back, when I came upon a rather sad sight. A young boy of about six or seven was terribly upset because he had saved his money to puchase a Daredevil comic, Daredevil being his favorite hero currently. Trouble is, the storeowner didn't really have any Daredevil comics suitable for a six year old. I haven't followed the character lately, but I can imagine how grim and gritty Matt Murdock has gotten over the years. Heck, I wouldn't want my kids reading the Frank Miller stuff at that age.

Anyway, this poor boy was terribly upset and crying and the storeowner (who I shall call Jim because that's his name) was frantically seraching for something suitable and not coming up with anything. Eventually the kid had to settle for something else (I think it was the Flash) and go home rather dejectedly.

Now, for those who may be thinking that Jim may have been overreacting, realize that the boy didn't have his parents with him. It was an aunt or babysitter or some such thing, so I can perfectly understand Jim's reluctance. What retailer wants an angry parent barging into their store a few days later asking what the hell kind of material does he sell to kids with the knives and the bleeding and the violence and whatnot. And yeah, there are the Essential collections, but remember, the kid was buying. I doubt he had saved $20.

But boy, what does it say about the current state of affairs that a six-year-old couldn't find a suitable comic pamphlet featuring his favorite superhero in his local comic shop?

Other than that, I don't have much in the way of news. Dirk was supposed to debut the new Comics Journal site yesterday, but it looks like it's still on hold. On a more positive note, it looks as though Penny Arcade is going to be made into an actual godhonest game. Gloryoski!