A new store on Front Street is bringing some ?WHOOSH!?, ?POW!? and ?KABOOM!? to the lives of the Island?s comic book enthusiasts.

Garan Madeiros, 29, opened The Comic Stop on Valentine?s Day because ?nothing says I love you like a big bag of comics?.

His move into the business was, however, a long time coming. An avid comic book reader and collector himself, he found his niche in cartooning and animation in his early 20s while attending a three-year course at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art in New Jersey.

When he returned to Bermuda six years ago, however, he found that the advertising industry was a more accessible career.

He only decided to leave the graphic design department of Total Marketing and Communications when retail space became available in the Emporium Building that was too perfect to pass up.

?This place happened to come up and it is perfect because it is right near the Kathy?s Kaffee and there are night clubs and a lot of walk through traffic. It is also well lit. Most comic shops in the United States are dingy basement areas and I wanted to stay away from that and make it a well-lit place, something that people don?t mind coming in and enjoying so they can sit around with people who share a common interest,? he said.

His sleek shop offers an accessible display of mainstream titles as well as some independent work, role-playing games, collectible figurines and DVDs. A display cabinet features some of the owner?s own treasured collectibles ?- the newest is a DVD signed by Daredevil star Michael Clarke Duncan, who just happened to walk into The Comic Stop recently with his girlfriend. Mr. Madeiros said: ?I loved working at TMC. It was the best job I ever had besides this one, but starting up my own business is something I have always wanted to do. I?m working three times as much but I?m enjoying it that much too so although there is a lot of stress and paperwork that I hate doing, it is still worth it in the long run.? Comic book readers are thrilled about the shop. At least two other such shop have previously existed here, but both shops closed years ago.

One adult male customer visiting The Comic Stop yesterday told this newspaper ?We are glad he is here?. That customer, as with the majority of Mr. Madeiros? customers, meets the international demographic of the comic book buyer. They are male and fall between the ages of 16-35. Although he does have some children as customers, Mr. Madeiros said: ?Most of the comic books are not geared towards children, they deal with complex issues from war to crime. They cover a wide genre.?

The store is also seeing some female customers. Unlike their male counterparts they are attracted to the darker and more thought provoking comics such as Sandman and Hellblazer, the comic upon which the movie Constantine was based.

Mr. Madeiros said that Hollywood?s interest in making movies based on comics has helped push the industry back into the mainstream after a period when it faltered.

?With the comic book movies coming out every other month now it is generating a lot more interest so a lot of people are getting back into it,? he said adding that availability on the island is another factor for customers.

?If it is here people will read it,? he said adding that he also takes special orders. ?The problem a lot of guys have is when they go somewhere like Phoenix, they might get one issue and then not get another issue for another six months and you might miss eight issues in between so at least here you can come in and pretty much get your fix each month of what you are looking for.?