Always trust a stranger with free comic books

Recently, I wrote about Free Comic Book Day, which was May 4. In that piece, I wrote about how much fun I had attending celebrations at two Downriver stores and another in Dearborn.
 I also mentioned how through a completely random happenstance I didn’t manage to grab a copy of the free “Star Wars” title that was being handed out among the dozens of titles.

In steps a complete stranger, David Flynn, who owns The Pack Shack, 23589 Van Born Road, in Taylor. I had never met Flynn before, nor did I even know of his shop.
RELATED: Free Comic Book Day photos.
He called me the day after my column ran in the paper, identified himself as being from Taylor and I immediately tried to pass him off to a co-worker. Not that I was trying to be rude, but I don’t normally cover Taylor. That falls to David Komer, and our desk phone numbers are only one number different. Due to sharing a first name and such similar phone numbers, we often get calls for each other.
After listening to me tell him he had the “wrong Dave,” he explained that he was calling for me. He told me that he also operated a comic shop, and that he hadn’t run out of “Star Wars” books, and that he’d put one away for me until I could stop by to pick it up.
I thanked him and hung up the phone. Never did he mention money, despite Free Comic Book Day having already passed.
A few hours later I raced over to his shop, which sits on the city limits of Taylor and Dearborn Heights. I walked into the store and was greeted by one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.
 I hadn’t been planning to stay long. It was already after 5 p.m. and I have a long drive to get home, but we struck up a conversation.
First, we talked about comics, new stories, older storylines, our favorite writers, and, eventually, we got around to politics and life in general.
Eventually one of Flynn’s regular customers —Shawn Cady— came into the store and joined the conversation. Cady, I later found out, recently published his first book, “The Heart of Darkness.” He gave me a copy and asked for my opinion on it. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I’m looking forward to it one day soon.
We ended up talking for close to 90 minutes, and he also gave me one of the HeroClix statues that was put out for Free Comic Day in conjunction with the new movie “Iron Man 3.” I’m not someone who plays the HeroClix game, but the figure is going to look really cool on my desk next to my other items.
I hadn’t even known Flynn’s shop existed, didn’t mention him in the report when I wrote about the other three local shops, yet he still was kind enough to reach out and make sure I got the book I was missing.
That’s why I love comic book people. Other facets of society may look down on us, but we really are “good people.” Everyone is always looking out for their fellow comic lovers. If only the rest of society acted as such.