Sometimes you can take a sales promotion too seriously.  I walked into Chicago Comics and the store was dark.  There were a couple lights strapped to one of the front tables, but the overhead lights were out.  I was figuring either this was a promotion for the Blackest Night series that came out today or there was mood lighting.  After all, they were giving away rings for the Blackest Night comic, so maybe the owner was trying to get some people married off.

I went about my shopping, and sure enough the owner walked through.  I asked if it was indeed a Blackest Night promotion.  I got the “I can’t throw him, he’s a regular” look (don’t laugh, one of his clerks has been known to bodyslam shoplifters), and then he agreed it must be a promotion.  He also added that there was a problem with ComEd and they only had power in the rear of the store.  Love that Chicago power infrastructure.

I walked up to the counter, was offered a ring twice (mood lighting), and just as my money went in the drawer, up walks the owner.  It seems ComEd was going to be replacing a transformer (not the robotic type) in the alley, so all the power was going to be cut in 15 minutes.  Well, maybe it was closer to five minutes, ’cause it wasn’t long at all before all the lights went out.

So there it is, roughly 4:50pm on a Wednesday with new books in a shop located in a largely residential neighborhood, waiting for the after work rush.  How do you celebrate Blackest Night coming out?  With a blackout.  There aren’t a lot of windows to let in light at Chicago Comics.  I walked over to the corner by the X-books and Blackest Night was pretty close to what kind of light I was dealing with.

ComEd was thinking their Blackest Night would last about 2 hours.  I’m hearing the power came on closer to 6:30.  I got out of there, because, well… comic shop owner with the power out at 5pm on Wednesday?  I wasn’t going to be there when he started to do the math.

He’ll probably pick that crowd back up on Saturday when Dave McKean signs.