Chapter 168: Insider Spoilers

With the ups and downs of the March batch of new releases finally coming to an end, another batch did come in the second week.

Mr. Counterboy of Creed Store was dutiful as always as he had his two juniors clean up the store, prepare the new displays, and briefed everyone for the busy day.

In a way, he was Mr. Store Manager now but he still found it best to do the counter clerking work. It was just the perfect job to meet a lot of new people and get more acquainted with the people he already knew.

Unlike being a clerk and cashier for a convenience store or mall, the people who check out their purchases in a comic book store were much more interesting and interactive.

It wasn't all of them but it was nice to have debates with nerds.

Eventually, he did the honors and flipped the store sign to say 'Open'.

Just like any other day, a batch of people have already been in waiting and invited themselves in when it is finally allowed.

As usual, Mr. CounterBoy saw some of them oogle at the popularity posters and grumbled at how their favorite Creed character or favorite Creed title was brought down a notch.

In any case, they still bought poster copies for the character rankings as it became a habit of sorts. The increasing diversity of style and personality being crammed in a simple poster was both amazing and gratifying for them.

Of course, it was a matter of deliberation as some characters weren't able to be listed out by the people who took the survey. Still, it was a breathtaking site of huddled cast of crowners and numbers nonetheless.

The Creed posters have become so much a staple that the Creed Comics team left an entire ten-man team had to be utilized to make all the weekly poster projects happen.

Aside from the poster activity, the Creed Surveys were still churning people who want to be part of questions that help the Creed team decide on which is which.

Mr. Counterboy knew that it was rigged at some point but he still knew how some nerds celebrated when this Master Roshi move or this new Decepticon was "named" by them.

Creed HQs goal of making their customers participate and feel accomplishment was z very smart move.

Of course, posters and surveys weren't the only things to watch out about as the single-issues and Volume Books are still hounded over by the crowd.

There weren't new Volume Books or graphic novels to be released today though, but the cover perfect and story continuing issues were still a sight to behold.

Dragonball #25, ThunderCats #13, The Cybertronian Chronicles #14, RoboCop #15, and JoJo #6 and #7.

The selection was high and Mr. CounterBoy knew he would be busy talking, swiping, and counting once again.

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The Creed buy train commenced as always and Mr. CounterBoy handled it with practiced ease.

This time around though, a familiar fanboy was haggling him by the side. Ever since comic books became non-nerd-exclusive anymore, his first in line streak was broken and this side-counter spot was now his questions area.

"Sir, why is JoJo supposed to be bizarre? What does the stone mask do?"

"I may be under Creed management, kid, but I'm not part of comic production." He answered behind the counter while he catered to the one in line. "Besides, that place has a lot of terrifying non-disclosure thingy-majigs, so spoilers won't be getting out much."

"Oh..." The fanboy wasn't depressed though as he still had questions to ask. He grabbed his copy of the new JoJo issues and clamored. "Isn't a brawling match just a simple punch-punch, how did Mr. Creed's team do that explanation-filled match? Would Erina Pendleton be Jonathan's final girl? Isn't Dio so hateful to force a kiss on a girl? I read that old England people value their purity so much that this potential couple had already been snuffed out in one kiss scheme."

"Indeed, old traditions are weird... Even the brawling match must have been quite the activity back then." Mr. CounteeBoy agreed about Dio's hatefulness and England's weirdness while adding on about spoilers. "I told you, kid. I don't know many spoilers so the Erina love story is best known when it finally arrives."

"Then, can you explain why the cover pages look so awesome as always but also look like old poses from fashion magazines?" The fanboy asked. "I noticed this when I was meddling through my mom's old stuff and the model poses looks so much the same while the comic book coloring and art make it so much more awesome."

"Wow... you're probably the first to notice that." Mr. CounterBoy praised and gave a non-spoiler but insider news. "I heard that my boss, Mr. Alexander, would follow that trend for JoJo to pay homage to fashion. All JoJos and their enemies would become clothes models of sorts. Kind of a plan for the Creeds leap for the clothing industry."

"Amazing." Fanboy was always scooping for Creed insider news, however, he also did get a glimpse of some spoiler mishap. "What do you mean by "All Jojos and their enemies" though? Does that mean there is more than one Jonathan Joestar?"

Oh crap. Mr. CounterBoy cursed his gossipy self. Fortunately, the damage could be undone. "You're just a kid so you must have misheard."

"I heard you..." Before fanboy could continue, Mr. CounterBoy was adamant. "You're just a kid who misheard."

"But..."

"Kid who misheard."

Fanboy could only slump but kept the tiny spoilers as a win to take home. Of course, he asked another question to change the topic. "Aren't they annoying, sir?"

"Whose annoying? If you mean you and your spoiler question, then you're annoying indeed." It was an indisputable fact.

"Not me but DC." Fanboy continued. "JoJo is good and all but they're saying Mr. Creed is using a bizarre genre to avoid fighting in Mr. Moore's territory. Their paid articles are saying that Mr. Creed is afraid of Alan Moore and don't dare to take up the challenge."

"Hmph! Then they won't know what hit them." Mr. CounterBoy harrumphed. "The Flawed Heroes protocol should shut them up."

Fanboy's eyes lit up like stars from the spoiler mishap again but best keep the Flawed Heroes question to himself and take on another topic. "I've read up on a lot of Alan Moore articles that I might even be able to make the man's biography."

"So?"

"So, why isn't Mr. Alexander Creed as prevalent in the news?" Fanboy always wants to know more about the elusive creator and this was the chance. "Shouldn't he be fighting back and all that? Go into interviews, meet-and-greets, and sign his comic books for fans like us. He'll rally fanpower and knock Moore out of the park."

"My boss just doesn't like bragging about himself." Mr. CounterBoy knew the fanboy's wishes but he also knew its impossibilities. "Even if 'Mr. Creed' did, everyone will be shocked silly and the world would probably be overturned as it is."

"Is he that handsome or that ugly for you to say that?"

Mr. CounterBoy inwardly scoffed at 'ugly' being related to the charming little boss. "Looks isn't what matters because it has something to do with age."

"Is he like 400 years old already?!" Fanboy was excited from another insider news. "If he is, then that would be extremely cool and explains why he has so many story ideas that best everyone else!"

Mr. CounterBoy and the fanboy's overt conversation was so blatant in the Creed buy train that everyone in it had to look at the duo weirdly. They didn't stop them though as eavesdropping on Creed insider news and spoilers was exciting for them as well.