I didn't know you used to run a store! How awesome. I miss it, too, just from your descriptions.

And, wow, I am HORRIFIED by the idea of people letting kids read Punisher. I say this as the person permanently scarred by an attempt at Kafka at age 10: there is such a thing as too young to read certain things. And I would think Punisher would OBVIOUSLY be one of those certain things. Jesus, people!

My best experiences in comic shops have been in ones with substantial manga selections. The worst have been in the caves - dark interiors with lots of boxes everywhere and boob posters on the walls. I am seriously considering doing a survey of local comics shops now, to see if that still holds true.