Brian’s Comics in Petaluma blew away customer expectations when the locally famed Petaluma Batman suddenly flew in to sign away evildoers with the swish of a silver pen.

Located in central downtown, newly opened Brian’s Comics met with instant success at the tail end of Valentine’s Day with recognition from comic fans left yearning after the last comic store in Petaluma vanished about 10 years ago.

Owner Brian Christensen grew up with a deep connection to comics, having first come in contact at age five when he received “Action Comics #463” which featured Superman. In high school, he found a close community with the local comic store in Glendora, and eventually moved on to Hollywood, where he worked as a camera technician for movies such as “Iron Man” and “Terminator: Salvation.”

After moving to Petaluma for his wife’s new job as a college counselor, Christensen got a job at Alcatraz, but vowed to build a better comic shop.

“I try and create an atmosphere that is welcoming to people who have read comic books for years as well as people who have never read a comic book at all. I try and make it accessible and clean, a friendly environment, nonjudgmental over what people read or what they’re interested in,” Christensen said.

According to Christensen, one thing that makes his store different is that “there are no minimum titles – lots of stores have minimum titles to draw from – and if you pick everything up on time you get a 5 percent discount.”

For those who are new to the comic scene, the term ‘minimum titles’ references the lowest number of titles most stores require subscribers order to be guaranteed their items be held for pick-up and purchase. This is usually not a low number and in cases like Midtown Comics in New York the minimum title number is a whopping 10 required subscriptions before any order can be processed.

As comic-goers took in the solace of their newfound oasis – BAM! – Petaluma Batman whooshed in and set up a table to sign pictures and comics for a small donation benefitting the Petaluma Library.

“I hope to inspire good in Petaluma, to help give a good sense of community and appreciation for this city and to show that anyone can be a hero,” Petaluma Batman said during an interview at the comic store’s grand opening. “That’s why this whole signing table is here. I’m benefitting the Petaluma Library and their efforts as just one of the many charitable endeavors that I’ve done.”

But that’s not all. As an SRJC student majoring in business and marketing with a minor in public speaking, Petaluma Batman’s Facebook page shows off the numerous acts of charity he has done. Combine his majors with his noble sense of charity and one might believe he is in the process of building a lucrative political career.

Christensen is not convinced.

“I am 100 percent sure that he is doing all this only to give without getting anything back,” Christensen looked around his shop with a knowing smile. “And really, that’s what a superhero is all about: he gives his all and asks for nothing in return.”

Just when people were beginning to get used to the sight of the living Batman – POW! – the similarly famed Petaluma Joker arrived to cause a ruckus. Batman looked on as the Joker heinously colored super hero pictures with his own villainous colors after making silly-string images on the comic store floor.

Both Batman and Joker stuck around for photos, signings and exultations of their beloved fans while Christensen and his wife, Jennifer, reaped the rewards of two superhuman drop-ins giving a great reason to buy more comics.