Wednesdays mean one thing to The Fella and me: new comics.  

Every week we trudge to the local comic shop to pick up our four color goodies and debate the pay-offs — if any – in Brian Michael Bendis’ over-hyped and failing to deliver SECRET INVASION mini-series, then pick up dinner and head back to my place for PUSHING DAISIES and the Bravo reality line-up.

As usual, we entered the shop, greeted Corey the bear-ish (gay) manager, picked up our bags of comics (like all good comic geeks we “subscribe” to our favorites and pay in advance so that when we go in they are already put aside and waiting for us), then walked across the street to our other Wednesday tradition, Ye Olde Bread Factory for turkey sandwiches and hot soup.

While waiting for our order, I looked at the week’s worth of goodies. SPIKE: AFTER THE FALL #4. (Hooray!) ASTONISHING X-MEN – GHOST BOXES #1. (For my money, Warren Ellis is proving to be a lackluster  – i.e., all talk and no action or character development — replacement for Joss Whedon but any time Alan Davis provides the artwork, I’m there.) SUPERMAN: NEW KRYPTON SPECIAL. (This may prove to be THE Superman story of the decade.  Cutie Geoff Johns can pretty much do no wrong in my book, but Gary Frank’s art is stiff at best and he insists on drawing Clark/Supes in Christopher Reeve’s likeness which bugs the hell out of me since I think Clark/Supes should be the epitome of handsome and Reeve was far from it in my opinion.)  ULTIMATE SPIDERMAN ANNUAL #3. (In spite of his misguided decision to kill off the Ultimate universe Gwen Stacy, Brian Michael Bendis still delivers the best Spiderman book currently being published. Unfortunately, this issue was not one of his finer efforts. The whole “should Pete and MJ fuck?” storyline was kind of pointless since a) they’re 15 in the Ultimate universe and b) they decided not to, so why waste my time unless you’re going to knock up MJ and do a teen pregnancy story in which the slutty redhead debates aborting the spider-mutant gestating in her.)

As I flipped through the titles, it suddenly occurred to me that I didn’t see the ULTIMATE CAPTAIN AMERICA ANNUAL #1.  **GASP** Could it be? Had I forgotten to pre-order it?

Well butter my ass and call it a biscuit, it seemed as though I had.  Of course, there was only one recourse.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” I told Tristan as I handed him my comics and headed for the door.  ”I missed a title…”

Corey was reading a magazine when I re-entered the shop.  ”Forget something?”

“Yeah — ULTIMATE CAPTAIN AMERICA ANNUAL. Don’t wanna miss anything important with ULTIMATUM coming up,” I replied, snatching up the last copy and walking over to the register.

“So are you guys a couple now?”  

Wow. Up until that moment it honestly hadn’t occurred to me that other people would even notice that Tristan and I go places together regularly.

“You come in together every week…and you dress alike.”

Ugh.  The navy blue hoodies.  I had bought a fleece lined one at Target a week or so ago and wore it over to Tristan’s only to have him greet me at the door in an almost identical one. Something neither of us noticed until we were about a block from the comic shop.  ”Oh if we didn’t notice, who else will?” we had laughed. 

Who else?  Um, “dominant bear seeking submissive cub” types on gay.com who push comic books in their spare time, maybe?

“Yeah — the hoodie thing was a fluke today.  Trust me, there will be no matching ensemble encores.”

Corey laughed.  ”So?  Are you two a couple?”

I pondered his question. 

“I think you should ask Tristan that one,” I finally replied.  ”Preferably when I’m in earshot.”

Looks like that conversation I’m working on in my head for Friday is definitely in order…