Paperback Heroes

Comic book expert Scot Brimson holds a rare edition of a Spider Man comic from the early 1960s, priced under $600. Brimson also sells the latest in comics at Cosmic Comics, a Johannesburg store sandwiched between a bakery and a tire fitment center. Photo by Darren Taylor.

Hellboy comics are among Brimson’s top-selling titles. Photo by Darren Taylor.

Boxes of comics are delivered to Brimson’s store from the United States. Photo by Darren Taylor.

An image from one of the latest Batman series of comics, called Court of Owls. Photo by Darren Taylor.

An adults-only Hellblazer comic features anti-hero John Constantine – a rabble-rousing, hard-drinking British cop. Photo by Darren Taylor.

The cover of an issue of another of Brimson’s most popular titles, the fantastical Saga. Photo by Darren Taylor.

Cosmic Comics also carries a large stock of comics related to Superman and other comic book superheroes. Photo by Darren Taylor.

And Spider Man. Photo by Darren Taylor.

Brimson also sells a Hellboy mask and other paraphernalia tied to the comic heroes. Photo by Darren Taylor.

The shelves of Cosmic Comics overflow with hundreds of titles. Photo by Darren Taylor.