It might be the quietest birthday party Francine's ever attended. It's Donald's birthday, and to celebrate he invited a few friends over. They're all avid comic book readers, so each one brought a stack of comics, and now they're all reading comics from the stacks of others. Francine and Masani sit next to one another. Masani's reading an autobiographical comic about a cartoonist who works in a deli, and it's called A Slice Of Life. Francine asks her how it is and she says that she's still weighing what she thinks of it. Francine reads the new issue of Tree Man, starring a superhero who when he touches a tree gets its characteristics. For example, in the new issue he's fighting a villain who wants to take over Forest City, and Tree Man touches an acorn and gets the power of an oak. Francine can't tell if it's supposed to be serious or funny, but since Tree Man spouts lines such as "The branches of justice will reach out and force you to turn over a new leaf, criminal!" she thinks it's probably tongue in cheek, or stem in bark. Occasionally, some of the partygoers take a break from reading and have a conversation.
"So they're bringing back the Flash again."
"That was fast."
"This issue of Green Lantern was pretty embarrassing."
"Did he turn red?"
"Who would win if Spider-Man fought The Fly?"
"The Exterminator could beat them both."
"Donald, are you older than Superman now?"
"Which Superman? The Silver Age or The Golden Age?"
"Didn't Harvey Pekar live around here?"
"Which Harvey Pekar? The Silver Age or The Golden Age?"
"They should make a Brother Voodoo movie."
"Yes, the action figures could be voodoo dolls."
"How come comic characters never have to go to the bathroom? This beer's flowing through me."
"It's the first door upstairs, and you better not have spilled any on my mint condition copy of the new Hellblazer."
"When's the next Eightball coming out?"
"Next decade probably."
"Donald, I got you this for your birthday."
"Thank you. You did not have to though. How did you know that I would love a comic book for a present?"
"It didn't take Batman on the case to solve that mystery."
"I heard the series was only going to be online from here on out."
"I'll miss the print version, but at least now I won't have to worry about leaving fingerprints on the issues."
"So if Plastic Man has sex, does he need to buy a condom or can he just make his own?"
In Francine's dreams that night, everyone speaks in word balloons.
Blog Love Omega Glee is a novel by Wred Fright about two bloggers who fall in love while the world falls apart, which is being serialized on his blog. To start reading from the beginning or read another installment, please visit Blog Love Omega Glee Central on WredFright.Com. If you like what you've read, or you've read all of Blog Love Omega Glee and want more Fright, then please read his first novel, which is available in print and as an ebook.
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