Andrew Sumner, chief operating officer at the legendary comics retailer Forbidden Planet, has saved the Mega City

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I CAUGHT up this week with the chief operating officer at the legendary Forbidden Planet in Shaftesbury Avenue, who has a new venture on the go.

Andrew Sumner, a comic book nut, told me how he had helped save one of his favourite haunts from closure.

Mega City Comics, in Camden Town, was threatened with closure following the retirement of its long-time boss, Martin Kravetz.

He had put out a call for a mystery superhero to swoop in and take over.

Up steps Mr Sumner who had spent “countless hours” there sifting for gems to add to his 30,000-strong comic book collection while working nearby for a magazine publisher.

He told me: “I spent every lunchtime at Mega City chatting to Martin and his dad Mark who lived till he was 99 and worked with Martin in the store. I probably bought 5,000 comics from there over a 10-year period. That store means a great deal to me historically and emotionally…”

Mr Sumner, who is from Liverpool, was “always incredibly passionate about comic books”, an interest that was sparked in 1966 by his best friend, his grandfather.

His grandfather, who fought in World War II with an American unit, got two cigarettes, a Hershey’s chocolate bar and two comic books as part of his rations.

“He came back with a deep love of American culture, particularly comic books,” Mr Sumner said.

“When I was three I did a spell in hospital with bad asthma.

“My grandfather brought his comic books and would read Captain America to me and such was born an obsession of a lifetime.”

He added: “What we can do with that store is as important to me as the legacy of that store. I’ve got a lot of respect for that business so we kept the staff – Vik and Jack – on.

“They’re excellent members of staff, they know their comics and pop culture and they have excellent relationships with their customers.”

Mr Kravetz, the former owner of Mega City, said he was “delighted to be placing the future of the store in such safe and capable hands”.

While comic book shops may seem a thing of the past, when the ease of internet shopping has changed the market somewhat, Mr Sumner said going to a comic store is “very different from popping to Sainsbury’s for a can of baked beans”.

He said: “They aren’t just places to buy stuff, they are temples of enjoyment and fandom.

“They are as much about communing with your fellow enthusiasts as they are about buying products. Comic book stores will always exist because they are clubhouses for people who love the same things as we do.”

The new Forbidden Planet store is set to open in a few weeks’ time.