Origin storyIn 1991, Eric Kirsammer loaned money to an acquaintance who vanished, leaving him with a business instead of repayment. “Overnight I owned a comic store.” When Patrick Brower (pictured) and W. Dal Bush opened Challengers in 2008, they’d spent decades working comic counters. They aimed to create the place they’d wished existed — one for readers, not speculators. “An early Yelp review downgraded us for not having the usual ‘comic store funk,’ ” says Brower. Four weddings have taken place here (officiated by Brower), and a handful of pro wrestlers on tour have stopped by postmatch.