AUBURN — The man walked in with his girlfriend during the Great Falls Balloon Festival, opening weekend at Gotham Comics, and admitted he’d never bought a comic before in his life.

“We just went, ‘All right, fresh meat. Let’s do this,'” clerk Jared Fiori said.

The questions began: What kind of TV shows did he like? What video games?

He walked out with two issues of “Carnage,” centered on one of Spider-Man’s crazed villains.

“We’re expecting to see him again, he was very happy,” Fiori said.

“That customer left and I heard them say, ‘Welcome to the world of comics,'” said Sonia Worden.

Worden and husband, Ron, opened the new shop at 164 Main St. after talking about the idea for a year and a half. When the area lost Zimmie’s in 2009, a few local shops sold some titles, but didn’t have much for selection.

“I found myself driving by locations and seeing ‘for rent,’ (thinking,) ‘I wonder how much they want . . .'” Ron Worden said.

A lifelong comic fan and a CPA, he set up shop over the summer working nights and weekends and taking time off banked during busy tax season. It’s their first business venture. Worden said he plans to stay largely behind the scenes.

“It’s cool to own a comic shop,” he said. “Believe it or not, it’s clearly cooler to work in a comic shop.”

A Craigslist help wanted ad brought out 25 to 30 potential clerks. He hired three — Fiori, Robert Shaver and Ryan Bradley — and is now counting on them to set the tone and welcoming vibe.

Each is into different titles, a mix of independent and mainstream reads. They’re brainstorming potential in-store events like a zombie-theme midnight release party in October to celebrate the 10th anniversary issue of “The Walking Dead.”

Gotham Comics opened with specials on comics, trade paperbacks and its subscription service. Bradley also creates a daily deal with two or three titles at 15 to 20 percent off.

The first room has racks with more than 100 titles like “Avengers,” “Star Trek” and “100 Bullets,” catering to a wide audience.

Shaver said he picked up a copy of “My Little Pony” and marveled that it had a better back story than some books he’s read.

“It’s a good way to get kids into reading,” he said.

Worden plans to fill a second room with collectibles and apparel, and may eventually offer gaming-related merchandise.

He didn’t know Zimmie’s was planning to reopen in Lewiston when he began laying the ground for his shop.

“Every comic book store is a little bit different,” Worden said. “What will it be if it’s left up to the staff and the enthusiasts? My hope is that it will never become stagnant and it will continue to evolve as it goes along.”

Fiori said the new job has already been a thrill. He’s wanted to be involved in comics since he was a kid. He’s on a team of creators releasing the comic, “To: Helena Handbasket,” next spring.

“I’m in the industry, right now, in a shop,” he said. “This is awesome.”

Gotham Comics is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. A small hand-drawn sign in one window reads, “I assure you we’re open.”

Some don’t realize it’s a nod to the Kevin Smith movie “Clerks,” Fiori said. Other times, at random, he hears, “‘Dude, that’s awesome.'”

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