Buried Under Comics to Become A Hero's Legacy

Local comic book fans rejoice!

Manchester's favorite comic book store will soon be re-opening its doors.

Well, not exactly, but comics will soon be sold again out of the store located at 188 West Middle Turnpike, which has been shuttered and in a state of limbo since the sudden death of Owner Brian Kozicki in late August. 

April Kenney, an East Hartford resident who described herself as "Brian's best friend and behind-the-scenes business assistant" for a number of years, told Patch Wednesday that she recently completed a deal to purchase the store's inventory from Brian's family and re-open the location under a different name. But, Kenney said, the new store will be a  tribute to Kozicki's legacy and the many, many lives he touched in the local community. 

"This was Brian's dream. He poured his whole life into this place, so he would want to keep it open," Kenney told Patch Wednesday.

The store will be renamed A Hero's Journey Comics and Collectibles in honor of Kozicki, according to Kenney. 

"And that is purely because of Brian," she said. "We want to carry on his legacy, and he was a hero for a lot of people."  

Kenney said tentative plans are for the store to open on Thursday, Oct. 25, which not so coincidentally would have been Kozicki's birthday. 

"This place has always been everybody's home away from home, and people are ecstatic," Kenney said of the response she's heard thus far from people in the community about the news.