Newark Firefighter Shuns Life of Crime through Comics

Jose Robles didn't have a lot of role models growing up in his tough Newark neighborhood in the North Ward, where many childhood friends have either ended up dead or in jail.

But whenever he cracked open a comic book, a young Robles found heroes to look up to and compelling stories that kept him out of trouble.

Now, the 46-year-old is a modern-day hero, a 10-year veteran Newark firefighter, and is still indulging his love for crime-fighting super heroes through his ownership of Fortress of Solitude, a comic book store and city institution that's been around since 1982.

The store has long been at 599 Broad St. but recently moved to a new location at 53 University Ave. in May after a January flood destroyed over 100,000 volumes of back inventory.

Robles thought about closing but many long time customers from all over the city and beyond kept on coming back.

"It's a love now; it's not a business," he said.

The shop, which used to be at a small storefront, is now in a larger space with expansive windows in a quite corner of downtown. Robles said they are not completely unpacked but much of their merchandise is already on display.

The latest comics from Batman to Superman are displayed on a center table with more comics on magazine racks, toys exhibited on shelves, t-shirts on coat hangers, and posters ready for purchase.

They carry a variety of titles from Marvel, DC and to more indie, alternative comics such as Sandman, Y: The Last Man, and Cages by artist Dave McKean. They also have a whole wall of popular manga volumes such as Naruto and Bleach.

The store also has collectibles such as a vintage Voltron action figure, rare Marvel comic books and a sketch of a character from the "Kingdom Come" comic book by famous artist Alex Ross.

On a recent Wednesday, the busiest day of the week when the newest comic books are shipped to the store, customers filtered in and out to check out the latest releases.

"It's their place. It's a hang out. It's the 'Cheers' of the comic book world," said Robles about the store, which attracts comic book lovers of all stripes from firefighters like him to doctors.

Ed Gillett, who has worked at the store for two years, has been a customer for 20 years.

"I love it here," he said. "It's my own Fortress of Solitude. I see all my friends here on Wednedsays."

Robles first grew up reading comic books in Spanish in his native Puerto Rico. Robles and his family eventually settled on Newark's Mount Prospect Avenue near 77 Steps, an old path that served as a shortcut to Summer Avenue.

The North Ward neighborhood was a tough place, he said. Many friends got into drugs and other criminal activity.

Robles said he kept his nose clean by reading comic books like Legion of Super-Heroes and other DC titles — a form of escapism he called it. But his mother would complain about how much space his collection would take up.

He would joke with his mother: "Drugs or comics your choice," he would pose her. "She always picked comics."

"You always want to be the good guy," Robles continued. "You never hear people wanting to be Lex Luthor."

He also credited comic books with instilling him with ethics, morals, better reading skills and an enhanced vocabulary. There was natural progression from being a comic book-loving kid to the firefighter he is today, he said.

Robles was a longtime customer of Fortress of Solitude before owning the store, which was variously known as One Flight Up and Renaissance through the years. It's been at two locations on Broad Street, the most recent at 599 Broad St. where the flood occurred.

Robles bought the store 12 years ago after working at the shop previously for 10 years.

"I have longtime customers. Kids I knew back then are bringing their own kids," he said.

His two grown children he has with wife Ivette are not as deeply into comic books as Robles, but his five-year-old grandson, one of four grandkids, has been bitten with the fanboy gene.

"He loves coming here," Robles said.