The University Mall in Brookings has a new store that may surprise people. Uncanny Comics has moved in next to Zestos and opened Dec. 5, 2014.

Brothers Chad and Matt Viss are co-owners of Uncanny Comics, a store filled with comics that can attract people of all ages. The Viss brothers are originally from Brookings and Chad said that having a comic store in town would have been nice growing up.

“My brother [Matt] and I have always been fans of comic books and the movies and we didn’t feel there was a place to find these things that interest us,” Chad said. “We always had to go to Sioux Falls or order online.”

According to Chad, the name ‘Uncanny Comics’ has its roots with Stan Lee. Stan Lee co-created Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man and many more Marvel comics. Chad said that Stan Lee referred to the X-men as uncanny, meaning a little different and strange, and the Viss brothers came up with the name Uncanny Comics because it fit what their store was about.

Stan Lee’s comics have become increasingly popular movies in recent years. According to Brett Malic of E! News, the movie Iron Man 3 grossed $1.2 billion globally, making it the top-grossing movie of 2013. Other movies based on Marvel superheroes on the list of top-grossing movies in 2013 were Thor: The Dark World with $627,858,622 and The Wolverine bringing in $414,828,246.

The recent popularity in superhero films has increased the audience for those interested in comics, according to Chad.

“Before, comics were for kids,” Chad said, “The movies have broadened our audience and raised interest in comic books as well.”

Bryan Goettsch, a junior animal science major, said that his favorite Marvel movie is Iron Man because there is a good plot, well assigned characters, good acting and Robert Downey Jr. fits the tough, carefree persona of Iron Man.

Hannah Adrian, a senior agricultural business major, said that she likes Iron Man and The Avengers movies because of the action and the relatable characters.

“It seems that even though they’re superheroes, they seem like normal people with the same problems normal people have,” Adrian said. “Along with, you know, saving the world.”

Goettsch said that Uncanny Comics is a good store for students to have access to.

“Most students our age don’t read and having comic books to read is better than not reading at all,” Goettsch said.

Comic book stores can be intimidating if one doesn’t know what he or she is looking for, according to Chad Viss. He said that they want to welcome all comic fans to their store.

Goettsch said that he would most likely go to Uncanny Comics to purchase Iron Man merchandise.

“We want to be open to everything, whether you’ve been into comics your whole life… or if you’ve never been into comics until now,” Chad Viss said. “We want to help you and make you feel welcome.”

Uncanny Comics is located at 1012 22nd Ave So, in Brookings. Comic lovers can also find Uncanny Comics on Twitter at @UncannyComics1.