Spider-Man Foils Comic Book Thief

chebucto writes "The BBC reports that 'A comic book shop owner in Australia became a real-life superhero when he caught a robber red-handed. Michael Baulderstone, who was dressed as Spider-Man for a promotional event, spied a customer behaving suspiciously during an International Free Comic Day celebration. CCTV footage shows him "leap" into action and confront the would-be shoplifter who had slipped a AU$160 (£97) X-Men book into his bag. ... He said a group of Jedi knights blocked the door to prevent the thief from escaping, as The Flash looked on.'"

Comments

The Flash wasn't looking on...

[Anonymous Coward]

...he just went to summon the police then came back in the blink of an eye!

But...but...it's Free Comic Day, right?

[xeromist]

Perhaps he just didn't want to bother the owner with wrapping up his free comic.

Re:But...but...it's Free Comic Day, right?

[Explodicle]

You can't just take any comic, especially not the expensive ones. You have to pick from the pre-selected cheap ones.

International Free Comic Day!?

[flahwho]

From TFA: "We had about 40 people dressed up as their favourite superheroes to celebrate International Free Comic Day, so he [the thief] didn't have much of a choice but to hand the X-Men Omnibus back after a little bit of a scuffle," Mr Baulderstone told the Adelaide Advertiser...."

Why would you name it that!?

Re: International Free Comic Day!?

[dancingmilk]

This is Slashdot, and idle no less. Par for the course my friend.

Re:hmm

[TaggartAleslayer]

Really? News for Nerds. Get angry when they publish stories about crime being stopped in some normal way. Put on your spidey PJs and play "the floor is a hundred foot fall" while hopping from couch to coffee table when stories like this show up.

I would never do the above, of course, as I am more of a Batman fan.

Now I'm off to perch precariously on dark rooftops and leer menacingly at random strangers while having a bleak and sorrowful inner monolouge.

better than spiderman 3...

[poly_pusher]

The video is on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SneK7Y7Sl7Q

That was boring... But It was better than Spiderman 3...

Inaccurate picture

[minchazo]

The picture attached of the fat man in a poorly-made Spider-Man costume doesn't do justice to the actual costume in the linked article.

Re:The Flash looked on...

[Paracelcus]

As the Flash's girlfriend files her nails irritably.

Re:hmm

[blair1q]

>Now I'm off to perch precariously on dark rooftops and leer menacingly at random strangers while having a bleak and sorrowful inner monolouge.

rooftop?

but that's why I come here...

Re:The Flash looked on...

[Locke2005]

As Flash's girlfriend mumbles to the Flash, "Do you have to do EVERYTHING so quickly???"

Video Footage

[bluie-]

Here's the video footage for anyone interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SneK7Y7Sl7Q

also a news article with slightly better footage and an interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcFFKsskSp8&NR=1

'Hero'

[bill_mcgonigle]

He's not a real-life 'superhero', he's a real-life hero.

Superhero doesn't mean "he's so awesome" it means he has superpowers. Like Flash or Spiderman, not like Batman or Iron Man. Personally I find heroes more interesting.

Heroes are important, let's give them the respect they deserve.

Re:'Hero'

[enoz]

He's not a real-life 'superhero', he's a real-life hero.

A store owner follows a suspected thief around his store and then asks for assistance from the general public to prevent the suspect from leaving, then calls the cops. Where exactly was the "hero" in any of that?

This no-news is only "news" because tabloid media loves pointing and laughing at nerds dressed in costumes.

Re:'Hero'

[Macrat]

Where exactly was the "hero" in any of that?

That's a big deal in the US where people usually only take video with their phones and prefer to not get involved.

Re:'Hero'

[enoz]

In Australia a petty criminal will be armed with a knife, not a firearm.

Re:'Hero'

[Burpmaster]

In Australia a petty criminal will be armed with a knife, not a firearm.

That's not a knife.

That's a knife!

Re:'Hero'

[ComputerGeek01]

In Australia a petty criminal will be armed with a knife, not a firearm.

That's not a knife.

That's a knife!

Dude, that's not a knife that's a spoon!

Re:'Hero'

[Fusen]

I see you've played knifey spoony before!

Ugh

[rsax]

Why you would want Flash taking up space in real life or on your phone is beyond me.

Re:Ugh

[Macrat]

Some people enjoy wasting their CPU and time loading Flash.

Re:hmm

[FatdogHaiku]

Yup, I'd just love to see the dude in that photo leap from couch to coffee table...
OK, he might try it if that was the only way to get to the potato chips...
poor coffee table...

It would be heroic to let him leave.

[professorguy]

Hero?

First, a hero is someone who risks his life to successfully save a person who is in danger of imminent death. If you didn't risk your own life, you're not a hero. If the person isn't saved, you're not a hero. Trying to save someone doesn't make you a hero, it means you TRIED to be a hero (which is admirable--just not heroic).

Confronting a criminal in a crowded place and relying on innocent bystanders to help is, I think, the OPPOSITE of a hero. Getting a good description and letting him leave (away from innocents) would have been the courageous thing to do. Fer crissakes, they had him on video. What the hell are YOU confronting him for? That's just asking to get bystanders hurt.

My verdict: Boo.

Re:It would be heroic to let him leave.

[slater86]

I think you'll find that a hero is someone who "Saves the Day". Risking ones life is just a measure of courage. Also, just because he's on Camera does not mean that he will get caught. London is full of security cameras but that does not correlate between increase in cameras installed over time vs increase in criminals caught.

Lookin good

[retardpicnic]

Spidey, the new outfit really shows off your physique!

Meanwhile...

[Ekhymosis]

Whilst Spiderman was chasing the portly kleptomaniac around the hazardous maze filled with random innocents, the Jedi Knights guarded the entrance and waved their hands saying "This is not the exit you are looking for..." to which the evil Hutt had no choice but to return the sacred picture book.

Re:hmm

[GNUALMAFUERTE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcFFKsskSp8&NR=1

There you go.