You want cheap treasure-hunting, go to Midway Books in St. Paul. You want a vast library of pricey collectibles, hit the Nostalgia Zone in Minneapolis. For Japanese sci-fi, your heaven is Dreamhaven Books in Uptown. But for an easily navigated, up-to-the-minute selection of mainstream and small-press comic books, no one beats Big Brain. The store has the latest post-Comics Code Authority superhero titles from Marvel, such as an update of the classic Seventies hero Powerman (a.k.a. Cage), who now gets lap dances and spouts lines such as "You're s'posed to take yo' dick out yo' drawers before you start pissin'." The store generously and rigorously stocks "indie" titles and zines, from the handwritten autobiographical journal Doris to the latest comics novella from Ghost World author Daniel Clowes. Moreover, the staff is always exceedingly helpful and friendly--special orders never upset them--and the room is gently lighted: This is the one comic shop in town where you're tempted to test the time limit on perusal.