In 1972, a superhero rose from a decimated, post-apocalyptic Earth after “The Great Disaster.” The hero was Kamandi, the last survivor of a human outpost called “Command D” 
(hence the boy’s name), near what was once New York City.
The young hero was introduced in “Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth,” by famed comic-book creator Jack Kirby.
In 1990, the Brousseau family of Dracut opened its own Command D at 172 Merrimack Avenue (Route 110). It’s chock-full of comic books, action figures, toys and video games. For 31 years, Command D has provided local comic-book devotees a place to satisfy their cravings.
“My dad started the business,” says owner Dan Brousseau, “because when he was a kid, his older sister taught him how to read with comic books.”
Of course, plenty of people collect comic books and action figures, so there is no shortage of customers, including those who have subscriptions, which allows them to come to the store and pick up whatever comics they subscribe to, which Command D will put aside for them before they sell out.
When the pandemic struck (not quite “The Great Disaster” that decimated Earth in Kamandi’s time but eerily close) and the store had to close for two months, it caused a lot of consternation among local comic fans.
“It affected us pretty negatively,” Dan says. “The second we reopened, people were coming in and saying, ‘I haven’t read a comic in months.’”
As for Kamandi, he was the favorite character of Dan’s brother, George Brousseau, who is the artist behind the super-cool paintings on the façade of Command D. Their father decided to name the store after the fictional outpost.
Visit www.commandd.com or call 978-934-9383.