Brook Lopez is perusing a wall of comic books like an excited, wide-eyed kid who simply happens to be 7 feet tall and 265 pounds.
The Brooklyn Nets center glances at a Wonder Woman title and pulls it from the rack at Paradox Comics in North Arlington, NJ, which is a 10-minute drive from the team's practice facility.
"DC Comics is older. I've always been a DC guy, but I also like Marvel," explains Lopez, as he picks up a Marvel Nightcrawler comic and smiles.
The 26-year-old is here for his weekly visit. Paradox is one of three comic-book meccas in the area — the others are Brooklyn's Bergen Street Comics and Midtown Comics in Times Square — that the California native frequents.
"I try to come every week. It depends. If we are in a different city, I will get them digitally. But I enjoy coming in and interacting with the people here. They take care of me," he says as he ducks to dodge an action figure suspended from the ceiling of the compact shop.
The Brooklyn Nets' Brook Lopez is clearly hooked on comics. "I've easily spent a grand on a comic book," he says. "I have no conscience when it comes to [buying them]."Photo: Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post
While most NBA players shell out big bucks on stylists so that they can have the latest Lanvin, sit front-row at fashion shows and grace the pages of GQ, Lopez is more concerned with geekier pursuits — superheroes and comic books.
Though he can't name the most expensive comic book he's ever bought, Lopez — who signed a $61 million contract extension in 2012 — says, "I've easily spent a grand on a comic book. I have no conscience when it comes to [buying them]."
"I have multiple interests. I've been to a couple of New York Fashion Week shows, and I enjoyed them, but I enjoy this more," says the big man, who returned to the court this month after missing most of last season due to a foot injury.
Lopez shares his passion with his twin brother Robin, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers. Their fanaticism started when they were kids tagging along with their two older brothers, Chris and Alex.
"My older brothers always collected comics and read them. When we were little, Robin and I would sneak into their room and take them and read them. I grew up watching the old Batman shows, the Batman cartoon, and the X-Men cartoon was on when I was little. I was always surrounded by superheroes."
Batman is his favorite because he "works so many different ways. He works dark and gritty and in the campy Adam West way."
He also dabbles in creating comics himself, and it's gone from a hobby to a more serious pursuit.
He and his brothers are collaborating on a top-secret comic project — a deal that is now being ironed out with lawyers. When asked about it, he only says they "have a lot of ideas."
The Lopez kids honed their creative skills with the encouragement of their grandmother, who regularly gifted them with art supplies.
"She would give us a box of construction paper, watercolors, colored pencils and everything. We'd just go crazy with it," says Lopez, who admits his twin is the better artist.
I grew up watching the old Batman shows, the Batman cartoon, and the X-Men cartoon was on when I was little. I was always surrounded by superheroes. - Brook Lopez
Lopez, who attended Stanford with his brother, says his course load just fed his interest. "I took creative writing classes at Stanford, with screenwriting and play writing, short stories and all sorts of stuff. Those were the classes I really enjoyed. But we're both really creative. We're both idea people."
And the notion of a crimefighting hero is what supercharges him most.
"Who hasn't dreamed of being a superhero? I don't know what my superhero name would be, but my power?" he says, pausing to contemplate the matter. "I would have to say time travel."
As for his costume, he prefers something a bit more outrageous — perhaps with armor and lots of bells and whistles.
And he has the color scheme all figured out.
"One that is black-and-white works," he says, in a nod to his team's colors.
Some might argue that Lopez, who was an All-Star in 2013, is already a superhero. But with such a demanding basketball schedule, Lopez says comics — with their shifting moods and seemingly endless story lines — offer the perfect escape for life on the road.
"I can't count how many comics I've read throughout my life. It's a very high number, but I haven't tapped 1 percent of the comics you could possibly read."
Lopez's super stats
Lopez likes Batman the most because he works both as a "dark and gritty" superhero and as the "campy Adam West" character, above.Photo: 20th Century Fox Film Corp.
Favorite superhero: Batman
Dream superpower: Time travel
Dream superhero outfit: Black-and-white, just like the Nets uniform
Favorite Batman villain: "It would be easy to go with the Joker, but I like Ra's al Ghul."
Most expensive comic book he's ever bought: upward of $1,000
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