Comic Book Shops Help You Get Your Geek On

In an era where the immediacy of the Internet is destroying most mediums, comic books seem to be at the height of their popularity. Television and film has paved the way for comic books to reach such a level, and merchandising is off the charts (one of the purposes of Yogurt from Spaceballs). This boom has been a huge advantage for local comic book stores owned and operated by fans with a passion for what they do.

With thousands of people gearing up for Rhode Island Comic Con, local comic book shops should be gearing up for an increase in business as attendees who want to keep their Comic Con experience going buy comics, cards and toys — anything to support their fandom. Here is a quick guide to some local shops that will keep fans stocked up on all things comic-related.

Annex Comics: This is an interesting shop because it is part store, part art gallery and full on eclectic. There is a reason that they have been keeping Newport “Weird. Good. Strange.” for 33 years. They have an array of local artists on display and host book readings and other art events. Annex Comics invites the entire city into their world, becoming more of a center of creativity than a store. While they still cater to consumers interested in buying comics, they hope to open fans’ eyes to so much more.

The Comic Doctor: This store has been open for just over 11 years and is still going strong, even with the owner (the Comic Doctor) balancing school and family with running the business. He has a great honesty with his customers (just look at his Facebook posts explaining why he needs to close early or change his hours), and comic books are his passion. He is also a master at customer service, winning people over with his knowledge of comic books and playing cards. He is quick with a recommendation and happy to turn someone on to a new series (whether they are a comic book reader or not).

Fantasy Zone: This shop sells comics and used books, which have the potential to reach whole new audiences. Fantasy Zone is nearing 30 years of being a family-owned and operated business. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and the store has a great selection of back issues and current titles. They take pride in not being “Lame-os.”

Green Dragon Comics: Stores don’t need to have a lot of space or a huge catalog of back issues to be relevant. Green Dragon Comics is a quaint and friendly shop that sells comics, board games, role-playing games and Magic the Gathering cards. They also host card and board game events, which helps to build their community.

Newbury Comics: This chain of stores has been around since the ’70s and has multiple stores in five states (including two in Rhode Island and one right over the border at Emerald Square Mall). Newbury Comics has changed with the times, cutting back on its CD stock to focus on toys, shirts, niche knick-knacks, vinyl and comics. They are up to date with the latest trends, but they don’t have a deep back catalog like a lot of the other shops. This is a shop that has survived as long as it has by being on the cutting edge, and will remain relevant by staying ahead of the curve.

Rah-Coco’s Collectibles: It takes a lot of perseverance to do anything for 31 years, let alone own a business, but Rah-Coco’s Collectibles doesn’t let anything hold them back. They’ve seen many trends and changes over the years, and have settled in a space in Providence large enough to host events, signings and launch parties with plenty of space for back issues, new issues, toys, Magic the Gathering cards and an array of other items. They offer back issue discounts for college students and military.

Time Capsule: This is a great place to find some older comics. In addition to having all the up-to-date releases, there are plenty of comics from the Silver Age, Bronze Age and modern age. They also have a decent selection of comics from the Golden Age. They feature a ton of collectibles (everything from movie posters to items from Rocky Point — basically anything they find interesting), toys, movies (even laser disc), games for all systems and a seemingly endless selection of records at awesomely cheap prices.

Toy Vault: This store is akin to walking through memories of childhood toys that were thrown out or given away once they were outgrown. Action figures of all kinds (tons of Star Wars and Transformers), video games and systems released since the dawn of time, cards and comics are all for sale. Window-shopping becomes a walk down the yellow brick road of nostalgia. They are always buying new stock, so going back always brings a new experience.

Toy Vault has strong card playing community, strong enough that the shop opened a store dedicated to trading card games like Magic the Gathering, Yu Gi Oh and Pokemon. It also has space for video games, board games and RPGs, with plenty of tables for people to play. They often have special themed nights.