Sydney Comic Book Stores.

When I first started collecting comics, I really didn't know where to go to buy good books. I found some lists of Sydney comic book stores on line, but many of these were old and out of date, and when I attempted to visit some of the stores, I found that they were no longer around. I found some Sydney comic shops don't have their own website, so it was difficult to really get much detail about them. as a result, I decided to create this page that reviewed all the stores I visited in one place, in the hope that it might help other collectors. I have personally shopped at every store listed in the last twelve months, so they are likely to still be open if you decide to visit!

Here are my reviews of the comic book stores I have visited in the Sydney area. The reviews are based on my experiences at each store so if your experience is different please let me know! I will try to edit the reviews regularly based on my most recent experiences. I have bought comics or Trade Paper backs from all the stores I review and would urge you all to try them all for yourself as you never know where you might find that one book you have been searching for!

I have also included reviews of other stores that are not necessarily Comic Book stores, but do sell comics so may be of interest to you. I hope you find my reviews helpful! It would also be great to hear your opinions and experiences at these stores. I would also appreciate information about any other stores I may not yet know about in the area. I hope you find this helpful!

George Street, Liverpool

This was the first comic book shop I went into, but I have visited it several times since. It is a clean and well presented store with a pretty good range of stock, particularly Marvel books. If you want statues and bobble heads I have not come across a better shop yet in terms of the range available. They have a wide range of Trade paper backs, particularly for Marvel. However from a personal point of view I was a little disappointed by the range of DC trade paper backs available.

They have a good range of back issues of more recent comics that are protected and presented well, however they have little that stretches back further than 15 years. Their prices are a little higher than the other stores in the area, although they do offer a 10% discount for customers with a standing order. They also hold a sale with significant reductions as part of their Free Comic Book Day celebrations each year. The staff do not hassle you, which is good, but a little more interaction with new customers would not be a bad thing. They are however very approachable and friendly, even on days like Free Comic Book Day despite being ridiculously busy!

The store is easy to find, located near the library in Liverpool within easy walking distance of the station and local Westfield which has ample parking. Overall I would grade the store:

Presentation 9/10

Range of Books 7/10

Other merchandise 9/10

Staff knowledge and approach-ability 8/10

Price 7/10

OVERALL SCORE: 80%

Find out more at:-

Horwood Place, Parramatta

I have visited this store several times now and it has improved since my first visit. The staff are friendly and welcoming, recognizing me by my third visit. On my first visit, the store seemed quite disorganized but this has improved in my few visits. They have a great selection of Trade Paper Backs and on a recent visit I found a book I had been looking for over the last couple of months but had seen nowhere else. They have a good number of back issues, but you need a lot of time and patience to go through them as they are out of order and in many cases are just in cardboard boxes with only a small selection recently organised into more accessible long boxes. Also none of the back issues are bagged or boarded, so you are unlikely to find old books still in mint condition. This is an area I feel they could improve further.

The books are reasonably priced, although you will need to consult the conversion charts located around the store to convert the price from US dollars to Aus dollars. Additionally they had special discounts available on Free Comic Book Day, making the prices even more attractive. They also had other offers available for FCBD such as spend more than $50 and get a free TPB from a limited selection as well as giving away selected back issues of comics on top of the regular FCBD comics. I'm hoping they will repeat similar offers for this year's event.

They are not a large store, so have little room for additional merchandise, but do have some along the Phantom theme. The store is fairly easy to locate and is in comfortable walking distance of Parramatta station and the Westfield Plaza which has ample parking. It is definitely a store I will return to again. Overall I would score the store:

Presentation 6/10

Range of Books 6/10

Other merchandise 5/10

Staff knowledge and approach-ability 9/10

Prices 8/10

OVERALL SCORE: 68%

Check out the store for yourself at:-

Pitt Street, Sydney

This was the store I had the highest expectations of as it is always the first store you hear about when looking for information on Sydney Comic Book Stores. I have visited this store on a couple of occasions now and it is a nice store. It has a colourful and inviting frontage and inside is bright and clean. They have a good range of the latest comic releases and of Trade Paper Backs, as well as a variety of other comic related merchandise. My only disappointment was that there stock of back issues was not as extensive as I had hoped for.

The staff were friendly, welcoming and helpful and overall I was impressed with the store. They also have a well designed website which allows you to have a good look at their available stock. Their prices were slightly higher than some other stores, but like many comic shops they offer a loyalty program where you pay a small annual fee and receive a discount in store. It is fairly easy to get to from a number of the train stations in central Sydney including Town Hall, Museum and Central, however I have never driven there and imagine that parking would be expensive in the area. Overall I would give Kings Comics:

Presentation: 10/10

Range of books 8/10

Other merchandise 8/10

Staff knowledge and approach-ability 8/10

Prices 7/10

OVERALL SCORE 82%

Find out more about the store at:-

Liverpool Street, Sydney

This store is only a few minutes walk from Kings comics but is a very different store. It is spread over two levels, with most of the Trade Paper Backs and comics upstairs. It is the oldest established comic book store in Sydney, but unfortunately you can tell.

The first impression you get of the store is not good. It looks run down and the stairs you have to walk up are creaky and old. Upstairs is dusty and some of the flooring and shelves are in desperate need of repair or replacement. They have a vast array of comics and back issues dating back further than anywhere else I have come across so far in the Sydney area, but it is not straight forward accessing them all. The older issues are tucked away at the back of the shop in an unlit area which is blocked off. To access them you need to ask a staff member who opens it all up and requests you leave any bags by the counter. However on my last two visits this area is totally closed. This is due to a large number of boxes being on top of all the long boxes. When I asked about this I was told it could be months before that area is reopened as there is only one member of staff working upstairs at any time so they don't know when they will have time to sort out all the stock (more back issues apparently). This was hugely disappointing as the back issues were the main reason I had travelled into the city in the first place. Fortunately there are still a few issues under the counter you can look through if you ask.

Their range of back issues (when open) was excellent compared to other Sydney stores, and I have picked up a number of books from the 70's including a number of Avengers books and Jack Kirby's Sandman #4 at a good price. The staff members can be friendly, although it sometimes seems like customers are an inconvenience for them. On my last few visits they have been helpful enough, but on an early visit I asked the guy at the counter whether they might have a back issue from an old mini series of Elektra Assassin written by Frank Miller and his response seemed strange. He told me "No we don't stock that kind of thing here." It felt like he was disapproving strongly of my taste, but I was left wondering whether he had misheard me, as all I had asked for was an old comic by one of the comic world's better known writers, featuring a fairly well known character, so if they don't stock 'that kind of thing' then what do they stock? I didn't hang around upstairs much longer. I didn't spend much time downstairs either where they have some more graphic novels and collectibles.

I found this store very frustrating. They have so much potential to be a great store with their vast collection of back issues, but the store just felt tired. The attitude of the member of staff annoyed me too, and although my experience on more recent visits has been a little better, there is still a huge amount of room for improvement. I will go back in the future I'm sure, but only if I am after old comic back issues. Having said that, I'd recommend you check it out yourself if you are a collector, just don't go on Sunday as they are closed and I'd probably give them until at least a few months into 2014 to clear all those boxes

Overall I would score Comic Kingdom:

Presentation 3/10

Range of books 9/10

Other merchandise 6/10

Staff knowledge and approach-ability 3/10

Prices 8/10

OVERALL SCORE 58%

Take a look at their stock at:-

331 Stoney Creek Rd, Kingsgrove, Sydney

I finally got around to visiting this store recently and was pleased I had made the effort. It is quite a small store, but the owner makes good use of the space available. It is packed full of boxes of back issues which are well organised alphabetically, and there is a good selection available, although like most other stores in Sydney, you won't find much from before the late 80's. The owner is extremely friendly and welcoming which helps to make a visit here an enjoyable experience. The store was a little chaotic on the day of my visit, although this was down to the fact that they had just returned from Supernova in Queensland the night before and were still trying to get things back in order. (I thought it unfair to grade their presentation based on my experience as this would not give a fair reflection of the store, I therefore gave them an average 5, I will update this after any future visits.)

The store also sells some trade paper backs, toys, cards and other collectables, although many of these were still to be unpacked.

The store is not too far away from Beverley Hills train station, and I managed to find it easily enough using my Sat Nav and is definitely worth a visit if you are a comic collector (not on Sundays though as they're closed). It took me the best part of an hour to get there from where I live but I will definitely visit again in the future.

Overall I would score Arcadia Unbound:

Presentation 5/10

Range of books 8/10

Other merchandise 5/10

Staff knowledge and approach-ability 9/10

Prices 8/10

OVERALL SCORE 70%

The store doesn't have a specific website, but you can find them on facebook, just follow the link below!

76 Enmore Road, Newtown

This is a store I have only recently found out about and am still yet to visit. The guys who run the store had a table at Parramatta Collectibles Fair and we're giving out cards. They had some nice books, so I'm hoping they have a good selection of back issues at the shop. I can't wait to get over to the store to try it out. I'll get back to you with a review as soon as I have visited the store.

Although at the time of writing this the store does not have a working web page, they are on twitter and Facebook and can be found through the link below.

I know it isn't technically a comic book store, but it has a great range of Trade Paper Backs so it definitely deserves a mention. The shop is located in the centre of Sydney in the Galleries shopping centre between George Street and Pit Street. They have an excellent range of Graphic novels as well as an even larger range of Manga books. They also stock some statues. They have a large selection but the books are not sealed as they are in most comic shops meaning the books have been flicked through and often have dog eared corners. I highly recommend going in on a Thursday as this seems to be when the new books are put out, meaning you are more likely to find the book you want in a good condition.

Their prices are lower than most other places and in addition to this you can purchase a Kinokuniya card for $15 that gives you 10% discount for a year. If you are a regular purchaser this is definitely worthwhile. The store also has a wide variety of other books, but being as it is a book store it does not stock individual comics.

I feel it would be unfair to mark Kinokuniya against the same standard as other stores because of this, but with their wide selection of Graphic Novels and competitive pricing, I highly recommend you visit here if shopping for Comics in the centre of Sydney.

Check out the store or order online at:-

Pitt Street

Elizabeth's bookshop on Pitt Street in Sydney have a small selection of Trade paper backs and a reasonable selection of old comics. The titles are quite a mix of familiar titles and books I have never heard of, but if you are willing to spend a bit of time you may find something that interests you. I believe they have another store in Newtown and a few more around the country, but as I have never been to these stores I don't know if they also stock comics. It is directly opposite Kings Comics so is definitely worth a quick look if you are in the area.

Find out more about this store at:-

Although this is not a comic store, I thought this was worth a mention as there are some table selling comics, along with lots of tables selling collectable action figures and cards. The fair takes place four times a year at Parramatta Town Hall and is definitely worth a visit. On one of my visits, I picked up around 20 comics for $30, including a full run of Marvel Civil War, A limited four part series of Union Jack, An 8 part Avengers limited series, a copy of Secret Wars #7 and 3 individual Avengers books from the early 80's. However, some of my visits have been less fruitful, with less comic sellers present. There is a small entry fee for the fair, but this reduces the later in the day you arrive. i have unfortunately not attended one of these fairs for almost a year and did hear a rumour that they have stopped but am not able to confirm this.

You don't even need to leave the house!

Are individual comic issues better than graphic novels?