The Shop: Midtown Comics Times Square, Manhattan: 200 W 40th Street Midtown Comics made me love comics again. Way back in 2016, my fellow Story Pirate Eric Austin and I would hit this spot every Wednesday afternoon, a ritual before hopping on the extensive 2 train ride up to our afterschool gig at Bronx Arts Charter School in Hunts Point. My deep love of comics, long dormant during years of college pretending to like Sartre, had reawakened… and my wallet would never be the same. Despite the completely chromed out makeover of 40th street in the past few years, Midtown Comics remains the same. The only difference I can detect over years of patronage is way less pervy anime statuettes for sale (still not zero though). Midtown Comics doesn’t have the intimacy of a local spot like Silver Age or Anyone Comics. The staff run hot and cold and you would too after dealing with tourists and Times Square weirdos all day. What it does have is volume-- every single new issue that comes out each week is there at Midtown, usually with six different variant covers in stock. It’s super rare for something to sell out over here, unlike at any other comic shop in the city. Due to their massive stock, Midtown can be a bit visually overwhelming. I usually take three passes at the new comics wall-- one sweep of the eye level titles, one sweep of the feet level titles, and one sweep of the comics you have to reach on your tiptoes or flag a staff member for. As any touristy spot would, Midtown has a ton of toys and merch, making this a great spot to buy gifts for the nerds in your life. They also have a membership program-- $20 of free comics for every $100 you spend… don’t ask me how many times I’ve achieved this. Unfortunately, this store is rather inaccessible to folks with mobility issues, and the narrow staircase up to the main floor can be a bit of a hassle to negotiate with pushy midtowners moving in both directions.
#32: Midtown Comics
#32: Midtown Comics
#32: Midtown Comics
The Shop: Midtown Comics Times Square, Manhattan: 200 W 40th Street Midtown Comics made me love comics again. Way back in 2016, my fellow Story Pirate Eric Austin and I would hit this spot every Wednesday afternoon, a ritual before hopping on the extensive 2 train ride up to our afterschool gig at Bronx Arts Charter School in Hunts Point. My deep love of comics, long dormant during years of college pretending to like Sartre, had reawakened… and my wallet would never be the same. Despite the completely chromed out makeover of 40th street in the past few years, Midtown Comics remains the same. The only difference I can detect over years of patronage is way less pervy anime statuettes for sale (still not zero though). Midtown Comics doesn’t have the intimacy of a local spot like Silver Age or Anyone Comics. The staff run hot and cold and you would too after dealing with tourists and Times Square weirdos all day. What it does have is volume-- every single new issue that comes out each week is there at Midtown, usually with six different variant covers in stock. It’s super rare for something to sell out over here, unlike at any other comic shop in the city. Due to their massive stock, Midtown can be a bit visually overwhelming. I usually take three passes at the new comics wall-- one sweep of the eye level titles, one sweep of the feet level titles, and one sweep of the comics you have to reach on your tiptoes or flag a staff member for. As any touristy spot would, Midtown has a ton of toys and merch, making this a great spot to buy gifts for the nerds in your life. They also have a membership program-- $20 of free comics for every $100 you spend… don’t ask me how many times I’ve achieved this. Unfortunately, this store is rather inaccessible to folks with mobility issues, and the narrow staircase up to the main floor can be a bit of a hassle to negotiate with pushy midtowners moving in both directions.