Geeks, nerds... nay, folks with imagination, rejoice! This midtown megastore is a celebration of heroes, villains, villainous heroes, demons, gods, and everything in between. It has been around since 1996, and has certainly hit its stride. I stopped in one afternoon and had to spend a few minutes wandering aimlessly, struck as I was by the force of the place. I found my way to the director of marketing Thor (! ), who explained how the store tries to cater to more hardcore comic books fans while still being approachable to new readers. This latter mission is especially important now as both superheroes (Avengers, X-Men, Spiderway) and fantastical monsters (zombies, vampires) continue to migrate from the fringes of popular culture toward the center of it. New fans are always coming in because of Hollywood blockbusters and shows like The Walking Dead (originally a comic book), and the expert and enthusiastic staff helps point these folks in the right direction to continue to indulge their interest. But it is impossible to ignore the way that more hardcore fans define the space. Every Wednesday, new issues of single-release comics come out, and each week fans come in for their fix. Graphic novels burst off the shelves, from compendia, to the well-known, to the super nitty-gritty. Older comics upstairs allow folks who missed their issues to play catch-up. There are action figures, t-shirts, memorabilia, and even an erotica section. It is a world unto itself, and really many worlds - to walk in, is to lose oneself.
