Metropolis Comics

The fourth comic shop I went to was Metropolis Comics in Bellflower. This shop was like a hybrid between Pulp Fiction and Amazing Comics. Really knowledgeable staff, lots of merchandise, but the store were very sparse. It’s a true comic shop. Rather than a ton of bookshelves, it has low tables covered in boxes that are filled with comics.

Metropolis was started in 1998 and has been going strong since. They received 3^rd place in the 2011 BEST Comics competition (purely a customer voted list online that showcases comic shops all around Southern California.) and got the Runner-Up position in 2009.

This place has a wide assortment of comics from DC, Marvel, Darkhorse, IDW, Image, and many smaller publishers. They have a wide range of age appropriate comics as well with a selection for kids, which includes Simpsons, Kung Fu Panda, and many more.

The online site is very helpful and has a really easy interface that allows you to sort by publisher or character/group like X-Men, Justice League, Spider-Man, etc. This corresponds directly to in-store material, which is a big plus. They also have a ton of statues and collectable action figures in online galleries. The online store allows you to actually shop and add items to a cart, making it really easy to purchase product.

In the store there are comics everywhere. They also have a few small bookshelves that hold specialty items like statues, action figures, graphic novels, and other comic-esque books. They also have a large t-shirt collection on rack coming off the walls. They have some pretty cool merchandise hanging from the walls, like a Captain America Shield and some cool posters, but they aren’t for sale. They also have a large rack of posters ranging form comics to videogames.

Like Amazing Comics, Metropolis sells game cards. The selection is dominated by Magic, but there are a few examples of Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon as well.

Over all this was a really cool store with a great staff. I can see why they were voted so highly for the BEST Comic awards.

Beach Ball Comics

     Beach Ball Comics in Anaheim was awesome. It was very similar to Amazing Comics in the fact that they sold a wide variety of merchandise and had a very knowledgeable and helpful staff.

     They have a nice selection of Marvel, DC, IDW, Image, and other indie comics, and they have 3 walls of bookshelves. The store has tons of signings and events, along with silver age comics for the hardcore collector.


Beach Ball was originally a dump of a store. Its located in a shady shopping center, surrounded by a tattoo parlor and a taco shop. 2 years ago, new owners took over and completely turned the shop around. Now its well lit, clean and really cool.

     Aside from the mass of comics they have, they also have a wide selection of cards, toys and action figures. They aren’t run of the mill stuff. They have a lot of rare collectables and even some old vintage toys which is really awesome for collectors.

     Like i said the staff is really friendly and they are willing to just talk with you about comics or video games or really anything that peaks your fancy. They don’t mind taking the time to get to know the customer. This is really cool. Amazing Comics and Beach Ball are the only ones I’ve been to that have a super nice and personable staff.

     Downside, they don't have a website. This doesn't make sense to me because we are in such a technology driven age. I think because the shop is relatively small and is more of a  locals only type store that they don't feel the need to have an online option. 

Pulp Fiction

The second shop I visited is a relatively new comic store on Clark. Pulp Fiction opened four years ago. The shop is small, sandwiched between a liquor store and a bar. Boxes of merchandise are still on the floor, however the shelves are stocked. Thisis a true comic book store. The walls are lined with overflowing shelves and stands holding every comic imaginable. DC, Dark Horse, and Marvel are the most heavily represented, but they also have a wide selection of mangas and graphic novels.

The staff is extremely knowledgeable, but they need to work on their people skills. They were a tad bit brusque with customers. Attitud

es aside, the staff has an extensive knowledge of comic books and it is obvious that they are very passionate about the products they sell.

The store has an online site that is a little bare on the home page, but it has numerous links to helpful sites. There is no way to purchase items online, which is a bit of a let down. The coolest link on the site is the "new arrivals". It links to Previews World which is a great site that gives previews of all the incoming comics on a weekly basis. This is especially vital if you are a collector. Previews World is full of links to helpful areas that include users guides, reviews, merchandise lists, and special events. Through this site you are able to special order comic books that can then be picked up in store. The Pulp Fiction site also has a list of all the sales, specials, and up coming comic book events.

Over all, it is a great comic book store. It has barely any other merchandise besides comics, so if you are looking for tee-shirts, figures or cards this is not the place for you. It is a genuine comic book store.

Amazing Comics and Cards

The first comic shop on my list is Amazing Comics and Cards. This is an awesome shop on Stearns right next to Deli News Pizza. The store opened up in 1989 and has been serving everyone from comic book fanatics to card dueling teenagers with helpful service and a large inventory. The original store was about twice as large, but due to rent increase, the owners were forced to downsize.

Since the downsize, Amazing Comics has moved half of its store online. The website offers a large assortment of rare, out-of-print, and sold-out action figures, comics and paraphernalia. the online site is extremely easy to use. The site is also very easily navigated with multiple drop down menus and links to different parts of the online store.

Many of the items offered on the website cannot be found in the store. This is due to the lack of space for storage. The owners decided to keep only the newest product on the shelves and in the display cases. In-store, they have thousands of action figures, mini-busts, toys, comic books, hardcover graphic novels, and non-sports cards, i.e. Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Magic.

The prices are very reasonable and the staff is extremely knowledgeable about all products offered at the store. Personally I love this place. I have spent many hours and many dollars here. It is a great place for someone to either start a new love of comics, or for someone to continue there own.