The Best Comic Shops in Toronto
While comic books and graphic novels may never become mainstream, their impact continue to rise, impacting the world of film, literature and television more consistently every year. With a maturing audience, characters from stories beyond super-heroes and mutants have leapt from the pages in your local comic shop to films like this Persepolis and A History of Violence.
An infrequent visitor of Toronto comic book shops might think they all look exactly the same. For the most part, it's true - they provide the same merchandise, have the same posters on the wall and are predominately filled with men who can spend hours debating the recent trails and taunts of fictional super-heroes and villains, so there isn't that much of a difference.
What makes a comic shop unique however is its community, location and, over time, an organic familiarity with a shop that is necessary to picking out the latest issues or items of interest. This breeds loyalty.
Toronto's comic shops have dwindled since the huge popularity and sales in the early 1990s. All thats left is a core group of about twenty shops. They are the survivors. Many have moved multiple times, other are just where they have always been, and some have expanded and others should have expanded a long time ago.
Silver Snail has been the juggernaut in town for years and continues to be the dominant player... but of the remaining shops, here is a list of the top 10 comic book shops as voted by readers in our Best of Toronto survey:
Silver Snail
Silver Snail is one of Toronto's most loved comic book stores. In addition to comics, Silver Snail stocks action figures, manga, models, role playing games, trading cards and DVDs. More...
The Beguiling
Located in the Annex's Mirvish Village, the shop is clean and well-stocked, and has a reputation of having titles that other comic stores don't (or won't) carry. More...
One Million Comix
The store is broken into three well organized sections, one for anime, one for toys and figurines (with a massive display case) and one for comics. The new issues sections is really well stocked. More...
Atomic Age Comix
Atomic Age is a quality East end comic book shop selling everything comics, anime, cards and toys. They will special order just about anything if they don't carry it in the store More...
Comics and More
Comics and More on the Danforth has been selling comics, cards, toys and board games since 1987. More...
Third Quadrant
3rd Quadrant Comics opened in it's new location on Queen St. West just west of Bathurst (across from the Beer Store) in January of 2008. With a wide-variety of titles old and new, the new store is much brighter and roomier. More...
Red Nails 2
Red Nails II in the Bloor West Village is a large comic book and sports card retailer. The ample space provides good browsing for new and old titles. A second location can be found in the Sheridan Mall at Jane St. and Wilson Ave. More...
Excalibur Comics
Opened in 1987, Excalibur Comics has survived the ups and downs of the comic book industry and remains in it's modest original location a half block West of Royal York subway station. More...
Dragon Lady Comics
Dragon Lady Comics in Little Italy sells comic books, vintage magazines and classic comic strip reprints. More...
Hairy Tarantula
The Hairy Tarantula in the Junction sells comics, figurines and other toys. There's also a location at 354 Yonge Street. More...
Comments (17)
Most of the Snail's ground floor is comics, Shaun.
I had no idea there was another Hairy Tarantula.
I've never been to the Hairy Tarantula in the junction, but the one on Yonge street is awesome. In particular, they carry the best selection of roleplaying material I've seen anywhere in Toronto.
One that deserves more mention is The Labyrinth in the Annex - lots of graphic novels, friendly staff and decent prices (US cover price plus other available discounts).
http://www.blogto.com/books_lit/2007/06/the_labyrinth_brings_hot_graphic_novels_to_the_annex/
Thanks for bringing it up, Sanityclause, I totally agree. The Labyrinth is a great addition to the Annex.
What about Dragons Realm on Rutherford, across from Canada's Wonderland. That store is huge, has a great layout, and has a good selection of new and old books. The wall books are also great.
Don't forget Cyber City Comix on Steeles west of Bathurst.
Great selection of comics, toys, cards and dvd's.
416-667-7592
Hairy Tarantula is over-priced (back issues and TPB's) and the staff have major attitude. Grey Legion (just south of Wellesley on Yonge) may be a smaller shop, but the service is awesome.
I buy GNs at Grey Region near Wellesley station too. US cover, lots of sales, and they carry the widest range of graphic novels except for the beguiling. The owner is friendly and the dude who orders the comics is super-cool. They have some shitty internet caffe computers there though with bums looking at porn all the time.
wow those are nice shops but can you tell me man please if i can find there those comics: STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC AND ULTIMATE SPIDER MAN
Hey there all,
If your looking for a comic shop and you live in Scarborough you should check out A&K Comics. Its a little tiny Ma and Pa run shop that has all the lastest comics and a good amount of old stuff. Also, if you like anime they are slowly developing a good collection of it. Its located in the Agincourt Mall at Sheppard Ave E and Kennedy Rd. Great prices and the Ma and Pa environment have kept me going back there for about 15 years.
There used to be a place in square one called Grey Region (or something like that) that sold comic books and paraphernalia. It might have changed its name (or even closed down!) but it's on the first floor, across from Athletes World.
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