It's Andy Fish!

I thought I’d spotlight a few local comic shops I recommend– I’m very picky about stores because I spent so many years in retail upper management.

FRIAR TUCK’S COMICS – 310 Harvard St 2nd floor, Brookline, MA

WEBSITE:friartuckscomics.com

Located on the second floor of a building next door to where the old New England Comics (now closed) in the heart of Brookline MA’s main drag Friar Tuck’s is a welcome addition to the comic shop world.

While they sell new comics I would say it’s more focused on vintage comics and collectibles. It’s a large space with wood floors– it’s exceptionally clean but cluttered with a somewhat confusing layout. The large selection of back issues is a bonus but the books are wedged in so tight to save space that it’s hard to browse. Insider tip; take a stack out and set it aside, then you can flip through the back issues much easier, when you’re done make sure you put the original stack back.

They have a lot of vintage toys in addition to high end newer releases– it’s a shop worthy of a trip. Price wise they’re a little high but they often run sales that bring the prices back down to normal. The two times I’ve been there the owner is very enthusiastic and offers a sales pitch to customers walking in– and be warned they get a lot of foot traffic so you’ll hear the pitch multiple times– in the 40 mins or so we were there we heard it about 20 times.

PROS – Big selection of vintage items including things like Monster Magazines from the 60s/70s and some real gems like foreign edition Jack Kirby collections.

Space is big enough to accommodate a crowd and the store does fill up pretty quickly (see the con for the other side of the coin).

Owner is very friendly and will help you find your way through the store– this is a great spot if you have a comic fan on your gift list and you want to try to find something unique for them. It’s also one of the few times we’ve been in a comic store where Veronica actually bought something.

CONS – A bit on the cluttered side, some of the aisles are a bit narrow, there are some strange corners you have to navigate. Some of the Omnibus Editions (1500 page hardcovers in the $150 range) are balance a little precariously on the open display shelves so be ready in case of an avalanche.

Sales pitch gets a tiny bit old.

PARKING – there is a public lot about a block away.

HOURS – 12-730 7 days a week (I can get behind those hours).

OVERALL RATING: A