PopSyndicate.com

Borders, Barnes, and Amazon may rule the book world, but comic books still belong to the local brick and mortar. Local comic shops offer their take on big bookstore chains.

Readers drawn to Dallas comic shops:

Fans say niche stores offer events, expertise big chains can't provide

If your knowledge of comic book shops is limited to the Android's Dungeon on The Simpsons, you're out of touch with the industry – just like that shop's owner.

On last Sunday's episode, the curmudgeon known only as Comic Book Guy – who talks down to customers for not knowing, say, how many moons Krypton had – was driven out of business by a rival who did things differently.

...

"It's a good format for people who have lapsed from comics or are being introduced to comics for the first time," said Bob Wayne, DC's vice president of sales. "There's enough pages of material that you can sink your teeth into. It gives you the feel of reading a novel or watching several episodes of a TV series."

Mr. Wayne said DC sells more trades in comic book shops than in bookstores. But local comic retailers welcomed the big chains' interest in trades.

"It whets the appetite of the casual audience, who's coming in here for more," said Richard Neal, who has owned Zeus Toys & Comics in Oak Lawn since 2000.

(Via Dallas Morning News.)