Batman Comics - Available Locally?

DirkVoodoo

Hi guys, this is more of a consumer issue in some regards, but I'm guessing that the experts on comics may know more...

I remember years ago getting Batman: Year one from my dad and not really knwoing exactly WHAT I had got. I was a bit taken aback by the more adult and realistic batman myth that miller had created and so didn't hang onto it for too long.

Anyway, since the resurgence in popularity of batman with the Nolan flicks, I was hoping to get my younger brother "year one" and "dark knight returns" along with "the killing joke" for christmas.

Can these be bought in Dublin (the forbidden planet on dawson street was my old haunt) or do I have to go online?

Cheers and happy christmas!

bombidol

Yeah, check the stores sticky thread at the top of the forum and the addresses of all the shops are there.

Kess73

Last time I was in that Forbidden Planet they had a good range of Batman graphic novels. The Killing Joke is normally there, as is Arkham Asylum, and the Dark Knight Returns. The Bane/Bats/Azreal Knightfall books are normally there too.

DirkVoodoo

Sweet, thanks for the prompt replies, i'll check out forbidden planet this week!

qwertplaywert

Check Waterstones and Easons if Forbidden Planet don't have them, as thos two Millar books are normally in book shops that sell comics. Never seen Killing Joke though....

the Shades

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Sweet, thanks for the prompt replies, i'll check out forbidden planet this week!

You do know Forbidden Planet has moved to Eden Quay right? More or less beside the Ha'penny Bridge

Saruwatari

the Shades wrote: »

You do know Forbidden Planet has moved to Eden Quay right? More or less beside the Ha'penny Bridge

When did that happen? Is it bigger now or wha?

ztoical

Saruwatari wrote: »

When did that happen? Is it bigger now or wha?

it moved from dawson street to the quays like, what, nearly 9 years ago at this stage. I was in college in dublin at the time so its something like that. I still miss the old store at times, the way the floor would creak like crazy when every anyone moved, ah, now I feel old.

the Shades

I much prefered the old FP, the new one smells damp all the time even when it hasn't been flooded.

DirkVoodoo

Yeah, I've been to the new one and agree with the above posts. The old one felt more like a "real" comic book store: a little bit odd and intimidating from the outside, kinda like black books! The new one is a little more sterile.

Ahh, I used to love raiding the bargain bin. Can't remember some of the gems I picked up there, one about a genetically mutated man who was half dog, kind of like wolverine...might have been called "dogman", I wouldn't be surprised

EDIT: Ahh, "Mad-dog" was the marvel licensed comic for the subject of a bob newhart series. I remember seeing that show too!

bombidol

Its a franchise its not supposed to feel like a "real" comic store. Its the tesco of comics. Go to the 3rd place or subcity or story.

ztoical

While I don't like the style of the new [is it still new at this point?] store, I like shopping there. Theres room to move around and they get the bigger varity of books in. I wasn't happy when sci-fi and fantasy books all but vanished from the place as they use to be a major focus in the old store but was in last week and downstairs across from the comics they've actually got a book section again. I avoid the manga section upstairs as its usually full of 14 year old wanna be cat girls. I could link to at least 3 blog posts bitching about the staff being rude there, I normally find them a bit dim but not rude, but last weekend one of them went out of his way to help me so I ain't going to fault them.

Forbidden Planet in new york has a great funky vibe to it [creaky wooden floors and all] but its main focus is books and statues, the weekly comic section is small. They have D&D sessions on upstairs every weekend so theres always great life in the place. And even thou its gone all shinny and supermarket like, I like the one in London. It gets confusing at times with the two chains with almost the same name and the same logos.

How many stores does there need to be for it to be a chain? there's two sub citys

bombidol

But they are both ran by Curley. He just has a manager up there. theres FP's everywhere. And for some unknown reason EVERY comic I've ever bought in FP has had dog ears or tears somewhere in it which is getting annoying.

Fysh

bombidol wrote: »

Its a franchise its not supposed to feel like a "real" comic store. Its the tesco of comics. Go to the 3rd place or subcity or story.

Do we extrapolate from that to assume that not having nerdy types in-store discussing the virtues of Marvel vs DC/Green Lantern vs Nova/whatever makes a store less "real"? Or that being succesful enough to have more tha one store makes them sellouts? Or, even, that having a shop big enough to stock and display a wide range of genres & titles is a bad thing?

I'm not trying to have a go at 3rd Place or Sub City, but having been stuck with Other Realms for four years as the only "dedicated" comics shop I could regularly get to, I'm heartily skeptical of the "indie/small comics shops are better" view. Comics as an industry isn't really big enough to support that kind of fanbase polarisation, and I'd say especially not the Irish comic market. I like the FP in Dublin, and I really like the FP in London because it's absolutely huge and has loads of cool stuff - and they organise loads of events & signings. The "tesco of comics" they may be, but you don't get to make a franchise that big or popular without an audience willing to shell out their cash to them.

That being said, I think it's a bit redundant to talk about the relative tesco-ness of a chain of comic shops in markets which predominantly serve content from two very mainstream publishers...

bombidol

Yay fighting. Someday Fysh, me and you will agree on something.

ztoical

The FP in London isn't actually part of the same "franchise" as the dublin one, the one here is forbidden planet international, different company.

midtown comics in new york is big flashy tesco like store, they have two in manhatten and a bunch further out [not mentioned on the site for some reason but my friend worked in one so I know they are there] They also have a massive truck shifting comics between all the stores and they always hire dangerous drivers. Jim's is the size of a decent tescos and the best comic store on the island hands down and they also have a couple of stores.

Wish we could be like belgium and france were every bookstore/newsagents has walls filled with comics *sigh*

Fysh

bombidol wrote: »

Yay fighting. Someday Fysh, me and you will agree on something.

Heh, them's fightin' words!

It's good to see people encouraged to go to smaller shops rather than the big chains all the time - I prefer independent shops, so long as I can actually get what I want in them. I wouldn't buy comics in Walmart, for example, even if they were a bit cheaper than my local shop.

I don't think Forbidden Planet are comparable to Tesco or the like though, because to a certain extent I see them as a larger version of the comic shops I'm familiar with. Although if they follow Wizard's lead and move away from comic-related stuff into general "men's interest" things, that may change...

bombidol

I'll usually use smaller shops as its easier to find stuff I want in them for some reason but from time to time Ill head into FP as they have more room, they might have comics from 2 or 3 weeks ago that I missed etc. I also get longboxes from FP but thats it. I would always say go to an independant store as the staff tend to know a hell of a lot more about the titles than the big ones.

MikeHoncho

Subcity is generally my shop of choice but I have to say that sometimes for Graphic Novels and the like Forbiden Planet can be up to 5 or so Euros cheaper than the other shops.

OP if you find The Killing Joke anywhere let me know. Ive been trying to track down a copy for a while and havent had any success. I had one ordered online and the seller had to cancel my order for some reason.

bombidol

MikeHoncho wrote: »

Subcity is generally my shop of choice but I have to say that sometimes for Graphic Novels and the like Forbiden Planet can be up to 5 or so Euros cheaper than the other shops.

OP if you find The Killing Joke anywhere let me know. Ive been trying to track down a copy for a while and havent had any success. I had one ordered online and the seller had to cancel my order for some reason.

Thaaaaattss not the other shops being cheaper mate............

ThenComesDudley

the killing joke as far a s i know is out if print, but it is in a collection of alan moore stories for dc called DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore which is still in print... if your still looking for it