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    Forbidden Planet

    4.0 (465 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Forbidden Planet Photos

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    Jessica Z.

    Forbidden Planet in Union Square is a haven for comic book lovers, pop culture enthusiasts, and collectors alike. This iconic shop is packed to the brim with a vast selection of comics, graphic novels, action figures, and memorabilia from all corners of fandom--whether it's Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or niche sci-fi and fantasy series. It's the perfect spot for finding both classic issues and the latest releases. One of the standout features of Forbidden Planet is its impressive array of rare and limited edition items. Whether you're hunting for a collectible comic book, a signed print, or a special edition action figure, the store's selection of exclusive merch will definitely catch your eye. The shop also has a great variety of character merch, from iconic superheroes to cult favorite TV show characters. T-shirts, Funko Pops, posters, and other fan gear are scattered throughout, so there's something for every fan--whether you're into the latest blockbuster or classic cult favorites.

    Elisa G.

    If you like Star Wars and Pokémon memorabilia, you need to come and check out their impressive collection of games and knick knacks in NYC. It's very well merchandised and fun to visit.

    Sherry W.

    A nerd paradise for those that love comics, mangas/manhwa, sci fiction and fantasy and graphic novels. Lots of merchandises, knickknacks, figurines, games and more. Came here hunting for trading cards on debuted day. Was able to buy 5 packs when the limit for 6. I came in knowing my budget for 5 even tho I was tempted to get 6.

    Lando
    Al J.

    A nerds dream come true. Fantastic selection. Love this place. I miss living in city. I used to visit this store quite a lot.

    Jo W.

    What a great comics and collectible shop! I would have spent more time here if I was in New York for longer. As I was perusing the selections before heading off to dinner with my friend, I got suckered reading a bit of the latest volume of Black Butler, which I haven't caught up with in a hot minute. I also liked looking at the figurines that they have. So nice to see a great comic shop in NYC!

    Jessica C.

    Amazing selection great for comic book and collector nerds rows of comic books and action figures great prices I enjoyed their selection of bobble heads the interior felt really welcoming and detailed staff was amazing. Helped me find everything I was looking for even had a couple good conversations about comic books overall amazing store.

    April '23 Last one
    Sara Y.

    Close at 8pm, fun place to visit! I've got a mystery box....!! A cat can hanging on the glass! I bought two of them, I saw only one box left....hopefully they'll order another one! The store is under the Construction it's hard to find. Walking Distance from Union sq subway station (only 2blocks) 456NWQRandL

    Misfits (and the shirt I just bought there!)
    J F.

    Incredible. As if a comic con, a bookstore, a hipster bookstore, and the older sibling of Hot Topic (whose wiser, been there, seen some stuff) formed together, like Voltron, into one dope nerd mecca. if you're a horror fan, or "Horror Business" by The Misfits fan, you'll find a something you'll wanna buy here.

    In case you ever need a 30 sided dice,...
    Simon W.

    Forbidden Planet compliments favorably to a distant past a old school favorite bookstore nearby on the same block. Forbidden Planet is great place to find that superhero comic, T-shirt, Pop figurine, coffee mug, key chain, 30 sided dice, knick knack, patty whack,.. you are looking for. With the walls partially covered with posters/t-shirts, your eyes are kept amused no matter where you look. For an older dinosaur like me, I'd enjoy visiting when I have no particular reason to do so and especially if I'm suffering from comic con withdrawal. If there is one thing I'd improve, I'd say the prices could be better but this is Manhattan and old school nostalgia like Forbidden Planet are fewer and fewer in existence.

    Carolina S.

    Holy Comic Bookstore Batman!! Being from the northwest I feel the most comfortable around the nerds, the geeks and the outcasts. A comic book/movie/toy store is a sacred place for all the like minded peeps. I recently went for the Playghoul signing, Playghoul is a collection of Vampira publications in a nutshell. There's also cool illustrations and articles to boot. "The Mighty Moloch" aka Mike Decay but as I like to refer to him "Lewi" is head of this Vampira operation. I don't think I know a bigger Vampira fan. He's a doer and a shaker. The panel for the autographs also included local favorites and artist, Donny David, Andrea Sicco and Sara Antoinette Martin. They're are all a bunch of talented sweeties! It was the perfect time to get my Playghoul. I bumped into the organizer of the event and buddy Matt Desiderio aka Horrorboobs. I know, everyone has a nickname in this town. I guess that's how you know you've made it. In this time I met or talked to all the eccentrics of the comic bookstore and heard their unique questions. I couldn't tell if they were regulars or here for the event. I guess it will remain a mystery but it's definitely part of the experience. Events for singings are done pretty regularly. So always keep your eyes peeled for your nerd hero passing through. I came here a couple months ago with my 7 year old nephew and he was in literal heaven. His dad is a huge comic book, horror and video game fan so he's trained the kids well. My sister got him some sort of goodies. He enjoyed all the glass cases with collectibles and memorabilia. Keep up the good work Forbidden Planet! We need a place to go to and be ourselves. Thanks for hanging in all these decades.

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    4 months ago

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    15 days ago

    This place is the best for comics and collectibles. Super friendly staff. Lots of cute blind boxes and funko pops.

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    1 year ago

    Such a cool store! The people were very kind! This is our go to toy spot in manhattan! Skip toy Tokyo and go here...they get it!

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    3 years ago

    Always meet my friends here and we love shopping here. So much stuff and friendly people

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    Forbidden Planet Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Forbidden Planet

    Does Forbidden Planet buy old comic books?

    Do they have collector barbies?

    Not that I saw ...and I went on an empty day/that's something I'd notice. You can probably call and ask if they ever get any in-seems like something they'd be helpful about.

    Is in this shop Attack On Titan sweatshirt?

    Hi- No AoT sweatshirts at the moment, but we do have t-shirts featuring the colossal Titans and regiment logo. Thanks for checking with us!!!

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    Review Highlights - Forbidden Planet

    I spent hours easily absorbed in their impressive selection of manga, graphic novels, and other memorabilia.

    Mentioned in 37 reviews

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    Barnes & Noble Booksellers - Grand entry ~ 2.19.24

    Barnes & Noble Booksellers

    3.3(183 reviews)
    1.7 miMidtown East
    $$

    I never realized this Barnes and Nobles was here. It's right on the corner and it's pretty big…read more Three floors of books and toys! The cashier is on the main floor with escalators taking you to the basement or the 2nd floor. It's set up like most B & N's where everything is broken up into sections with very clear signage. I still love having copies of physical books once in a while.

    I went there yesterday to look at many books, and all of the employees were as wonderful as…read morepreviously; incredibly friendly and helpful. However; the reason why I'm writing this update is because there are some changes at the store. Firstly; the large "Information Desk" at the rear of the first floor is no longer there. Instead, there's a small one on the right side of that floor (and it's almost hidden). Secondly; the huge first floor display of beautiful photo books of NYC and environs is now much smaller (although it seemed like there were more of them on the lower level than previously). There's also another change; the restrooms are now only accessible with a code, and a code can only be obtained via a receipt - so if you don't buy anything, you can't use the restroom (I ordered some books online later, since I didn't want to lug them home from the store). Further; employees don't have access to a bathroom code (obviously they have some other way to access the restrooms). I was there for a few hours - and if it wasn't for the fact that I had a dental appointment nearby afterwards, it would have been problematic. Having said that, I do realize that the restroom situation is an issue; at the Union Square store in particular, there used to be a big problem with homeless people and undoubtedly a corporate decision was made. I'm still keeping a five-star rating because of the employees and because the store has a great selection.

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    Barnes & Noble Booksellers
    Barnes & Noble Booksellers
    Barnes & Noble Booksellers - Cafe

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    Cafe

    Bookoff - New York

    Bookoff - New York

    3.9(460 reviews)
    1.7 miMidtown West
    $

    Really cool bookstore to hang out around. Tons of figurines, video games, toys, pokemon cards, and…read moreof course books. Great $1 book section. Tons of big name authors there!

    Buying and Selling at Book Off What a cool store. So much to…read moresee. Unfortunately, it is lousy to sell at and expensive to buy at. First, Selling. I brought in three statue items unopened in the original packaging. I checked on ebay for what the items sold for (not asking price but sold price) and it added up to about $600, I lugged the items over there and had to leave them there because they wouldn't get to them right away. The people/kids working there were very nice. I went to have lunch and got the text to return, and they are offering $150. So I picked up the items and turned down the offer. Again, they were very nice, it's just I wasn't willing to accept 25% of the value. I figured at worst it would be 50%. But I am better off getting closer to the actual price on ebay. Now, Buying. Lots of very expensive and exiting things to get, and I didn't have time to price check things so much, but my son is into the Nintendo switch and i spotted a used Marvel VS Capcom game he might like. It was $34.95. But just in case, I pulled up Amazon and looked the game up. A brand new one costs $21.79. So it would have been a terrible idea for me to buy it there. I guess if you are leaving work and need a quick gift, you might stop in and pay too much for an item. If you are in real trouble and don't have time to wait for an Ebay sale, you might consider selling your collectables for 25% the value, this place might come in handy.

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    Bookoff - New York - Books

    Books

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    Bookoff - New York - Section by section of pure organization

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    Section by section of pure organization

    McNally Jackson - Children's section

    McNally Jackson

    4.5(19 reviews)
    1.9 miMidtown West
    $$

    This was another bookstore that my wife and I came across randomly during our travels. If you are…read moreunaware of McNally Jackson they are an independent bookstore with 5 locations in New York. My wife and I enjoyed our time browsing here. It's a multi-level store that is separated like most bookstores into genres as expected. They had lots of newer books but still plenty of classics as well. My wife even happened to come across a book she has been looking for and wanting to read for a long while so big win there. Staff were friendly and we did not have a long wait to buy the book, no line. Prices felt quite standard for a book store. This was a fantastic independent book store and one definitely worth visiting for book lovers or those seeking gifts for a book lover in their life.

    I stopped by this McNally Jackson location when I was in the area a couple of weeks ago. McNally…read moreJackson operates five stores in the city, in addition to three stationary stores (Goods for the Study), and it's been around since 2004. The store isn't huge, but it's incredibly well-stocked and, being on the street level of a Rockefeller Center building, gets incredible light through their windows. The staff were friendly and I had practically picked out a book while window shopping (their inventory is incredible). Since 2021, McNally Jackson is also a publisher, publishing a paperback reprint series devoted to "hidden gems." I had to pick up one of their titles. Great shop for bibliophiles.

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    McNally Jackson - Inside

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    McNally Jackson - Inside

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    McNally Jackson

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    B & B Rare Books

    B & B Rare Books

    5.0(3 reviews)
    1.0 miMurray Hill, Midtown East
    $$

    On an annual trip to NYC, I decided I would visit bookstores and take in all I could. B&B was right…read moreby my hotel, and I was delighted to find a comfortable room full of baseball memorabilia and a great variety. They specialize in 19th and 20th century English and American literature, which means you're going to see a lot of titles you're familiar with. I stopped in late in their day, so I wasn't surprised to be the only one there, but the team gave me space, answered very basic questions I had, and - gasp - LET ME TOUCH THE BOOKS. This is far from a stuffy environment, and when I finally convince my partner that I need that very expensive piece that has F. Scott Fitzgerald's music for Princeton, I know exactly where I'll go.

    5 minutes before B&B books was closing, I buzzed the room located on the third floor to see if they…read morewould let me in "just to look." Well, 45 minutes later, I was still oohing and awing at the marvelous selection of first edition books they have to offer. This is the largest selection (aside from corporate-owned Bauman's) of rare books I've seen that include the dust jacket- a collectors actual dream. It's the biggest breath of fresh air to find a rare book store owned by a woman, and to be treated like a human being. I normally get side-eyed from rare bookstore owners and some of the conversations I've had sound like: "May I see the Portrait of a Lady in the case?" "All of these books are at least $100.00 and up." ".....I know." "Do you have any Wilde?" "The book about the woman hiking alone? That's too new to be in our shop, Barnes & Noble would have it." "I'm talking about the 1800s poet." "Oh." I take it personally because while I look like a millennial who doesn't know what she's talking about, I treasure my rare books like they're my children. Sunday stayed AN EXTRA HOUR at her store while I looked and answered all of my questions that I had, never making me feel rushed or unwelcome. After selecting a first edition Fitzgerald, she wrapped it in bubble wrap for my travels back home and gave me an updated book with all of the rare book sellers in the country.

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    B & B Rare Books
    B & B Rare Books
    B & B Rare Books

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    Forbidden Planet - toys - Updated May 2026

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