The shop had a great selection, the front caters more to hard covers and manga where the back are the comics. It's reminiscent of a normal bookstore in terms of the vibe. The workers are sweet and helpful (thank you to the woman who helped me find the zatanna #2 issue). Prices are always fair - they do charge 30¢ for bag and board for anyone who's looking for that info. My favorite comic shop esp as a Berkeley student :) in a very cute area of the neighborhood and a lovely walk from campus :D read more

The Escapist Comic Bookstore - Storefront - Comic Books Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This is a bookstore to get lost in for hours. Floor to ceiling shelves are jam packed with books and comics, so it's a bit overwhelming... but in an awe-inspiring way that fills you with a magical feeling of possibility and the power of imagination. I only wish I had time to explore more- with a map of the store/stock/sections. I think I'll need to come once a month and systematically review one shelf at a time! read more

If only this shop was closer to me I'd be much more of a regular customer. I love their back issue section upstairs. The new owner of the shop is very friendly and isn't trying to squeeze every cent out of a sale. These are the types of people i appreciate in this hobby. They have a very large back issue section upstairs, that you can only access when there's enough employees or the owner is in the shop. I would call ahead. They also have good sales throughout the year and price their books fairly. If you have a want list, they also take those and do a good job following up with you when those books come in. Thanks for being here! read more

The Escapist Comic Bookstore is awesome! They have Marvel, DC, Independent, new titles, Graphic Novels, & Collectables. The whole second floor is vintage comic books from the 1930s, 1950s, & 1960s. They also have Manga- adult & kids. I have been to Japan so Manga is huge there & nice that is represented here. Friendly & knowledgeable staff here to help you navigate what you are looking for since the store along with the selection here is top notch. Store hours are Mon-Sat 10:30am-7pm Sat- 10:30-7pm Sun- 12-6pm read more

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Terrible customer service. I was the only one in the store and the cashier acted as if though I was wasting her time when I tried to ask questions regarding the stock of a particular comic issue. Half-assed pointed me to a corner of a store to see if there was what I was looking for, and then glared at me with sarcastic responses when I asked for further guidance. I guess they do not want my money to be spent there as it would make them go out of their way and have to ring me up. read more

We stopped by while we had some time to kill. A wonderful bookstore and comic shop. A lot of options and areas to sit and read if you want. Shelves were well stocked. A bit overwhelming but we did find some nice books for the middlesxho read more

The Escapist Comic Bookstore - Info - Comic Books Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The best managed comic store I have ever encountered. Very knowledgeable staff. Excellent selection. Great value for the money.

Very friendly and welcoming to kids, especially by comic book store standards! It was a pleasure to make a purchase while visiting for Free Comic Book Day. read more

The Escapist Comic Bookstore - Kids in front of the sign - Comic Books Near Me - Berkeley, California

I visited this comic store and was amazed at the selection. Most of the staff was great to work with. I went upstairs in search for Amazing Spiderman comics. I thought I got lucky as one of the earlier issues was priced at $70! I grabbed the book with the intention of buying it and asked for a price check on a few others The woman who was upstairs with me decided she didn't want to sell the comic for $70 anymore and wouldn't take anything less than $2000. Bad business practice. Most collectors I've met who let me rummage their boxes honored their advertised price. If I was rolling in cash, I'd buy the book for 2g. Still has potential in value. Just a heads up to anyone else looking to buy Golden/Silver age books. Don't expect the advertised price... Would not return to this store again. Two stars for the employees downstairs though. Friendly. read more

Possibly the best comic shop I've been to in the Bay Area because of their EXTENSIVE inventory. Staff is friendly and helpful. They have an impressive mix of current books and back issues (go upstairs!) as well as hard to find and limited edition collections. I love that they still sell discounted books (dollar boxes, reduced price graphic novels). The overall layout of the store and the endless shelves make you want to explore in search of hidden gems. I could spend hours here! read more

The Escapist Comic Bookstore - Comic Books Near Me - Berkeley, California

Fantastic comic book store! Service and selection are the best!!! We had looked all over for a few titles and this is where we found them. Highly recommend!!!!! read more

Awesome staff who are friendly, knowledgable, and approachable. Their selection is freaking huge. They've only once not had what I was looking for and that was because it happened to be out of print (and still is... aarrrgh). If you go with nothing specific in mind but to browse you'll have a lot of fun getting lost in their shelves. Their prices are reasonable; what you'd find at any other shop, and absolutely better than shopping online. Basically this place is killer. read more

This is a good comic book store since it has a great and rare blend of inventory including new material and vintage back issues (located upstairs). The only knock on the vintage comic book section is it's a bit unorganized and difficult to easily go through, with some issues priced, and most boxes available upon request to look at (and maybe for good reason so that the condition of the comics remain collectible and not incur damage from careless browsers). The guy is really friendly, so it makes it easy to inquire without any attitudes. The store does feel jam packed with inventory, so my only suggestion for improvements would be to get brighter lighting and more aesthetic displays with greater organization so it's easier for customers to identify what they could buy as well as find items to buy that they're looking for, especially the back-issue comics. There's toys here, books, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, current releases, etc. - - something for everyone, including some sale item special discounted bins too. Overall, I think this is the best comic book store in the East Bay that I know of for overall choices. There's not a lot of LCS (local comic shop) retail stores in San Francisco (The City) either, so I'd even rank this the Best from SF to the East Bay. The staff seems friendly and location is tucked away in an area that's easier to park around too, close by public transit (BART) too, which is somewhat walking distance (and if you're in shape to walk, it makes for great exercise, as it's scenic and has a few stretches and small hills) read more

This looks like it might be a wonderful comic store. The first floor is PACKED from floor to rafters with trade paperbacks, and the new comics section is pretty decent sized. However, I say this "might" be a great store because I never made it to the second floor of the shop where all the vintage comics are held. I drove all the way down from Petaluma to check out their vintage inventory, only to be told that, because there was only one employee in the shop, I couldn't go upstairs. I drove 3 hours round trip for nothing. I'm sure this shop is a gem in a lot of ways, but the communication & policy enforcement is a little scatterbrained. read more

Do you like finding Comics for decent prices? Do you like purchasing those decently priced Comics at the same price you found them? If so, this is not the store for you. I got the privilege of finding a Jack Kirby comic book I liked spoke to the person about it came back a couple days later after I was paid to buy said comic book and the price was doubled. There is really only one quality that makes a bad comic bookstore and that's price changing. I will no longer support this comic book store. This is one small business I would not feel bad for if they shriveled up and disappeared. read more

Comic books and art books galore! The staff here is incredibly friendly, and are happy to answer any questions you may have about their inventory. But they also leave you alone to browse in peace, which I'm happiest with. I was also able to request a book to be put on hold, and when I came in the following day to pick it up, the young lady at the front desk whipped it out from beneath the desk and rang it up for me then and there. So sweet! Like its sister store right next door, Dark Carnival, it's a bit cluttered here, though it is cleaner and more brightly lit than Dark Carnival. But I just think it adds to that quirky old bookstore vibe to the place. read more

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Had to get escorted and supervised upstairs to check out the older books, store policy I suppose just caught me off guard a bit. The staff was nice enough. But I don't think I'm coming back anytime soon. read more

Not the best. The new books are all the way in the back of the store. You have to pass by tons of graphic novels to get there. And it isn't well organized. It's below average overall. The people are nice but that doesn't make up for the lack of product, the hard to find books, and everything else. With so many good comic stores in the area you can avoid this one. read more

Pros: what is not to like? This comic book store has it all... Newest comics, indie artist comics, toys, bargain table, etc. My favorite part of comic books is the potential treasure hunting for classic comics and this place does this great with their upstairs vintage section! I had to ask to see the upstairs and the manager was more than happy to take me up there. There are mountains of boxes full of comic books alphabetized and divided by marvel, DC comics, etc. I can spend all day looking at historic comic books! They are all priced and there are some pretty crazy good ones! There is even a hundred dollars and up box (which I won't be looking at for some time). The staff is really approachable and knowledgable about all things comics or they can look it up for you! Cons: None at all! This is a smaller venue jammed packed with awesomeness! Overall: this is a go-out-of-your-way comic book store and a must go! Highly recommended! read more

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haven't read a comic books for decades. of course, haven't bought one either. a few decades ago when i read them, it was 25 cents@ or was it .10? after i went to high school, i stopped reading comic books. nonfiction books were it for me. stand on sidewalk read: "first 2 comics free. after that .50 cents each...." buys: batman, batgirl, archie paid .50 cents. -short story inside, -rest promos, adds -actual comics now 2.99? draft board: -store is loaded with recent comics as well as "vintage" comics. read more

From the ashes of Comic Relief, the spirit of Rory Root lives on! Thanks to the good folks at Dark Carnival. they have brought us a new place to buy our comics in Berkeley. Berkeley has always had a storied history of great comic shops including Comics and Comix, and the former CR. I was devastated when CR closed its doors. And now, we have THE ESCAPIST. Properly named I would think. Mad props for the Chabon reference. What's even cooler, is Chabon granted them permission to use it! I drove to the area and forgot how beautiful this place was... and posh. Ironically, you don't have to pay for parking like in downtown Berkeley. The last time I went to CR I got a parking ticket.... =( I walked in and saw some familiar faces along with some new ones. The place was a lot smaller and reminded me of the old CR on University. I felt warm and snug. A lot more cramped but intimate. I saw Ember and Ash, the Comic Relief cats and it made me smile. I thought about Rory. He was super accomodating and the nicest guy. I always enjoyed his recommendations. I was sad that he wasn't here I realized that if he were still alive, CR might be still here. But with his passing, CR would eventually follow him. But there are more stories to be written and read. More art work to be drawn and marveled at. More minds to be creative and be inspired. I walked in and it was completely different. A whole new chapter. At the same time, I felt the same awe walking into a store for the first time as a kid. These senses of wonder are worth remembering and hard to come by these days. It was like Disneyland for the first time. I walked in and spoke to the guys in the front and asked them how the opening reception was the night before and like 200 people showed up. I wanted to go but it was too late for me. Unfortunately, no new books came in but theres so many books in there you can always find something to read. So to all of you out there, come check out your new comic shop. They have a great selection in stock. Pick up a book. Buy something for your kid. Relive your childhood and see how the X-men or Spidey are doing. Encourage your kids to put down the XBOX controller and read a book, even if its more pictures than words. I bought a Batman trade for the first time in a long time. The Return of Bruce Wayne... Just like comic characters, comic shops never die... FIRST! read more

The Escapist Comic Bookstore - Comic Books Near Me - Berkeley, California

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First time checking out this store. The staff was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. They had a huge sections of comic to choose from. You could spend a couple hours looking here and their sister store next door which is a sci-fi and fantasy books. read more

The Escapist Comic Bookstore - Very happy that they had a bunch of lady mechanika comic. - Comic Books Near Me - Berkeley, California

My favorite comic shop in the Bay Area. the staff are great, the selection is vast and I always find something cool I didn't know existed before walking into the store. This is an essential business. read more

I'm torn on this place because I wouldn't recommend it to new comic book readers and I wouldn't immediately recommend it to hardcore collectors (no back issues area). If you're someone like me, a casual reader who knows his way around the medium and various genres, The Escapist is a great place to find that one unexpected read. There's a lot -- in a good way. Every bookshelf and counter is littered with comics old and new. Categorization is fairly well-done. They carry a lot of titles I never seen or heard of. I wouldn't say they have a large selection of art or fringe stuff, but they definitely carry a good amount of independent titles and of course the main titans of industry. There's a lot -- in a bad way. If there are more than six people in here it can start to feel cramped. Bookshelves are so packed with that I couldn't even pull out a novel from a bookshelf. I feel like they overbuy or hoard for the amount of inventory they have. Good for the customer but possibly bad for customer experience and overall business. I would definitely come back for the fact that I found a lot of new titles and recommendations that I never heard of. Plus it seems like they have artists/writers come visit since they were displaying autographed copies from a recent event. Service is courteous. read more

Nice shop in Berkeley. Kind of homey feeling, as the front is the trade paper backs. And the back section is the recent comics. There is also a second level for older comics. Watch out for the cats though. I almost stepped on one of them. Their selection of trade and hard paper backs is excellent. Though they didn't have the series that I was looking for. The representative was willing to order it for me. Good to know that there is a good comic book shop in Berkeley after Comic Relief closed. read more

We visited recently so my twelve year old comic lover could blow some of his Christmas money. Lots of selection, cozy environment, very knowledgeable and friendly staff. My son was happy, I was happy. I also asked about The Escapist name and learned that Michael Chabon (of Pulitzer-winning fame) lives nearby and is involved with the store. So, that scores some bonus cool points in my book. Poor pun intended. Here's to a New Year wish of good business for these folks. May they stay quirky long and prosper! read more

Oh boy, Escapist Comics! I live about 25 minutes away from the store, but we'll always go out of our way to spend some time here, even if we aren't looking for anything specific. Everyone working there is incredibly helpful and lively- it's like these people don't even know what a foul mood is. The store could be a bit overwhelming for newcomers, simply by its astounding selection and absolute greatness, but the whole crew seem to always go out of their way to help you out. Escapist is a rare find with a unique selection, filled to the brim with quality goods and people. I recommend keeping an eye out on their calendar, as they often have artist signings too! Highly recommended! Everyone I've taken here has completely adored this artistic refuge. read more

The Escapist Comic Bookstore - It's pretty candid - Comic Books Near Me - Berkeley, California

Always wonderful. I come here for my Christmas shopping every year. Absolutely worth supporting. They always are very helpful when I'm looking for a recommendation, and they'll put aside your order for you, or order things special for you, to come get when you're ready. But so far, I haven't stumped them yet-- and they have all my reequests already in stock! read more

Yay! I finally made it to The Escapist! Even though I'm a comic ignoramus I still feel a love for comics and graphic novels. Must stem from my comic book upbringing. I pretty much learned how to read from those Little Lulu, Dennis the Menace and Donald Duck comics ......yup that dates me huh?!! Never could relate to Archie and his super-White friends. I grew up in SW LA and East LA and no one looked like Archie, Betty or Veronica, et. al I learned about the Smithsonian and other landmarks from Dennis the Menace, loyalty and friendship from Little Lulu and how to control and lose one's temper from Donald Duck or as nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, called him Unca Donald. Although I have read the classics in Literature I must proudly and sheepishly admit that I was thoroughly enthralled when I read all of the Tin Tin books when I was 30. I had to know what my kid patrons found so mesmerizing with these books when I first started working at my first library job. So yes you'll find my old friends, Dennis, Donald, Lulu, Tin Tin and Snowy plus every Superhero that has ever set foot on Earth plus thousands of other evil, goofy, wise, Alienesque, super brainy, charismatic or any personality traits known in this or any other dimension. The store looks small from it's humble storefront but step inside and you'll be amazing. The Escapist is awesome!! The store is well stocked and well organized. The staff is helpful and so knowledgeable. The staffer who helped me was so sweet and patient. I was looking for books on drawing and cartooning---yeah yeah I'm trying to fulfill one of my lifelong goals of drawing a book...... He suggested some great titles for me pulling out several examples of books by writer/illustrators with emerging talents. I settled on two of his suggestions, "Undeleted Scenes" by Jeffrey Brown and "Larceny in My Blood," by Matthew Parker. "Undeleted Scenes" is a collection of semi-autobiographical strips about episodes in his life that most of can relate to; you know those embarrassing, awkward moments we can laugh at now but when they were happening you just felt like crawling into some dark cave (hmmmmm......maybe that's just what I would do). I loved how the staffer would point out several features in this book and others..... "See how the arms are out of proportion to his body.......how the cartoon squares are uneven..." He wasn't saying these things to criticize but rather show how most artists don't start out perfectly and that the goal is to draw and communicate one's ideas. I feel so buoyed by this attitude that I should still pursue drawing even though I probably will not reach stardom. I can't wait to read "Larceny in My Blood." This book is the story in graphic novel style of Matthew's life in various county jails and prisons and at the tender age of forty something starting college and eventually getting into the MFA creative writing program at Columbia University. I will definitely return here. I hate it when some folks feel that comics or graphic novels are not literature or deserving of any praise. I feel that my entire life has been enriched by them and will continue to read them. read more

The Escapist has a neighbourhood book store-like feel and collection across it's spacious and stuffed 2 floors. Don't tell Gayle, but I still sneak into these places every once in awhile to help fulfill some of my advanced literary needs. And this place has a nice selection (including self-published) and the usual collection of hard core aficionados. Another bonus is the opportunity to stop at Dark Carnival Books (almost next door) for my own fantasy Double Header. read more

Well this may be a good comic shop but I will never know. The first floor is mainly fanboy merch and seems to be a fairly good supply. However, I am a collector (bronze and silver age Marvel) so I go to shops to look through their back issues (no, not recent comics). I walked around the shop and found the little sign saying the back issues were upstairs. Then I saw this little chain and another sign telling me I couldn't go up there. So I asked the guy at the counter. He was pretty cool and nice but said that "the owner wants an employee to go up there with you and stay there". He then said that he was "the only one here" so he couldn't go up there. I'm not blaming the guy at the counter. Again, he was nice and pretty sheepish about this "policy" from the absent "owner". So I'll spell it out. The "owner" doesn't trust his customers so he wants somebody to always watching you so you don't walk out with Machine Man #15 stuffed into your pants. A clue to the idiot owner: telling your customers to go away because you created silly "policies" that tell your customers that you don't trust them is not a great way to run a business. read more

I came here for old comics and that is just what I found. The biggest selection of silver age and golden age comics in the bay are by far. I love to say hello to Ash the cat. meow! read more

Update: 5 Stars Went from 4- to 5-stars since I heard they plan on having events here like there used to be at Comic Relief. That was one of my favorite aspects the old store. Also, seeing new local/small press books is worth an extra star, right? And how could you not like getting a free key! Well, it's a tiny plastic key, but still... it's free, and thematic. I guess I didn't describe the store too well before either. New issues are in the back along with back issues for ongoing titles (usual collection of everything from Marvel/DC/Vertigo/Dark Horse/sure I'm forgetting something here). There's a table up front with local/small press books (yeah!) which can be a great place to find new things. If you've got a small child they have an impressive children's section located near the back. Original Review: 4 Stars Yes! We've still got a comic book store in Berkeley! I come in here weekly to pick up some of the books I'm following and just to see if there's anything new that I might like to get my hands on. The guys who work here are all great and super helpful. I'm a huge fan of the local/small press table they have. read more

I called ahead of time and asked if they had blank variants. The guy on the phone said they have a decent selection of them. I live over an hour away and when I get there, I ask to look at the books I called about and they didn't have any!! He "thought" he did. Total waste of my time. The only good thing I can say about this shop was it had a LOT of back issues, but they're upstairs so unless there's more than 1 person working there, you wont be able to look at them. Located in a nicer part of Oakland. read more

I miss Comic Relief. I mean, I do feel guilty for not buying any of their items during my college years, and maybe I should have, but still... Comic Relief was THE comics store in Berkeley. You can't beat ceiling-to-floor, wall-to-wall shelves stuffed with comic books and manga, as well as two adorable cats that love company and lounging around. So it saddened me to hear that the store had to close, and their entire inventory moved to a much smaller store while some wannabe of a comics store took the Shattuck place. This smaller store, The Escapist, still have those stuffed shelves, and I'm glad the owners retain the original's atmosphere, solid unpolished hardwood floors and all. All of the Golden and Silver Ages comics are now upstairs, and you need an attendant to let you go up. The rest of the inventory, well, there's a buttload. You'll be lost going through them, and the organization of these books isn't always consistent - sometimes they're sorted by author, sometimes by book title, just like the original store. But heck, if you're a browser like me, you won't care. I really should buy something from them someday. The cats are still around, but unfortunately the small space just didn't work out for both of them, so now you'll see only one. I don't know if they rotate the cats, but last I went, I saw only Ash. I always was fond of Ember, the friendlier one, but you can still pet Ash, and hey, one cat is better than no cat. read more

A real gem in the world of comic book stores. They have an enormous stock of individual issues, paper bound collections, used collectors comics, etc. Jessica is extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and she and the rest of the staff are helpful with recommendations. You will not be dealing with the surly Comic Book Guy here. They also have a good on-line presence for those times that you've got to have something, but don't have time to make it into the store. read more

Nice store on Claremont that sells a lot of comics. The store is kind of old but they have just about anything you are looking for it seems, on two floors. I'm not really into comics, but my brother who was in town visiting is, and he was happy with the selection and pricing. Parking was pretty easy too. Just watch out for their house cat--several times it snuck up on me. read more

Soooo I went here yesterday. Normally I go to Stand Up in El Cerrito, but there selection has remained the same for the past few months, so I started going to Fantastic Comics in Berkeley. Amazing comics there, but then I heard about the Escapist. So I traveled into the hills to this shop and wow, was I surprised. Being a neat freak, I was immediately taken aback with the clutter, but the sheer vastness of the comics there definitely made up for it. I enjoyed seeing the plethora of titles that were alphabetized. Now the customer service wasn't all that great, but it's a comic book store. What do you expect? It's pretty simple to find comics without asking. I was able to find an Emma Frost collection, a Robin collection, Xmen and few others. Literally thousands of graphic novels. AND there is an upstairs! I will definitely be back. read more

Drove up for an artist/writer signing last month and was pleasantly surprised at the breadth and variety of books The Escapist has. The upstairs is back issue heaven. I can't wait to get back there without the 3 kids in tow. ;) read more

My usual comic bookstore is Dr. Comics and Mr. Games, since it's right down the street from me, but sometimes they run out of what I'm looking for. If that's the case, I then head over to Fantastic Comics, which is also nice because they're open later. Unfortunately, they were also out of what I was looking for. Specifically, issues 2 and 3 of the Wake and American Vampire: Long Road to Hell. I always see the Escapist while driving home and finally I was desperate enough to try it. The first impression when walking in is the size: it's a lot bigger than it looks from the outside! And amazingly they had everything I was looking for, and multiple copies to boot. And, finally, they have an adorable cat that will let you pet him. Instant win. read more