There are two World's Apart shops in Liverpool and contrary to the name they are actually quite…read moreclose together. This building in Lime street is a mess and needs a sympathetic refurb and clean. I was surprised to discover that actually this shop is part of a small chain. I visited the shop for the first time this week. It's full of comics and toys you simply can't get elsewhere - not that I have tried. So many of the toy figures I could not recognise although I did spot some of the original Dr Who figures and some from Final Fantasy. Forget Toys R Us, this place is a wealth of badges, stickers, games and oddness for kids, adults and fans of things I've never even heard of.

Like its geeky counterpart, Forbidden Planet on Bold, World's Apart deals in all things cult. Cult…read moreis often a term used to describe things that have a strong, devoted core audience - or for studio executives something with low viewing figures. But no more, the popularity if this store can be seen on Saturday afternoons as children and adults alike fill the store and rummage through the amazing collections of limited edition, imported and new toys, comics, books, graphic novels, DVDs, posters and clothing for every genre and range of sci-fi, horror and anime franchise.

When I lived on Oldham Street many moons ago, I used to pop into Forbidden Planet on a weekly basis…read moreto pick up new copies of The Sandman, The Invisibles and other cool comics. These days, I only venture in now and again for something specific, like Reinhard Kleist's awesome graphic novel based on the life of Johnny Cash - I See A Darkness. For me, the layout and interior of Forbidden Planet lacks the ambience and wow factor of somewhere like Dave's Comics in Brighton but their range of comics, manga and graphic novels is faultless. For true fantatics and collectors, they also stock a massive range of cartoon, comic and pop culture memorabilia including tee-shirts, games, videos and toys. Personally, I have my eye on one of Frank Kozak's toy smoking rabbits complete with eye patch.

I love this shop being one for gaming and super heroes. i…read morewould have a lot of figures if i had the space but my tomb raider collection as taken over the only space i have. popped in here to see if i could order the lastest lara croft pre order statue but was told its only avaliable from their site so will order from there as they have a huge selection on the web but limited in the shop, also went for a thor mug as i had seen it on the web but wasnot in the shop which was dissappointing as it should of been avaliable unless they sold out. They didnot have what i wanted but enjoyed looking at the figures and books and will pop in again to see if stock as changed but it looks like most of there items are only avaliable from there web site which i suppose is ok but some times you would like to see before you buy especially if its going to cost a arm and a leg like mine is.

I have to give a major shout out to Paramount Books - a fantastic independent bookstore nestled in…read morethe sometimes overlooked and forgotten Shudehill area of town. Ok so there may be a million KFC ripoff takeaways and a few random shops that have seen better days around it but Paramount stands out as a well looked after 2nd hand book store with loads of character! I was pulled in on a wet and windy Monday by their comic book sale - in fact there's a whole area in the back dedicated to rare comics and graphic novels (fantastic selection) - inside there's a fantastic selection covering everything from music and film to politics, history and philosophy - really good to browse and possible pick up a tome to take home (wow that rhymes...) The best part of this place is the owner who basically is exactly what you'd be looking for if casting this place in a Hollywood movie. With glasses dangling from his neck and a scholarly look as he sorts the shelves - the classical music in the background makes you really feel what a unique place this is in the world of chain stores and amazon. Make sure you check out Paramount soon and enjoy a slip back into yesteryear!

Thank the lord for Paramount Book Exchange…read more One of the few independent bookshops left in Manchester, it's a strictly DIY affair run by a genuine book lover. The sign outside suggests it's only open Fridays and Saturdays but it's usually open Monday to Saturday unless the owner has popped out for something. The lively window displays give a great indicator of what's in store with stacks of new, vintage and secondhand books everywhere. Fans of cult fiction, sci-fi, horror, crime noir, queer fiction, biographies and pop culture will find much to treasure here as the stock leans more towards William Burroughs, Poppy Z Brite and Neil Gaiman than Harry Potter. There's also a small selection of 60s-90s vinyl for crate diggers. All they need is a coffee machine and I'd happily move in!

Chester Comic Co is a great Comic Shop in Chester, Well its the only one in Chetser and has loads…read moreof back issues and new issues at great prices, they also stock a load of toys and t shirts The staff are friendly and always willing to help and have a chat with

TM Saved my interest in games and such…read more.. I went into the shop with a friend to try and get into gaming a little as have never really got it before. Liked it a lot in here, clean and friendly and has a much better atmosphere than the total BO fest that is Fanboy 3, a nearby store that perpetuates the stereotype that all Geeks smell. Had it not been for how nice and cool TM was, FB3 would have totally put me off and made me feel dirty even thinking about gaming.

Staff were very informative and polite. Enthusiastically helpful. Were honest about whether or not…read moreI would actually like a comic, based on the Information that I provided. Provided me with over 9 recommendations, and answered all of my questions. Will be returning. I was assisted by Kelly, and she was 10/10

To call First Age Comics a comics shop simply doesn't do it justice. Yes you can get the latest…read morecomics, both US imports and home-grown; yes it is the most competitively priced comics shop in the country; yes there's a great range of back issues; yes there's a great range of graphic novels and collectables, but these are no more than expected and duly delivered. What makes First Age Comics special is Mark Braithwaite's encyclopaedic knowledge and enthusiasm for all things comics, and the community of customers that makes First Age Comics a great place to visit and spend some quality time. First Age Comics isn't a shop, it's a way of life.

Mark Braithwaite has slowly built up a terrific comics business, offering all the latest US imports…read morefrom Avengers and Batman to Superman and X-Men. There's also a great range of back issues and graphic novels. He also does mail order.

If it was in the Northern Quarter, Deco would be constantly bustling with deejays and producers…read morelooking for new sources of inspiration. Tucked away in suburban Withington however, it's a bit of a well kept secret. I've only popped in a handful of times myself but each time I spent a good twenty to thirty minutes flicking through the racks looking for treasure. There's hundreds of CDs for the iPod generation and crates of lovely, dusty old vinyl for record collectors. As all the stock is secondhand, the quality varies record to record with the cheapest records usually being the most scratched or warped. Genre wise, Deco seems to have a bit of everything from pop and rock to funk, soul, reggae, hip hop and jazz. You're unlikely to find a rare Ornette Coleman or Karen Dalton album here but you could probably find lots of Ella, Louis and Billie. The first time I went I picked up a Kate Bush album I'd been after and the second time, a mint copy of Johnny Cash Live at San Quentin. Endearingly, Deco also sells the kind of secondhand books you'd find at Record and Tape Exchange in London. We're talking hefty rock biographies, contemporary fiction, crime fiction and the occasional cool comic book. As you might have guessed, I'm a bit of a fan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Ts4M3irWM

One of the things I miss about my South Manchester days is the collection of treasures it threw in…read moremy general direction. Sure, I'm surrounded by this sort of stuff in the Northern Quarter, but the jumble and bargains of Withington were pretty awesome. If you take a trip to the Post Office, bet you'll get seduced by Deco. This shop's achieved its five stars for me because even though I no longer collect DVDs, here they're mostly £3, which is technically cheaper than renting a movie for the night (after all, it is mere minutes from our apartment) - and you get to keep it! They're arranged by genre too which is lots of fun. Good way to test your definition of "horror" against someone else's. I was pulled in by the immense tractor beam of a selection of Cure LPs. I don't have a record player but have often toyed with the idea of obtaining one. Lo and behold, they sell record players. My friend snagged an old Bang and Olufsen treasure, similar to the one my father had. £40 and a fiver for a Cure album? Bargainous. And I never even looked at the books! If you're near Withington, you need to give this place a blast.

This shop has a 3 paperbacks for £5 section much like The Works but has quite a bit more choice…read morethan The Works offers. I recently managed to stock up on books by the likes of Andy McNab and Jeff Lindsey that I haven't been able to find in The Works or any other discount book retailer so it gets a thumbs up from me.

Nice little book shop, quite similar to Publisher Book Clearance outlets. Quite a variety of books…read moreon show, with the obligatory 3 for £5 section, and you can find some books for as little as one pound. Plenty of room for customers. It's worth mentioning that they stock quite a few Marvel, DC & other graphic novels and collections, so if you're a comic book fan this shop could become a favourite stop off.

Magma Magma books is possibly one of the coolest shops I…read morehave been into in a long time! Why you may ask? Because it sells MOOMINS merchandise and books!! They sell all sorts of cool things here like books, magazines, swirly notebooks, cuddly toys (moomin ones!), eco friendly stuff which comes in the shape of recycled objects made into something else uselful, the mother board coasters are pretty snazzy! Like the other shops on Oldham street, its only small but the layout is perfectly set out to seem like there is so much space! I love it!

Situated on Oldham Street, but a hop and skip from the Night and Day Café lies this fantastic…read morebookshop. I've been visiting this place for ages, even if it's just to browse through the store and short list future gifts. I've recently acquired some American Film Making/Studies from there (the Steven D. Katz shot by shot/cinematic motion - books that are usually pretty hard to get hold of unless you're on the net. This is one of those places where the staff know what they're talking about and can help either find what you're looking for or influence you enough to take a punt on their own expertly led recommendations in the vast array of different books and magazines in this store (increasingly rare in the accountant led 'United Chaindom'). It's a shame many more shops were as enthusiastic and passionate as the folks behind magma...I know they can't all be this way but it's currently unfairly balanced. One large chain book store dominates now (and with unfortunately less choice, more celebrity led airport reading fodder) and with supermarkets getting in the act of the book market (albeit with a truly disturbing 'array' of 'books') we should be thankful that places like this are still open in our cities. A large section of this shop sells magazines which are more like the aforementioned coffee table books the higher echelon of mags if you will. Film, Architecture, Typography, Illustration, Photography, Graphics, Fashion, Art, Design, Cities all these creative acts and scenarios collude together in the books and magazine range. They sell a top mag called 'Specialten' which is a 'bi-monthly collection of short films, music videos and exclusive interviews' which comes with a DVD for the media. Just reminded myself to pick up the next edition as I type this... This shop (alongside one or two in London village possibly the other two Magma's as it happens) was the only such store to stock Daniel Johnstone's graphics/drawings books (and as such is referred to in the fantastic Daniel Johnstone documentary). Reanimate your creative synapses and spare at least half an hour to imbibe the glorious fractions of the arts world we don't see as much as we should. It's always a pleasure to walk into a store like this, find what you're looking for (or see something jump out at you which grabs your interest by the book ends) and after downpiping your debit/credit details into the 21st Century piggy bank walk from the shop, freshly acquired book in hand. Rifling through the pages of a new 'Ilva Table book' in a nearby boozer/café is one of life's great, small pleasures.