5. Forbidden Planet (832 Broadway)

Forbidden Planet is the central hub for comic book and graphic novel enthusiasts in the city.  

Speaking of the intersection between visual art and books, Forbidden Planet at 832 Broadway is particularly well-stocked in graphic novels and comics. If you’re a literary type (or just someone whose bucket list doesn’t include attending ComicCon), don’t scoff when you come in; once you wade through the slew of action figures, superhero apparel, and other cult phenom paraphernalia, you’ll find shelves upon shelves of top quality literature. Sure, you’ll find your standard Marvel and DC Comics selections here, along with some lesser known comic brands, but what sets this store apart from the other comic book stores in the city is the scope of its inventory that would appeal to the literary set. (Gary Gianni’s take on  Jules Verne’s  20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or  Droopsie Avenue by Will Eisner, for instance.)

However, we would like to give a special shout out to the wonderfully grungy St. Mark’s Comics and to Midtown Comics for having two floors of nerd necessities (and for having a life-sized Spiderman hanging out on the stairs).