Chris’ Comics

Aside from an errant purchase of a TMNT comic in North Scituate when I was 8 years old, Chris’ Comics in Marshfield is the first place that I bought comics. Some friends brought me there to shop the comics and play a little M: tG back in the mid 90’s, and having just moved back to the area (and being in that neighborhood on what just happens to be Free Comic Book Day) I figured I’d swing by and see if this piece of my youth has soldiered on.
It has!
Parking for the place is still a little odd; there’s a small lot just past it, or you can park in the larger lot behind the building and walk around. It’s just downset from the street, without much of a sidewalk to speak of, and a little easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it — it’s across the street from Dunkin’ Donuts, though, which is very easy to find.
Chris’ is your pretty standard independent bookstore; low ceilings, and chock full of long white rectangular boxes on and beneath tables, full of back issues of a wide variety of titles. The layout is a little odd, almost in two sections, with on section featuring a table for gaming. The lighting is a little touch and go here and there, in spite of the big windows at the front of the store.
Notwithstanding, they have a great array of titles, and the staff is knowledgable and friendly. Not only did they indulge my free comic desires, but when I asked for help figuring out some other titles to try, they were able to satisfactorily recommend some things that would suit what I wanted, as well as things they like themselves, and gave me the name of yet another staff member not in at the time who shares my interests and would be able to help me find more things to read. As an added bonus, now just as when I was a teen I got absolutely no static for being a female; in a business that too many people still consider a boys club, I was treated exactly like… a person.
The only real downside I ran into was that they don’t take plastic — but no worries there, as there’s an ATM in the CVS next to Dunkin’ Donuts.