Fantom Comics

Fantastic! Great for all ages, hard to find titles. Helpful, knowledgeable staff. Separate area for kids.

I took my 3 boys to the comic shop during my lunch break since the twins needed some goblins for their MTG deck. We all had a blast and I wish I would have visited the shop sooner. I was a little concerned to take 10 year olds and a toddler into a comic shop since I didn’t think it was going to be inviting. However, this place is the best. The atmosphere is welcoming to all and the staff is awesome.
They have various items besides the standard comic books. The twins got some MTG card packs and deck boxes… Which was the plan. However, surprisingly I got books for their little brother… 3 Chu books and Super Red Riding Hood and a Wonder Woman umbrella for myself. I wish I had more time to look at the other kid book options since they had quite a few good ones. They have t-​shirts, umbrellas, wallets, figurines, plush dolls, etc. All of which I had more time to browse.
Plus, they have a little hangout area for the kids to sit and look at the books and just enjoy the shop… I found that to be really great. The owner is super awesome and the workers are great. She took the time out to talk to the boys about MTG, deck colors, etc. and got 10 year old boys to actually participate in a conversation.
I really can’t say much more besides that it is a GREAT shop, staff is awesome, and the atmosphere rocks. You won’t be disappointed. It is also a good spot for that last minute gift for someone. Don’t worry if you don’t know a thing about comics since the staff can assist.
Btw, thanks again for Super Grover 2.0… Myles has not let him out of his sight since he got him.
You guys are the best!

My daughter had stopped here the other day. She was so excited that she dragged us all there for another visit knowing her parents are pushovers and would purchase another book.
The store is visually appealing. I love the chalkboard calendar they keep.
All the new comics appeared to be present. Lots of graphic novels. There was some manga, which appealed to my daughter.
What I did not see, however, were the crates of old comic books that are replete in other comic book stores. This place appears to deal with just the new stuff.
The Superman painting behind the counter is awesome!

The employees here are extremely nice and helpful. They are totally into what they do and even give tips/​info about local events for artists. I used to frequent a different store but now only go in once a month now for a specific comic event. Last time I visited this store was over two months ago but when I went in today I was not only spoken to as a friend but even recognized from before by a nice dark haired lady. I understand comic book stores can be intimidating to newcomers but this place is not only as welcoming as it gets but they are truly fans of their work.

Last spring, I was on the lookout for a copy of a Marvel graphic novel, and I didn’t want to wait for Amazon to get it back in stock. I also am always on the hunt for back issues of Spiderman, so having the opportunity to explore a local comic book store is always welcome. I saw that Fantom was in Dupont Circle, and I decided to check it out one evening; I was very pleased with my experience!
Not only did they have graphic novel that I was looking for, but I found the staff to be quite helpful and attentive. Fantom also seemed to be a welcoming and queer-​friendly comic book shop, which I found refreshing and quite rare when compared to other stores that I’ve visited. I would definitely visit it again if I were in DC!

This shop is well stocked and the staff is friendly, and not weird — which is something I was worried about. I’m not a comic book aficionado and I only hit the shop for my monthly issue of graphic novel. It’s nice to see how they handle the shop. The staff is friendly and they were very helpful when I was unable to find an issue of a comic. They ordered it for me for no extra cost. I was very happy and a week later I was told my order had arrived. Excellent service.

A hidden gem that my friend noticed a few months ago when we were walking past it on our way to the Dupont station. I immediately fell in love with the place when we were walking up the stairwell and saw all of the murals. Pretty good selection, and have a good amount of indie comics. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. I adore the artwork they have hanging on the walls. I think it’s really cool that they put on events, so far I’ve only been to the Back to the Future one. The only downside is that I kind of wish they had those thick origin story comics (such as Essential Spider-​Man or Essential Captain America). Note: I’m actually giving a like 4.5 and not a 4

SO WONDERFUL! I used to live on Capitol Hill years ago and frequent the Fantom at Union Station and loved it. Tonight I was in town and passed this location in Dupont and had to stop in. What I found was delightful — the store was packed and loud and it was all women! Turns out it was ladies night, so maybe not a regular occurrence but it was the most comfortable and welcome I’ve ever felt in a comic book store. Highly recommend, just like the old location!

Had a really great experience. A variety of comics, tons of titles I had not seen in stores before. They hold a variety of interesting events — such as watching comic book shows on a projector or having artists their to do signings! Raven there was super helpful and informative as to what events/​comics they had!

Oh, Fantom, how I wish you weren’t in Dupont! I selfishly would love for you to be much closer to my house. I really, really enjoy this shop — specifically for current issues/​variants and books. I was looking once for a variant cover my friend did, and when I didn’t see it on the shelves the person working was so helpful — knew exactly where it was and grabbed it for me. While she was ringing me up we chatted about the books I bought, the books I like, and we moved on to talking video games and other such subjects. It is definitely not easy for me to get to the neighborhood, but it’s worth it for the environment. I am definitely going to try to make it out to some events, it’s clear the community is strong here!

I bought the BoomBox Mix Tape collection from Fantom Comics on a super windy day last year. About half an hour later, the wind literally tore the comic out of my hand. It disappeared into the night, never to be seen again.
I walked back into Fantom, prepared to spend another $ 10 to re-​buy it. Instead, they replaced my copy FOR FREE. FREE, PEOPLE!
You literally could not ask for better service.

This little gem above the subway (sandwiches) is super awesome. The clerks are super helpful and knowledgeable about everything and this location even has events. Learn how to play magic and book clubs, for comics. I think they even carry some local writers. Double awesome!
I definitely will return.
The only down side is the store itself is small. Once you walk in the door you can pretty much see the entire store. Nothing is very hidden. I would consider this a modern bookstore, I don’t remember seeing collectable issues but there was some cool art work.
Overall great place.

While strolling around Dupont Circle, I stumbled upon Fantom Comic and decided to venture inside — talk about a great decision! I was greeted immediately by an incredibly friendly staff. Upon mentioning that I was a new transplant, they invited me to multiple events they were hosting as a way to meet new, nerdy people. They also discussed the importance of having a comic shop that was welcoming to women and other individuals, which I thought was very cool and thoughtful.
Their comic selection was smaller than I to which I was normally accustomed, but the store was clean and didn’t feel cluttered. When I mentioned my fatigue with Marvel/​DC, staff recommended branching into the Image series, Saga, which I bought. Great recommendation, as I am now completely hooked!
I will definitely be coming back!

This is both a really solid comic book store and an amazing center for comics culture in DC. Come for the awesome collection and helpful staff, stay for the fun events and opportunities to meet cool people. I have no reservations when it comes to giving this place five stars! Simply the best.

Nicest looking comic store I’ve ever seen. Super organized and well-​lit –both novel for a comic shop. Found stuff for myself and the little man to read. The wife liked it too and the bathroom art is super-​cool.

My favorite comic book shop! The staff are always extremely friendly and give the best recommendations.
As a lady, sometimes going into comic book shops is a bit intimidating. I’m not enough of a superfan to know exactly what to ask or look for but that is not an issue at Fantom. Staff are never aloof or condescending and even other customers are really friendly and helpful. It really speaks to the kind of people/​community they try to encourage at the shop. They are also super responsive over email having received a reply an hour after I submitted a question about an app error.
They constantly have events and when I went to the Free Comic Book Day event it was a good mix of all ages and genders having a good time.
Finally shout outs to Esther and Jake who I had a great nerdy conversation with. I asked Jake to recommend a comic for a friend’s kid who just moved here from overseas. He suggested Battling Boy which was perfect — a story about a boy who has to leave his home and be a hero on another world. The giftee really related to the book and loved it!
TL;DR: Friendly comics shop with great selection and events.

Never thought of a comic shop to be more than q comic shop. I started following them on Facebook becausr they had some interesting events. Cocktail hour, book club, showings and even burlesque! So I gave in and went to their first burlesque show.
They had beer! They had music! Staff was friendly! Show was great! I never thought id ever rate another comic shop 5 stars. This place is definitely deserving of its high praise. Makes me want to start a subscription so I have an excuse to visit with purpose.

Was there Thursday night after a long drive from savannah ga, the staff were amazing, so helpful and friendly! Made my experience a great one and got a bunch of beautiful comics to take home to savannah. Can’t thank them enough to be honest and I can’t wait to visit them again. God bless guys and keep up the amazing work.

I went out of my way to find a good comic chop in DC and couldn’t be more happy to have found Fantom. It’s a gorgeous, spacious place with great decorations and a well-​organized selection of comics and related products. They have a kid’s section and everything is clearly labeled and easy to find.
The staff was really friendly and welcoming. Unlike other places I’ve been to, it really felt like the staff was on my side. They were helpful and weren’t at all judgmental about me or my girlfriend being relatively new to comics. I was there to pick up one of the new issues of Star Wars and one of the employees asked me about the other Star Wars comics. He seemed to share his own excitement rather than try to make a sale. We chatted a bit and he taught me about bagging and boarding comics.
The whole time we were there, my girlfriend kept saying how much she liked the place too, which made me a happy guy. So many stores I’ve been to have been unwelcoming and dismissive to women or newbies. It’s as if other shop owners want to hoard their nerdy interests instead of share them. Fantom was great about making us feel welcome and helping us learn more about comics and comic culture.
I am super-​happy with this place, and it makes me wish I lived in the area so I could frequent it.

I was attending a restaurant opening nearby and the whole time I was there, the boy kept tugging at my sleeve since he noticed a new comic book shop across the street and wanted to check it out before it closed down for the night.
Before we even walked in, we were immediately impressed. The first person to greet us was Cyclops of X-​Men fame, whose optic blast led us all the way up the stairs to the actual shop.
Unlike most comic book shops I’ve been to, this place did not reek of corn chips and instant ramen. It was clean and spacious and even had a well-​organized kids section for budding otakus.
I don’t read a lot of comic books (except Walking Dead) so while the boy perused the well-​organized shelves I got to feast my eyes on all of the amazing art they have displayed on the walls.
Staff was incredibly, incredibly friendly and helpful and they do a lot of programming to build a sense of camaraderie among the nerd community. Comics and Cocktails for the Gotham première? Sign me up! Ladies night? Book clubs? Karaōke night? Totally down.
This is just about as local gem as you can get!

Bigger, Better, Brighter with shelves upon shelves of (almost) all the sequential art you could ever want and need in life, Fantom Comics returns to a new space in a new neighborhood to fulfill all your comic book needs.
What hasn’t changed? The friendly staff, management and owners reaching out to the community, engaging ALL of their patrons and standing behind the adage that «Comics Are For Everyone». Make your own comic book magnets and buttons, Ladies’ Night, and other events (sign up for their email newsletter and/​or ‘like’ their Facebook page so you can always be in the know). Connecting with local artists, organizations, groups to unite various geekdoms, promote indie works, and generally being very plugged into the local artist community.
What has changed? Being able to peruse shelves without saying «Excuse me» every few moments, the gentle breeze of air conditioning to cool you as you get into heated (but respectable and intelligent) debates, the addition of sidewalk comic sales, space to accommodate more hardcore lady types* during ladies’ night (and other events), and more space for more merchandise.
Ah, but what ’tis a review without a few downsides?
If you’re looking specifically for manga, this probably isn’t your store. Although I’m sure with more space and if more people request it, they’ll eventually expand it beyond the one or two shelves it occupies now.
The store is on the second level of a building and has no elevator, just stairs. So unfortunately it isn’t accessible for the handicapped and those requiring the aid of walking devices.
It may be difficult for the previous commuter patrons to make the detour over to this neighborhood since their previous Union Station location was more convenient for their daily journey but hopefully they won’t ditch the store and still try to make it out to special events for the community aspect.
If you’re in Dupont Circle and wish to escape the evil throes of high priced artisan cafes and flocks of dudebros, or just want to talk about the latest Marvel movie while picking up a book or two, come check this store out!

Aw man, I was hoping to be the first to review.
Such a convenient location — right off of dupont. What really struck me about this shop though was that their staff is exactly the opposite of the stereotypical obnoxious comic book store staff. Everyone in there was SO DAMN NICE and friendly and welcoming and helpful. Seriously, it’s like their main goal is to make sure you like comics as much as they do, and they want to make sure that you check out the stuff you’re actually interested in.
Unfortunately, I mail order a lot of my comics because it’s about as expensive for me as it would be to take the bus to any other part of town (i live in an annoying, non-​metro accessible neighborhood), but I could see myself going here anyway because they seem to like to get really involved in their community. even though I’m a guy, I think it’s awesome how much stuff they do to help get women involved in comics/​make women feel more comfortable as comic book fans.
All around, they are rad people running a rad store. I strongly recommend this place.
ps. also love that they have a clearly marked «kids» section.

Best comic book store in DC. Better location for me but not for all the commuters at Union Station. Great new space too. They are able to hold bigger events which are always fun. Great customer service, and they do well with variants and graphic novels.