Dark Tower Comics

LOVE Dark Tower! They’ve got a great selection of all the comics and graphic novels you can think of, and the staff is always willing to make recommendations or help you find something. You can sign up for a pullbox, and they’ll save your comics for you so you don’t miss an issue. They just reorganized, so the store is more welcoming and the books have more room to breathe. Lots of toys and memorabilia round out the selection. I love stopping into Dark Tower to pick up my books and talk sci-​fi movies with the staff.

Sigh. I’ve given them chance after chance after chance. Yet, they fail me every single time. My story — I don’t have a pull list. I don’t buy super regularly, but I DO buy comics. I know what I like, what I read, and who puts out the books I read. I’m not that much of a newbie.
But
Like I said, I’m not a regular.
Every time I’ve gone into Dark Tower, I can’t find a single thing I am looking for and no one ever offers to help me on their own. I have to seek out help. This last time, when I asked for an older title the dude rolled his eyes at me, sighed, and then let me know that no, they do not carry that.
My $$ should just be as good as people with pull lists.
I’d hate to say it’s because I’m a woman, but I may not be off the mark on that one.

To start, very easy to park as I literally parked in front of the entrance, so this was a plus.
Immediately upon walking in I noticed a Sideshow Gladiator Hulk, which for any store to carry such a big ticket item is a good sign (retails for $ 600). The store had some Hot Toys and a scattering of other statues, though none I was particularly interested in. The prices were MSRP, which was nice but leads me to believe there is of course negotiating room. They had a wide variety of comic related toys and merchandise.
The new issue racks were to be expected, organized by indie/​DC/​Marvel etc. I do not frequent the shop, so I am not sure of their subscription model, but witnessed several folks coming in, so I assume they have something in place for Wednesday regulars.
My only gripe is the lack of organization for back issues, while they have a large selection, there did not appear to be any rhyme or reason. They have a section of $ 1 books, which is great. They have a sections based on age, then another on variant covers. Total pain as I was seeking fillers. Were they $ 1 books, or Silver age? Did it have a variant cover? In my view, the best shops have it sorted by title/​issue, period. Too much bouncing between boxes for my browsing preferences.
The gentleman, assuming owner, working the counter seemed very kind and willing to assist. For a stranger to a shop who’s bread and butter is regulars, this was nice to see.
I will definitely venture back another time.

Place is clean and well organized. Great place to buy new issues. Also has a very large selection of $ 1 issues.

Awesome Shop, Well Organized, Decent 1 $ Comic Selection, Great On New Comics Every Wednesday !!

We came here for free comic book day and walked into a packed house. They have a great selection of $ 1 comics that was on half off that day! I grabbed a half-​size box and loaded it up. The store has a nice layout and the staff is friendly. You can also create a pull list on their website. Your comic purchase also comes with a free bag and board unlike some other comic shops that have multiple locations. Parking could be a issue, but it is worth finding a spot to walk into this awesome shop.

I was insulted by one of the owners for asking about a game that recently went out of print. They had the x-​pac, was it unreasonable to ask if they happened to have the base game?

Place is awesome and oraganized, easy to get to, and full of cool stuff. The proprietor, whom I assumed also owned the dog that was back there with him, was pretty knowledgeable with stuff asked, and answered questions satisfactory.
The interior was well organized and clean… maybe could have used alittle light to make it cheery. Thumbs up otherwise.

A chill place w lota regulars dropping in! Lots of awesome back issues. Only downside is that they sell out of new stuff fast cause they have a lot of patrons.

Looking for a place for great conversation while you shop? Looking for a LCS with a free pull list/​discount program? Like discounts on your trades? Like to play with fun dogs that are occasionally in the store? This is your place. Great store. Great staff.
The addition of a TV is dangerous… you may find yourself stopping in for a minute to grab some new books, and realize an hour later that you’re still hanging out watching Swamp Thing with Mark (Grand Pubah).
This is definitely a fun place to hang out if you have some time (some would call it loitering), and a knowledgable, engaged staff that can help you find what you’re looking for. This place attracts a pretty diverse crowd, and is definitely welcoming to all.

My new home away from home (on Saturdays). Very welcoming to comic newbies like myself, but this is also where the hardcore come to hang. Good luck matching wits with the owner Mark, this A$$hole isn’t shy about calling you an a$$hole. Oh, and he loves flowers.

Epic-​ly awesome

Everything you’d expect from an old school comic shop (cramped, busy, packed floor to ceiling with stuff, boxes and boxes of back issues on the ground that kill your back)… in short, excellent.
The owner is friendly, and I bumped into the (now defunct) Around Comics folks there, who were very talkative.
I’ll be back for the cheap back issues… there are more than you can possibly dig through.

I will admit that I am a grown man who likes looking cool most of the time but I LOVE DTC!!! First of all, judging the design sense of a comic shop is like discussing the design sense of a garage sale. No matter how you stack and sort your shit, we all know we can get almost anything for under 10 dollars. Save yourself a trip if you are looking for something fancy and go to Chicago Comics for the hipsters who prefer to call them graphic novels. They’re comic books, okay? You read them once and stack em or give them away unless they’re TPBs that you keep in the bathroom.
And, befitting the intended merchandise, Dark Tower looks like a place kept by man-​children who only care about the books. The Yellow shelves are perfect and the 1.00 bins look like dollar bins. In short, I would never bring my lady here unless she was «The One» that can handle all that nerdiness. This place is filled with awesomeness, knowledgeable clerks and little knickknacks that geeks like (and yes I have a lantern ring). The only slight gripe I have is the that some of the new issues are organized a little funky (not always quite alphabetical).
As far as ambience goes, It is what it’s supposed to be. There are prettier places like Chicago Comics (which I also love, for different reasons) but none does exactly what I think of as a comic books shop as effortlessy and casually as this shop. I love DTC.

Not very welcoming storefront; seems like a lot of old dudes wander in here and load up, but there is no where to sit & they don’t like you reading anything — you can’t, the comics are sealed tight. no real books to peruse, and a too large selection of plastic action figures… kind of whacky staff with zero design sense. the layout of the store is tragic.

I have been buying from Dark Tower for several years now and i have to say that having shopped at several comic book stores in and around Chicago. This is EASILY the best shop i have ever been to.
The owner Mark is very helpful to everyone that comes into the shop. Whether they’re regulars there or new walk ins.
DT has a pull list discount club. Where the more books you purchase every month the bigger the discount you get. Ranging anywhere up to 20%.
Mark isn’t the only helpful worker there. Everyone including the customers are always nice and will give you a hand and suggestions.
They have big sales on a regular basis every few months either on graphic novels or old issues. They also have a HUGE collection of back issues. Many for only a buck.
There is also a very great comic podcast called Around Comics that records in there weekly.
If you are looking for a great comic shop. Go here!!!

I’m not HUGE into comics, but this is a great store in several ways.
Whoever is working here is always kind and helpful while not being condescending to those of us who don’t know a lot about comics.
They have an interesting array of figures, toys, etc. in the front that are always fun to browse.
They make their own mini-​buttons, and sell them on the cheap. It’s nice to have buttons that not everyone else owns.
The best thing is that at the end of 09/​start of 2010 they had a ridiculous sale, the best part of which was 40% off ALL trades. Amazing! That is a great deal.
Also they have a frequent buyer card for buyers of several trades. They keep it in the store for you and everything, so you needn’t worry about losing it.
This is really a top-​notch place. It’s my favorite comic store by far in a city with no shortage of places to buy comics.

In terms of comic book shops, this one has the most exhaustive stock of 99 cent back issues in the city — and I’m not talking old Batman titles from the early 90’s either — I’ve OFTEN found issues in these boxes that were hot on the shelves just a month or so earlier. Coming here has almost made me question the usefulness of having a pull list as economically, I could just be patient and wait for the overstock of all of those fresh issues to make it to the boxes a month or two later.
Regardless, I’ve plugged quite a few holes in my collection coming here and I’ll forever be a faithful patron.

It’s tiny. but hey they’re trying. This dude needs an interior decorator to teach them how to use the space more wisely, then it could be an awesome comic book store. Regardless, local kids come running in excited to buy that next in the series of their comic book and that’s what matters. If you are into toys, replica statues of your favorite characters, they have a nice display of some, expensive — yes. They also have some jewelry; like Superman rings and watches with Iron man, Spider-​man and Superman faces. Did not see any t-​shirts.

I haven’t actually been to this store. But my husband and I really enjoy the Around Comics podcasts which are recorded at this store on a weekly basis. (very funny podcasts with great interviews with comic book writers and artists and in depth discussions about sex and violence in comics and history of JSA and similar killer topics).
See the site more details =
We really love this PodCast Show and often download them for amusement on long road trips.
Thanks so much for hosting this awesome webcast! We really enjoy it!