Atlas Comics

First came into Atlas Comics on free comic book day and I was blown away by their selection. The guys who work there are extremely knowledgeable and really care about their work. They will definitely recommend some great issues and comics and are very open to questions.
Even though it looks small, they have an enormous selection of comics and quite a few back issues and both new/​old comics. They also have a great bargain bin that has $ 5 graphic novel/​collections, which is always a great place to look if you’re looking to explore and load up on comics. The store also has a lot of cool memorabilia, collectibles, and role playing game materials. All of the stuff is well-​organized.
My friend and I spent an entire two hours just BROWSING through all the stuff before we finally spent another 45 minutes combing through the bargain bins. So ticked that I didn’t discover this place earlier!

Great selection of new and old comics, trade paperbacks and more, with friendly, knowledgeable staff. Definitely check this place out!

Who in the? Are you? WHAT ARE YOU DOING MAN? 3 out of 5 on the ONLY comic book store in Charlottesville? Absolute BLASPHEMY. Take it from someone who knows comics and has been collecting for ages, this store is awesome. In spite of its rather small size, Atlas has a huge range of comics, collectibles, graphic novels, and even RPGs.
Don’t like them following you around? Guess what, they’ve had stuff stolen before, before the original owner died not so long ago. So deal with it, it’s THEIR STORE. Besides, if you’re nice to them, they really don’t give a crap. They just like to talk comics, and anyone new is a potential person to talk to, get it? Nice to know you judged the guy without knowing he had a serious illness. Nice, way to be compassionate. Not everyone has a good day. Maybe just be nice to people in general and you’ll see them change their tune before you put money on the table. Some people…
The store is currently run by one of the original owner’s friends and another guy, both of who are EXTREMELY knowledgeable and can find you almost anything. Not to mention they price competitively. Even the really rare stuff they have hanging on the wall you’ll find priced to sell instead of priced to kill. Haggle some with them if you’re buying a bunch, they’ll do it. Great selection of anything with back issues going way back, and they keep their new comic stock running smoothly. Top notch, they do nice things for kids too, so pay attention.

This shop is well organized, clean, and full of back issues and current runs, and a nice selection of variant covers at fair prices.
The only negative is the customer service. The owner and staff aren’t so much helpful as they are nosey, watching over your shoulder at every turn. I aways feel like I am doing something wrong when I am just trying to browse their selection. Once I was asked five times by the owner if I needed help finding anything in the span of twenty minutes. I finally asked what the deal was as I was just trying to browse their back issue bins. The owner replied with, «Hey man, I don’t recognize you, just making sure you are locating everything you need.» Clearly, he was suspicious I was trying to take something. When I placed $ 90 worth of comics on the checkout counter, he quickly changed his tune and started asking me if I wanted to start a subscription, if there was anything I needed ordered, etc.
And don’t even try to go in before 2pm (when their new books normally hit the racks) on Wednesdays, apparently new releases really stress the owner out and his customers feel the aftermath of said stress. Luckily, comic book shops don’t require too much customer service as, being a collector myself, the clientele normally know what they need, and how to find it.
If you don’t mind a bit of poor customer service, Atlas Comics is a great shop to drop in to pick up those few back issues you’ve been trying to find, or a nice variant cover to add to your collection. Just don’t count on a lot of color outside of the ones inside your favorite comic books.