Big Planet Comics

It has been ages since I’ve stepped into a comic book store. Last legit comic book store I remember would have to be during the taste of Bethesda back in… 95 or 96? darn. long time ago. Free comic book back then with one of my best elementary school buddies.
It’s very rare to find a pure comic book store with quality individuals, and surprisingly I found that in College Park, Maryland.
Right when you walk into Big Planet Comics, if you’re new (as myself and my friends were), you’ll be given a greeting. Jeff (hopefully I got the spelling right), introduced himself and the other 2 – 3 staff members and offered to help with anything we may need. It’s so rare to have a welcoming like this, it made my nerd level skyrocket with family orientation of finding friendlies. :3
Although I’m not a die-​hard comic book fan, I’m a bit sad I didn’t get further into the classics. I’m sort of cheating these days, catching up using phone apps to read here and there. But, nothing beats an old comic book. the pages between your fingers, the gratifying smell of the paper and ink. oh and the sound. the sound of pages is… omggggggggg. haha ^^v
Overall, the store was very clean, friendly and reasonably priced. They have an assortment of comic books, manga, TCG, dice, Funko Pops, figures, etc. to explore. They’re conveniently located across from Nando’s, near Smoothie King and Cornerstone Grille near the University of Maryland. Oh. and the new Kung Fu Tea.
I recommend getting a few comic books and chilling at the Kung Fu tea, or drinking the Kung Fu tea, then chilling in a nice A/C’d comic book store.
Wish I lived closer to this location, but I will surely be back to check more of their selection out. Hopefully next time with more dedicated comic book friends!

I’m not a comic book person, I’m starting to read a few comics here and there and getting my niece to do so as well, so I didn’t know much of what I was looking for, the staff here was truly friendly and they went out of their way to help find what I was looking for, never felt like an outsider in the store, I felt like a regular.

This is my favorite comic book store for two reasons: it always has the comics I want, and the dude with the beard and glasses (not the bald one– that guy is cool too though) whose name I can never remember gives the best recommendations. I talked to him a couple times when I was a student and ever since then he remembers what kind of comics I like and has at least a couple of really good recommendations every time I visit. One time I asked him if this really expensive hardcover comic was worth buying, and he straight up said, «Nope.» And he also didn’t make my brother pay full-​price for this other comic because the dude said it was cheaper elsewhere. Like, what? This place truly values its customers, and it’s kept me coming back every payday!
This location also has really good events throughout the year. This year they hosted a fun Free Comic Book Day (and also gave out free comics that other places wouldn’t have) and pre-​SPX festivities. This place rocks!

This store is pretty great, I will admit.
I’ve never been a comic book person, or even into the scene, but just visiting this place for the first time may have changed my mind a little. My fiancé is more the «nerd» in that area, but I’ve gotten somewhat turned onto it. The store is a decent size, and the employees there are very helpful and nice. They make the place feel very «homey.» In other words, they know their stuff, and don’t mind helping you out or making book suggestions if you ask. I even had a guy suggest a comic series which I wound up enjoying. I told him that I’m really into horror and crime books, so he showed me the sections they had, and recommended, «Locke and Key.» (It’s a good series, I’d check it out if you’re into that genre)
Their selection is good, and I’m glad that they have old and new books. I’m more into the old, so that was a plus for me.
Overall, this a great place. Plus, if you’re into card games, they have Friday meet ups where you can play with other people and learn to play as well. Very interactive atmosphere! I plan on visiting a lot more, and would recommend this location for sure.

Great selection and customer service.
I went to this store for four years (2010 – 2014) until I had to move away. The guys in the store were great and their love for comics was genuine.

I came here for a book signing event featuring the creators of image comic’s ‘Rat Queens’ earlier this month. I’ve been to another Big Planet location before and had a good experience so I walked through the front door expecting the same and wasn’t disappointed. The crowd for the signing was comprised of mostly fun, energetic, personable women and the staff was pretty stoked to have us all there even if many of us ended up loitering in the shop for the entire signing (hey, we bought stuff, and then some more stuff). I thought it was a really nice touch for them to have a reception area for the signing that included a custom crafted cake, brownies and other small bites along with beverages to pour into cute superhero cups.
The store is sizable and includes comics, trade paper backs, t-​shirts, figurines, fun accessories like comic-​themed wallets and the like. I didn’t check to see how their manga collection was/​is but I’m more than sure they have at the very least a shelf or two. The staff was fun, knowledgeable and greeted EVERYONE who walked through the door equally. I could see myself coming here and hanging out if I lived in the area. Definitely check them out if you’re nearby.

Every time I’ve gone to Big Planet to find a (non-​manga) graphic novel, they’ve had it in stock. We’re talking a whole wall with shelves upon shelves of meticulously organized anthologies and collections of already published material, as well as another wall completely covered in recently published titles. The only time I didn’t find what I was looking for was when I tried to find a particularly obscure manga that, as it turned out, wasnot for sale in the US yet.
The staff is super friendly and is always ready to make a recommendation. They come off as happy and very willing to dote on their customers, which was a big thing for me as someone who was once a big comic book fan who took a prolonged «vacation» from reading them.
The store is clean. The people are lovely. The selection is grand. The sense of community is warm and inviting. You basically can’t go wrong!

The staff is very cool. None of your «Worst-​Customer-​Ever» syndrome that plague indie comic shops (i.e. Alliance Comics). While the clerk rang up my purchases he suggested a few titles by seeing what I had chosen. The selection is great.

This review is from exactly 1 year ago, so elements may or may not have changed since then.
Nice restful day out and about. We took a little trip to College Park and actually drove past the heart of Looney Labs, in fact. (Saw the address in the phone book, and did a quick scan while in the area) Had we realized that the place wasn’t just a house, and was actually a office up above a home, I think we might have stuck our noses inside to say hello. They’re not too far off, so maybe another road trip is in the cards?
We decided to hit a gaming/​comic book store… Liberty Books and Games — «We’re a libertarian bookstore and sell comics from disorganized piles» — The store was pretty messy… Liberty’s, fortunately had a few games right by the front door, including a trusty, if dusty deck of Chrononauts — just fine, as it’s wrapped in plastic (and was the primary reason we went there in the first place). Funny thing about that store was that all the libertarian stuff was neatly organized… though I suspect that was in part due to a lack of interest by the patrons. The comic books, vintage paperbacks and whatnot else were stacked more than a little haphazardly throughout the place. Standard stereotypical comic shop, not bad, but far from good — Plus was that the proprietor was more than happy to help us locate what we were looking for.

What once was Liberty Comics, is now Big Planet. No idea on the back-​story of the change. Liberty used to be owned by a pretty big Libertarian, I think.
Doesn’t matter, as this place has always been a great stop. I picked up everything from a volume of War Stories to the graphic novel Laika. They even had Persepolis in stock.
The staff is friendly and makes recommendations that I wish I had the paycheck to afford. It’s nothing amazing, but it’s a damn good respite from the rest of College Park.