A Comics & Collectibles

A solid 4 stars because although you can miss this place if you’re not looking for it, they’re really friendly and have a nice selection of items. I went here with a friend back before Christmas to pickup her Walking Dead comics that they had on hold for her. While she waited, I browsed around the store to see if I could find some stocking stuffers or unique gifts. It was not long until I stumbled upon a game called Gloom. It was perfect size to put into a stocking and sounded like a fun game to try (which it is!) so I purchased it. The guy at the counter was really nice and we chat about the game, and he even offered suggestions to try if I liked Gloom.
The store, much like the TARDIS, was bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. There were tons of comic books, collectible figures, board games, card games, and even some nostalgic collectible items for purchase in the glass cases (remember how you lost your He-​Man and Transformers action figures while growing up — these guys have them somehow). There’s also a spot in the back part of the store that looked to be setup for table top gaming tournaments. I guess there’s something for everyone in here, but to find your gem you’ll have to check it out yourself.

A+ is a great comic book/​collectibles shop. I use to live here every Wed to get my new graphic novels to fulfill my comic fix. Russ and his staff use to take really great care of me.
The regulars have folders in the back. This will allow the staff to get all your comics you get and put them directly in your specific folder so you don’t have to dig through the piles of comics on the shelves. That is really nice in my opinion. They kept me in stock of all my favorite comics.
Anything with Scarlet Witch, Walking Dead, and quite a few more that ended up canceling. They gave me a heads up every time an alternate cover or sketchbook copy was going to be released of my favorite heroes that I follow.
They also kept me up-​to-​date on all my collectible statues, busts, and toys. I never missed a new release.
They also have game nights weekly for the Magic and other card games I never really got into or understood for that matter. That in my opinion is a good hour or so treat for younger kids who’s parents drop them off.
Great shop. Great layout. Great people.

I receive a friendly greeting every time I enter. Lots of space to walk around fixtures, nice open area with tables for gaming or chatting with friends, and a large selection of comics to choose from. After three random visits I opened an account to regularly pick up a particular series every month and I’ve been very pleased with the ease of it all. My son also loves to walk around the display cases to take-​in the plethora of collectibles.
Parking has never been an issue when I’m there.

This is most definitely a quality nerdery.
I walked in here on the Saturday of the Southland Street Fair. To say it was bustling would be and understatement. Mainly it was just full of Magic the Gathering nerds mixed with a few Indycar nerds (as that was their television program of choice). I myself am a recovering comic book nerd and went back to check out their current selection. Lots of interesting third party books available, like Archie vs. Predator, Doctor Who, Edward Scissorhands. Things I didn’t even know were currently available. Their Marvel and DC stacks were also pretty well-​stocked, along with having the new issues and back issues separated. Very nice, very appreciated.
They also had an excellent selection of toys intermingled in the comic section just to grab your eye. Lots of both new and used toys here. I once picked up a Boba Fett helmet here for a cheap to go along with my Stormtrooper helmet. It looks great sitting on the shelf nearby.
Of course, you can get a file going here and having them pull your favorite weekly comic titles for you, as most any self-​respecting comic book shop would do. But that almost seems like a given.
If you’re a nerd looking for quality nerd items, I highly recommend this location.

Great comic selection, and a very open and well lit store. I really appreciate their comic box club where you can order new releases and they hold them for you.
The staff can sometimes be a little overbearing, but I think that can come with the territory

The best comic shop in Lexington. I can not say enough about the staff that works at A+. They are extremely nice and welcoming. It is the go-​to-​store for my weekly pulls. They let you set up a box where they will pull books off of the shelves for you and they even give you a discount for it. I never have to worry about the books that I love selling out because I know that I will have a copy even if I wait to come in on the weekend. If I don’t have a book on my list that I would like pulled, then a phone call is enough to get one in my box. I love this store.

Great shop. Good selection, friendly staff, easy pull box system. Plus lots of cool toys.

Extremely disappointed in the level of customer service my son received this evening. First he was directed to a computer to check if an item was in stock. It was. He headed up to the counter to inquire about the card. The staff member spent all of three minutes looking for the card. Even though it was marked in stock on line he stated they didn’t have it, but if we wanted to order online and come back tomorrow to pick it up, we could.
How about no. If you’re too lazy to wait on us and locate what we’re buying I’m not ordering it online and driving back over here the next day. The store was dead. No other customers in the store therefore no excuse.
Funny thing is I had planned on grabbing three playmats so you didn’t lose out on just a $ 2.85 sale.
I’ll stick with D20. They appreciate the business.

My kids had fun at this comic store. Lots of vintage memorabilia, tons of comics. Nice gaming area in the back for all the super-​nerds (love them).

A+ is one of the best comic shops in Central Kentucky. They have a large, open store, a good stock of back issues as well as a selection of toys and games. You can actually move around the shop without worrying about knocking over or stepping in something!
The owners have always greeted me when I walk in the door which always carries a lot of weight. They’re helpful without being pushy, too.
The back of the store is given over to a play area for Magic and other card games. Their selection of board and roleplaying games is kind of thin but the owner is always happy to do special orders. They also have a small trade in second hand board games.
The store thrives for a family friendly atmosphere since they have so many kids over for tournaments and the like. A small snack and drink selection is available.
A+ is my go to comic shop in the area.
Their gaming selection isn’t the best if you aren’t into card games but for comics they are definitely the go to shop.

Been my comic shop for a few years now. Russ and Christie are always helpful and kind and I’ve never had a real problem with anything there. They are a great local business and just recently moved into a new building which looks absolutely fantastic. I really only buy comics there (occasionally some collectibles) and I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else.

Lexington, Kentucky has a number of gaming, comic book and collectible toy stores. This is not the one you want to go to.
Now, as a comic book store it is perfectly serviceable, it carries the normal selection of comics you may expect and has an adequate back issue library. If you just want this months issue of a major comic book, you’ll do just fine. I am not a comic book fan, so I can’t really pass judgment on this stores quality as a comic book store. This review is about everything else that store is.
It is all the other lines of business that are where this place falls apart. It tries to be a one-​stop shop for geeks, and fails miserably. Its role playing/​collectible card game, animé, and collectible toy departments are somewhere between bad and worse. I visited this store many times over the years, trying to give patronage to a local business, especially one close to my home, but after so many bad experiences over so long a period of time I just couldn’t justify it any further.
One time that was particularly bad was when the owner purchased a large number of vintage toys at flea markets that summer. As I’d mentioned in passing that I had collected many of those toys in my youth, he asked me to come in one day and assemble/​sort through them to make them better for display and sale. I asked how much he was willing to pay me, and he said he wanted me to come in and do it as a friend. The owner of the business wanted me to come in one day and do free labor for him to process new merchandise for sale, assuming I would do so as a regular customer and was thus a «friend».
The problems I have had with special orders from there would take up pages, but suffice it to say that if you place a special order you will be quoted that it will be delivered «next Tuesday». If you come in the following Tuesday to pick up your order, it will not be in and you’ll be told it will be in the next week. This waiting, being told it will be in the next week can go on for over a year. Heaven help you if you give up on the order in this time and get the item at another store, because when the item eventually comes the management expects you to purchase it or be banned from the store (and the item can end up costing several times the original quoted price).
I was part of an animé and manga club at the University of Kentucky during this time, and one summer he offered to let us use his backroom for our meetings since our normal on-​campus meeting facilities were closed for renovation. We were planning on making some kind of gift of appreciation when the summer ended and we went back to campus, except for two things. First, he was regularly chiding people on our e-​mail list if they ever mentioned they bought anywhere else, privately e-​mailing them to tell them they should have bought from him. Second, he insisted we disband as an official University organization and become a wholly-​owned subsidiary and promotional arm of his store. When we refused to do so, he became distinctly less friendly and our club severed official ties with him and the members generally stopped visiting. When I most recently visited the store, he had stopped carrying animé.
Also, his attempts to stock roleplaying game and products were equally lackluster. The store only stocks the most recent releases from the largest publishers, don’t expect a wide selection or a back catalog of older books. During one visit to the store, he was unpacking the shipment of books from the distributor and was utterly baffled when a game other than D&D was in there. The owner was only vaguely aware there were roleplaying games other than Dungeons and Dragons, and I had to educate him on the games he was selling.
The line of collectible toys in the store is also lacking. Now, the store often does have a wide selection of toys, but they are at exorbitant prices. Sometimes these «collectible» toys can be found still on the shelves at a Wal-​Mart or Toys R Us elsewhere in town (Star Wars or GI Joe action figures). Other times is is literally something picked up for pennies at a yard sale and is selling for a small fortune. Sometimes there are toys actually produced as collectibles for sale, but these are less often than reselling what was through normal commercial channels or yard sales at substantial markup.
So, if you’re looking for a store to buy comic books, it may well meet your needs. If you go for the «collectables» in A+ Comics and Collectables I advise you to steer clear and go to another of the quite-​crowded market of games and hobby stores in the Lexington Area.