Zanadu Comics

Really nice and helpful staff, not condescending or weird or smelly. They have quite a selection, from all the typical DC and Marvel stuff but also truly independent comics, including local Seattle talent — not the typical «independent» label slapped on some Dark Horse books. Also very well organized, which is impressive given the selection. They have a lot of stuff organized by author, my preferred method to browse. Highly recommended.

I think I heard them saying that they recently changed owners (in late 2011), but the current staff are really friendly and knowledgeable. They didn’t have what I was looking for at the U District store, but they got it the next day from another store in the area. They also provided me with two other options to look at, which both turned out great.
I’m not a huge comic fan any longer, but from what I could tell, they did seem to have a great selection of titles.
Oh, I guess this store is now Comic Stop, not Zanadu.

The Zanadu Comics U-​District here has been taken over by Comic Stop. I loved the Zanadu Comics here, as they had a great selection, and a multitude of action figures (I usually picked up one or two of these every time I stopped by). The staff was super friendly.
I finally went there today (Sept. 6), and the new Comic Stop seems a little sad. Their selection seems smaller (they did take out the old back issue bins, so the floor area was more roomy), but most importantly, almost all the action figures are gone! The one guy working there was still nice, but I didn’t stick around long enough to chat him up about the lack of action figures (The Comic Stop at the Redmond Town Center still seems to have a decent selection, so I don’t know what gives here). If you are just looking for the most recent comic books, this place is fine, but if you need back issues or toys, I guess you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Comic book shops are notorious for bad staff, but I’ve had good interactions with the staff at U-​Dist. Zanadu. They are actually nice and helpful and pleasant to talk to. They can’t compare with the owner of The Dreaming a little farther north up the Ave, but he sets the bar so high.
Zanadu is great in my book because of their selection. One of the comics that I love (The Mourning Star) is a small press that I found by stopping in at Zanadu’s downtown location on my way home from work. I went to several other comic stores in Seattle, and no one else carried it. Zanadu is therefore worth it’s weight because you may find something awesome there that you wouldn’t know of otherwise. Zanadu stocks well for the graphic novel crowd, which I guess I am a part of, though I dislike the term.
I’ve check out most if not all of the comic shops in north Seattle, and Zanadu and The Dreaming are the two that I would say are the best. I can’t decide between them, though, because I love them both for different reasons.

The guys at this location are super helpful and friendly. I always have to stop by when I’m in the U District. They have a good selection and one time they even had Hello Kitty Christmas ornaments for sale. :)

Zanadu Comics is now one of the oldest comic book stores in the University District. This is a very dependable, organized and well stocked stores around, offering great variety and customer service. They have something for everyone, from kids to the casual reader to dirty minded perverts. They even have a small selection of back issues and I want to give a special shout out and thanks to their big $ 1.00 remodeling sale on those very books!

Thank you so much for the help finding the perfect comics for my son. Nice selection to choose from. Friendly salesman.

It is sad how few comic book stores (or any book stores) there are left. Sure, I could order from tfaw, and pay twice as much in shipping as i do for the comics, and then wait three weeks for it. But there’s nothing that seals the deal on buying that new issue of a comic like going into the shop, rifling around and walking out with your new toy. I admit I’m not hardcore into comics. When I was a teen i would buy the different Superman series issues, and collected all of the horrible old Buffy and Angel comics, and some manga. Now i just come in once a month for my new issue of Buffy Season 8. But I still get that same feeling of excitement every time i walk into a cool Comic book shop, and this is definitely a cool shop.
I was glad i discovered the University district location, as I come from the Eastside, and parking downtown is painful. If you’re driving in, i would recommend avoiding Saturday afternoons during football season, unless you have a lot of patience for crazy traffic and driving around forever looking for a spot.

They’ve got a good stock and helpful staff. That’s great. They’re also at a very, very nice location and easy to get to. The only problem? They open at 10 (which is on par with most comic book stores) but close at 5 or 6 everyday, which is a tad early…

Q: Who would win in a fight, Superman or Batman?
A: Let’s just put it this way — Superman wears Batman underoos.
How can I not start a review of a freaking COMIC BOOK STORE with a bit of geek trivia? After a resurgence of interest in superhero antics around 2005, I sought out a haven to satisfy my inner geek. The most logical choice at the time was Zanadu (it’s located in the heart of the U District; admittedly, before I went in, I was filled with trepidation. I had this preconceived notion that the people that worked there would be THOSE comic book geeks… you know, the holier-​than-​thou elitists that, with their sausage-​like-​fingers, thumb their nose at you, the casual superhero enthusiast, because you don’t know who would actually win a ground race between Superman and The Flash (which, for the record, is the Flash).
I was totally wrong. Even after five years, these guys have always been pleasant, helpful, and a wealth of knowledge for the NOOBS and those of us that have Iron Man beach towels (… which, for the record, I’m way too awesome and un geek-​like to have… ahem). The store is a bit cramped, but their organization is pretty solid, and if they don’t have something you’re looking for, they’re not hesitant to give the downtown store a call, perhaps order it for you, or even suggest a local competitor. For me, that’s always a sign that a shop is looking out for the customer.
So why four stars instead of five? Simply, they don’t quite have the best subscription service in town; not that it’s a horrible service, it’s just that Arcane (across town in Ballard, as well as W. Seattle) has better options (10% off anything in the store if you have a box, no box minimum, etc.). Where Zanadu is superior, though, is their variant-​cover pricing, and my loyalty to their overall service wins out, in the end.
If you’re a closet comic book geek looking to come out of the closet, looking to recapture the magic of the escapism that was lost after childhood, need a Green Lantern tee, or your kid needs an awesome Wonder Woman statue (your kid needs it… c’mon, really?), Zanadu’s got ya covered.
Is it Wednesday yet?

It’s been a long time since I’ve bought comics or read comics.
Basically, I dove into Zanadu because it was hot outside, and I saw a poster for «Dark X-​Men,» so, engage tractor beam and all.
Once inside, totally helpful staff, awesome selection, etc. etc.
But it’s small and packed with stuff. This is classic, I mean, CLASSIC, comic book store, being packed with lots of stuff. I gotta say though, in Zanadu, everything in there is good.
Anyway, walked out with 3 comics. All quality.

Great selection. It’s a small store but is jam-​packed with books. I had a lot of fun just browsing through everything. There are lots of cool unique places to go in the U District and Zanadu fits right in amongst the best of them.

I don’t really read comic books. I just never got into it. I always loved the artwork but ended up spending most of my money on new electronics and music.
I sought out Zanadu on a mission. I was there to get a copy of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and the first book of The Sandman series. I love me some JTHM. And I realized I didn’t have a copy. And I really started to like Gaiman’s books, so I figured I would give his Sandman series a go.
The store was a tad small but large enough to navigate a small stroller. (awesome) I was completely lost on where to look. But the wonderful staff here was very accommodating and grabbed what I was looking for. Too bad they were out of JTHM, I’ll be back for that though.

Zanadu is great. They have a superior selection of toys & figurines. Their adult comix section is a bit small, but at least it still exists (Damn you, Comics Dungeon!) I have heard some really bizarre conversations in here.

Five stars for helping me discover the wonderful work of Johnny Ryan, Peter Bagge, Joe Matt, Coop, Daniel Clowes, Harvey Pekar, Crumb, and others. Well… I KNEW about them, but these guys have them crammed into one great store.
The guys here are really nice, and this store has a great selection of all genres of comics, some great graphic novels, a few collectibles and toys… and it’s right near the Bus back to Ballard!!!

Similar to the downtown location, but a little smaller, and with a browseable bin of back issues. Still the same great selection and service, though, catering to multiple tastes and managing to satisfy them all.

Zanadu is near ideal as far as comic shops go: terrific range of material, from the weekly issues of the Big Two to independents to all manner of graphic novels and critical works (and the stuff in the naughty book section). I like the smaller and funkier U District store for the convenience to my home and the Staff always knows their Stuff. I always have a good chat with manager John or the others. Ah, people who appreciate Uncle Scrooge, Girl Genius, Gahan Wilson, Richard Sala, Rick Geary, and also Alan Moore and Warren Ellis!
There’s substantial back issue boxes to explore, and I’ve found great stuff, but I doubt that I’ll find an issue of Gabby Hayes Western comics.
Very convenient to the Neptune and Varsity theaters (Landmark) as well as University Bookstore, Twice Sold Tales used bookshop, Tower Records and numerous eateries.

What I really like about Zanadu Comics, in the U-​District, is that they try to carry everything for everybody… of course that’s not really possible, but they try…
So wether you are looking for the latest Wolverine book (and you know that there are tons to pick from.) or a Uncle Scrooge comic (they still make them, and they are as good as ever…) this would be a good place to shop at.
On the downside is the music that they play (what is it about me and music when I shop???) and the fact that the closest that you can park to here is about 20 miles away…

Wonder Woman lives! I had to focus really hard on her to avoid the racks and racks of new and alternative comics I’ve never heard of that make me feel out of touch and oooold. The kids wandered the gaphic novels — I leafed through WW issues I hadn’t seen since 6^th grade. The kids went nuts over stuff that definitely, graphically looked like things a respectable parent wouldn’t let their kids near. Luckily for them I’m not your typical, respectable kind of parent and we walked out the door loaded with stuff I still don’t know and can barely pronounce. All in all, a good trip.