Isotope - the Comic Book Lounge

User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is a really lovely store, and the service is great. I always shop here when I am in the area. Good comics, and good vibes. A party.

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User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Finally a classy place to appreciate comic books: The best place to spend an afternoon in the city. The store is comfortable and inviting. You can not spend less than an hour, soaking up the atmosphere and hospitality. The crew actually encourages you to sit down and read! Smart sales people, great inventory and a beautiful store. I would live there if they let me.

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User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

"An unmatchable experience": You'll hear a lot of different things from the people who love the Isotope.

Some will rave about how nice the lounge atmosphere is, with the slick interior design and lighting, and all the great places to sit your butt down and hang out, chat with some friends or read some comics.

Others will go on and on about the Toilet Seat Art Museum, whether their favorite seats were drawn by Jim Lee, Tom Beland, or Darick Robertson. Those same folks will likely love the huge collection of original art on display.

Still others might tell you how incredible the events are, how much fun they had hanging out all night while Brian K. Vaughan sipped from his giant beer stein and watched the election results come in, or whupping Ed Brubaker at arm-wrestling to win some free comics, or celebrating independent comics at one of the legendary APE Aftermath bashes.

Of course, some will argue that the very best thing about the store is the staff; they'll describe the owner, a tall drink of water named James Sime who's always to be found in a colorful Italian suit with his trademark mad-scientist hair reaching towards the sky and a smile on his face. They'll rave about Kirsten Baldock, the lovely librarian-slash-bartender author of SMOKE AND GUNS who mixed them a fine cocktail and told them a great story. They might suggest you spend some time getting sophisticated with the Isotope's resident bon vivant, Mr. Ian Yarborough, often called “the pretty one” for his suave good looks and affable Southern charm. Hopefully they won't run afoul of Jared Guenther, the store's enforcer, but if they behave themselves they'll surely be impressed by his shining sense of humor, his broad comics knowledge, and maybe a peek at one of the incredible special effects projects he works on for The Movies.

All this is well and good – the store deserves its reputation, and all of the above are great reasons to stop by.

But the thing I love most about the Isotope is simpler than all that. The place is just filled to bursting with ENTHUSIASM, and you can't package or plan that. Every Wednesday when I walk in to pick up my new comics, I know someone there's going to be excited about something. The odds are good that a lot of people will be excited about a lot of things. And while I love the couches, the artwork, the events and the amazing staff, it's the feeling of excitement that greets me every time I walk through the door that really makes the place an unmatchable experience.

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