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| - This little gem was another great find in Phoenix. Between this and All About Comics, I was pleased with the selections available.
The pros:
1. Conveniently located on Camelback Road, however, it's at the end of large complex and could be easy to miss. Plenty of parking available in a lot behind the building.
2. A nice selection of comics, specifically current ones. I was also impressed by the staff recommendations rack to let you know what the employees are reading and if they like it. As for the staff, very friendly and they discuss issue you buy, etc. Imagine that, great customer service. On major impression was one of the employees went out of her way to look for a comic that was out of print there (Batman Incorporated #8, a major seller). She called a number of other places, even competitors. Shows that there's good camaraderie with other stores. They had a good number of variants and a few collectible figures. Their focus is definitely on comics and games. I definitely dig the idea of comic packs to help a new collector catch up on a series. I was tickled by the DC casualties section as well.
3. A major plus! They sponsor games at this spot, mainly the card based variety. This was very cool and fosters the culture associated with comics. I was really impressed with how friendly everyone was as well, whether you're a pro or a newcomer.
The cons:
1. This is a relatively small place, so don't expect a monster selection. Not much in terms of figurines, but I did see some items that peaked my interest. However, they had a fantastic selection of comics from other publishers. By that I mean other than DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, IDW, etc and as mentioned before will go the extra mile to help their customers.
2. As stated before, it can be easy to miss if you're not paying attention. No parking in the front at all. You have to park behind the building. Not really a con, just a pointer for people.
Overall, Samurai become a regular stop for me each week when I was going to the local YMCA to exercise. I highly recommend supporting this place. I wish I had asked about the tools that were banned from the place. Their pictures are posted by the register.
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