Alakazam Comics is tucked into an unassuming strip-mall/office-center location just north of the 405 and across from John Wayne Airport. From the outside, you might wonder if you're in the right place. Open the door, though, and--alakazam!--you're immediately surrounded by comics, manga and anime books, collectible trading cards, records, gaming accessories, and enough geeky goodness to make your wallet nervous. The prices are reasonable and Marco offers discounts if you ask. The shop isn't particularly wide, but it goes back... and back... and back. It's packed to the gills with merchandise, yet they've still managed to fit in plenty of tables for people to sit down and actually play games. Longtime owner Marco is gregarious, knowledgeable, and clearly enjoys what he does. Bonus points: he plays Magic: The Gathering himself, so if you want to talk MTG, you're not just getting a sales pitch--you're talking to a fellow player. The rest of the staff is friendly and helpful too. If you're hunting for something specific or have a question, just ask. They've also thought about the necessities of an extended gaming session: chips, candy, and chilled drinks are available to keep hunger at bay while you battle your way to victory--or, in my case, potentially make a series of questionable strategic decisions. There's even a restroom in the store, which becomes increasingly important the longer those gaming sessions go. Between the comics, cards, books, records, accessories, gaming space, helpful staff, and welcoming atmosphere, Alakazam feels like much more than a place to buy stuff. It feels like a neighborhood gaming hangout. This has officially become my new favorite gaming store. Alakazam indeed! read more

Alakazam Comics - Recent MtG event info - Comic Books Near Me - Irvine, California

I had bought some items off of Alakazam's eBay store and had a great experience (I love that they offer in store pickup to avoid shipping fees & that my wife could go pick up for me) so when it was Free Comic Book Day and I found myself in the area, I thought I would check them out. I'm so glad I did. This location is very unassuming. You might pass it without even realizing it as it's in a very nondescript office space area near the airport. But once you walk in, you can easily be overwhelmed with the sheet volume of inventory they have. It was great to see! I will say they tend to favor older issues and most of them are only semi organized in long boxes so you might have to do some flipping through to find things, but I guarantee you will be rewarded. I was able to come across several back issues that I had been looking for and some I didn't know I had been looking for. And when I asked them if they had any other variants from the series I had bought from them off eBay, they happily pulled out a long box from the back full of them that they flipped through and let me hand pick what I needed. That was some fantastic customer service. Even on a busy day like FCBD. Speaking of customer service, the two workers who were there were so incredibly friendly and helpful. From talking to my 3 young sons who were with me to chatting about what I was looking for and how I could find it. I was really impressed. I have a feeling that if it wasn't so busy, they would've walked over and searched with me just because they care that much. Honestly, if I didn't live in Los Angeles, this would become my local shop hands down. But, I can guarantee when I'm in Orange County and am looking for anything, I will absolutely be coming by to check out what they have. And, I will definitely be stopping at their eBay shop first if I'm looking for anything online. Do yourself a favor. Check out Alakazam. If you're a comic book fan, it will be worth your time. And if you're just thinking about getting in to comics, this would be a great place to start your journey. read more

Alakazam Comics - Very unassuming entrance to a shop packed to the brim with inventory of both new & old comics. - Comic Books Near Me - Irvine, California

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super unassuming comic store in a business/office center by the airport. i walked in and the store was muchhh bigger than i thought! came in to give boyfriend 30 minutes to pick out whatever he wanted for his birthday. there are a lot of cool ones hidden in the $2 bins in the backroom if you have the time to look! there's also a couple shelves for manga, organized alphabetically if that interests you. customer service was on point! hart(?) was awesome and helped us find everything we wanted. super knowledgeable and friendly guy :') we were chatting every time we crossed paths and he made us feel very tended to! even gave us 10% off which was super kind. would definitely come back again!! read more

First of all, THIS IS A FAMILY STORE. This is the perfect place to bring someone to a comic book shop for the first time. I've heard stories of JNJ comics the guy that ran it would prepare his cannabis in front of customers! Huge quantity of $2 comics not priced at $4 bucks like JNJ comics. JNJ comics is like "Oh hey 70% of my inventory is half off ALWAYS" They have graphic novels, middle tierish items, and best of all they left me ALONE, but I NEVER felt alone, that is a rare experience at a comic shop. I didnt have the time to talk to everyone there but David let me tell you about this guy, he is a laid back individual who helped me throught my experience and it was kind of like a friend was talking to me. HE IS THE MAN, and im sure the rest of the staff is awesome . I got some neat titles here for a great price! Im coming back! Thank you Alakazam comics! read more

Since my last review, I've had the absolute joy of attending a few prerelease events and draft nights at Alakazam Comics--and I've had such a great time! The vibe continues to be welcoming and inclusive, and the community they've built here is genuinely one of the best I've experienced. The owner and staff are always kind, helpful, and clearly passionate about what they do. Whether you're new to Magic or a longtime player, it's a fantastic place to play, learn, and just enjoy the game with great people. I also really appreciate how fair their prices are--they've got an awesome selection of 10¢ and $1 cards that make hunting for deck upgrades feel like treasure hunting! I'm so grateful to have this shop nearby--it really is a gem in the local Magic scene. read more

Alakazam Comics - Tarkir prerelease box - Comic Books Near Me - Irvine, California

Service was great. Selection was vast. Prices were fair with lots of items in dollar and two dollar bins. Had anime and other books.

Fantastic team! They have a great selection and when I asked about a particular comic book, the entire staff helped search the store until they found the issue I was looking for. 10/10 recommend. read more

Cool little comicbook shop near John Wayne Airport. It's near a lot of good places to eat and plenty of parking. Staff is friendly, which is always a huge plus. They have a huge selection of comics and other nerdy things. They carry some figures and trading cards. They actually had the comic that I was looking for, since my go to shop bas been sold-out of stuff in advanced. It's good to see that they are well stocked. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area read more

Alakazam Comics - Doom #1 - Comic Books Near Me - Irvine, California

I was in the Irvine area and was in the search of comic book stores on a Sunday. Thanks to Yelp. I was successful. Located in a office business center, I found Alakazam Comics. First impressions were that the store was put together very well. With newer comics and kid's books up front. Then farther you go back. You run into graphic novels and trades, back issues and then finally $1 to $2 boxes. Finding particular comic books were very easy. I ended up picking a bunch of issues from every part of the store. I left there with a nice stack. Having plenty of new super hero reading material that should occupy me for weeks. Overall a good comic book store. Plenty of variety for all ages. They definitely had a good selection of comics that I enjoy. Support local businesses especially the good ones. Alakazam Comics is great. read more

Alakazam Comics - Store front. - Comic Books Near Me - Irvine, California

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One of my favorite comic shops. Good selection and team. Everytime i've wanted a copy of something, they've had it.

Great small shop. I called to see if they had a comic I was looking for and they did and they held it for me gave me time to come and get it. Highly recommend. read more

Great service and selection of Comic-books. They have a large back stock of. Comics if you are looking for back issues.

I come for comics with my kiddo all the time, and they're always happy to help. It's fun to explore what's new and see some older collected series. I also come to play magic for pre openings, and they're very organized and move the rounds along neatly. read more

Long live comics support any comic shops not many are left so thank you alakazam for staying in business

My son wanted to go to a comic shop, so I found this place online. We've been there several times since and it's always been enjoyable. They have a knowledgeable staff, regulars who engage in lively conversation, on-site role playing events and a tremendous selection. A must for any collector or newbie interested in getting into comics. read more

This is a great little shop! The staff are welcoming and the selection is wide. The store is deeper than it appears from the outside. I am not a big comic aficionado but I love dropping by whenever I'm around. read more

This used to be right near UCI, but then moved. By accident we found it's new location. Much bigger. And had all the new releases. Didn't buy anything but it's nice to know the place is still going on strong read more

Small gem of a comic book shop. Friendly staff, carry all the new releases and also have a great selection of back issues which is a rarity in these parts! All of which are reasonably priced. Highly recommend. read more

Alakazam Comics - Original Marvel Transformers Issue from way back! - Comic Books Near Me - Irvine, California

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I love this place awesome people and good prices. They are extremely knowledgeable and they can help you if you need a back issue

Got some nice pulls over the years here including ASM 298 and Hulk 340. The one thing I want to point out is the recent disconnect with the customers. Marco doesn't come out as much. Friday's feel un-inviting and you can literally walk-in, no one says hi and it's just a blah which is a shame because Marco is a good guy - maybe it's just a tough YTD so far. Lately their back issue inventory hasn't been organized and there's little to no offer re help with finding key issues, slabs, and stuff. Things that I and many others enjoy at the flagship LCS. Hope it gets better! Because I like this store. read more

The service here is excellent and the staff is super friendly. They have a great selection of comics and graphic novels. I am a graphic novel girly so I appreciated the options and I bought some books. I am glad to support this Irvine small business and I hope they can stay here for many years to come. I remember when they were at UCI! read more

Awesome shop, staff is great. It's deceptively large and they have tons of good stuff

Just finished going there, great service and happy employees. Got the cards I needed thanks guys.

Friendly staff, awesome pre-release events for magic, and decent prices! They were really nice to us when we came here the first time and the staff is super knowledgeable/passionate read more

My hand has been forced to leave a long winded, glowing review about how great this business is after reading some of the recent comments & what my own personal experience has been. I was drawn back to reading more about 8 months ago when i started frequenting the local comic shops (lcs) in orange county. At this time i visited probably all lcs in north/central OC to get caught up on story arcs I wanted to read & figure out my lcs home base for my pull list (comics the shop orders & puts aside for you on the regular). Everyone I encountered at Alakazam was courteous & willing to help with any questions or issues i had. The shop has comics (new & old), action figures, graphic novels, games, tcg, etc, which I liked. To be honest i could not find many faults with any lcs is my area. Alakazam was a bit out of the way for me, but they had some slight perks with having a pull list with them(discount & free bag/boards). I need to have a pull list because i read mostly small print, independent titles that I can't find on the reg otherwise. Alakazam has been wonderful getting my titles (even with the supply chain issues, & delays as of late). I was timid when setting up a pull list (because you must do it in person), but i update it quite often & never have an issue. I sent in my updates today (new comic book day) & they had updated my list & pulled my requests before i got there just after they opened (amazing!). In November & December they had amazing deals on almost all their inventory. I think they even did 75% off trade paperbacks. Every time i visited their store during that time some customer would ask, "is business ok?" & "don't tell me you're going out of business!?" I know everyone has a bad day (we're only human). But All my experiences have been the staff going out of their way to find my product in store, order it online for me, or let me know it's out of print (order it online or wait for the trade paperback). Now I usually only frequent once a week during new comic day just after they open. Obviously they are often packed & titles are flying off the shelf as people are scrambling to buy the hottest issue of the week. But it's a great atmosphere! Whoever is running the register is jovial & answering questions as they check out the long line of customers. They make updates to pull lists, place orders for requested recent titles you may have missed, make small talk on all the universes problems, while quickly getting books into bag & boards. It's always a wonderful exchange ending with, "see you next week..." My visits to Alakazam have become my weekly guilty pleasure & I hope you'll consider them as your home base for your pull list & everything else they offer!!! read more

Local place with a strong community presence. They host game nights and knitting events. Buy local! Great selection of comics, records, board games, and other collectibles. Worth a gander! read more

Great and friendly service! The staff is always eager to help. They have a wide variety of collectibles and a section for gaming. Awesome store! read more

If you are a comic collector, Alakazam Comics is a great place for you. He is so knowledgeable of older comics. He is fair and honest. I sold a few comics and toys. He showed the real market value of the comics and helped me out. It is tucked away, but a great comic store. read more

A tiny corner of nerd-dom does actually exist near UCI and usually offered me a tiny break away from the pressures of school back when I was a student. I come back every once in awhile to check the place out, and am glad little has changed over the years. First off, Alakazam is pretty darn small, but it is at least packed with the essentials - graphic novels worthy of anyone's must read list, the latest comics ready to be boarded, and even a fairly decent selection of collectible figures. If you're into cards or anime and manga, they cover those needs as well. Second, the staff's usually pretty friendly and they read and know their stuff. These guys aren't afraid to recommend something worthwhile to read that could be considered alternative, but solid, reading. All in all, definitely a good place to check out the latest in comics for miles around. read more

Great service, massive selection, good prices. Everything from new direct market stuff to underground comics to back issue bins of 90s stuff and vintage comics. read more

Absolutely great selection of comics, graphic novels, manga series, and other collectibles.

This is my favorite place to buy Magic The Gathering Cards and comics in Orange County. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. There is so much to choose from that you can spend quite a bit of time browsing. Highly recommended! I just bought a box of Magic cards for my brother as a gift. read more

How could I not give 5 stars? This place is an amazing little hole in the wall comic/game store. My boyfriend and I moved into the area last year, and were looking for a board game store when we stumbled into this gem. They have a HUGE selection of comics (it's bigger on the inside), and a decent selection of both games for sale and demo games that you can play in the back. More than this, though, the owners and people who work here are so nice and helpful. We were, and still are, blown away by their knowledge and willingness to take an extra few steps to help out their customers. read more

Found this gem recently. Since moving down to Irvine, I have been looking for a neighborhood comic store like this. The manager and staff Ryan and David are really knowledgeable and friendly. They have good selection of trade and hardback comics. If you want to pull service, they provide that as well. They even have weekly Magic the gather tournament. As a causal reader, it is important to have staff recommendations. They suggested some cool titles that fit my taste. And if you wan to sell back some unread title in good condition, they would give you store credit as well. Great community for my comic book needs. Highly recommended. read more

I dropped by today & they are all moved in!! They are completely full of comics...this week's and back issues, a good children's section of books & comics, Pop Vinyl, Graphic Novels (hard cover, soft cover, independent), figurines, and manga, and tons of Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Magic the Gathering cards. And in the THIRD room: sets of comics and.....$1 comics Galore!!! They have also begun playing D&D tournaments...as well as MTG tournaments (even 'learn how to play' right before the tournaments!!). They have all ages playing: young teens to Dads!!! It's a MUCH bigger, brighter store...about 3 times the size of the UCI store!!! Fun to explore!!!!! :) I just heard today that they are MOVING to the Skypark Circle area!!! 17777 Main Street, near Carl's Jr!!! A nice BIG store with new comics, back issues, graphic novels, toys,....and now they'll be having Friday Night Magic, game nights, artist signings & they have plenty of parking Right Next to the Store!!! I can't WAIT!!!! read more

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Great owner and team! Amazing collection of books and games. This place is a joy to visit.

Hello Marco, First, let me say that this is a very clean and organized store. Wow, it's like they had people come dust and clean the place 15 minutes before I arrived. Well done. The selection of comics is very good despite the size of the place and things are easy to find. All great attributes of the store. The male employee who was there was a complete jerk. I was inquiring about some Marvel comics that were supposed to be released the following week and when I asked if they would be getting them and he said, "Yeah" and a look that said "why the f*ck are you bothering me?" I politely ignored it and asked if they would be getting any of the exclusive covers and then got a response "I just told you 'Yeah'." This time his look basically said "are you a moron or something?" I then asked politely for the owners name and after he mumbled it to me I asked him I kindly asked repeat it, to which he slowly and condescendingly said "I already told you...Maarrrcooo." That pretty much made my decision to take my business elsewhere. I was only planning to spend $500-$800 which is not a large amount so maybe this isn't a big deal. However, I would recommend getting rid of this nasty, cancerous blight of an employee so more business won't be lost and over time the accumulation of such lost business will be significant. Good luck. read more

I give this place a high rating because I've always enjoyed their rental program. Here you can rent out a graphic novel for a week for only a few bucks. They have a large bookshelf with titles you can check out, and its a decent variety. Its something I really enjoy because I can read something, and if I don't like it, then I only spent a couple bucks to read it. And if I really enjoy it, then it was worth paying a couple bucks to first sample it. There's not a large selection here and the store is tiny, but those working are helpful and they have some great sales at times. Great place to just sample some graphic novels / trade paperbacks if you're looking for some good reads. read more

I love Alakazam! I have known Will for about 4 years and he's always been very personable and funny. Eric is cool, too. Although this store is rather small, it has a decent selection of comic books (both mainstream and independent...plus there's manga!). If you're into Magic cards and Yugioh, this store has them, too. You can also get some stationery and there is a handful of small figurines for collectors. If you have comic books or cards you would like to get rid of, Alakazam does buy them. However, unless the merchandise is super rare, you might not fetch a high price. I think some people become very offended when they realize that their stuff isn't as valuable as they thought. If you're not satisfied, Will always suggests you can try your luck on ebay. Don't take it personally. read more

Great comic book and board game store. Good selection. They used to be over by UCI but now they're by the airport. I just picked up some new Marvel and indie stuff. read more