went with my kid helped out a lot with all my sons questions has a lot of great comics cards and…read moregreat service

My grandmother used to live in an apartment above this store. I spent a lot of time in here when I…read morewas little, absolutely entranced by all of the superheroes and cool drawings. Little me was always going straight for the Star Wars comic books though. I recently went back for the first time in years, having become a semi-avid comic collector, and was blown away. Not only was it as welcoming and amazing as I remembered, but the selection was incredible. Of all the comic stores I've been to, this has got to be the best one, hands down.

Great store for comic lovers! My boyfriend and I stopped by…read moreon our way to lunch to check them out and we liked their selection of comic books and manga! I loved their selection of comics created by local artists as well! Everyone working there was helpful and friendly! You get a super welcoming vibe. It's nice! Don't forget to stop by

Awesome comic shop, my favorite in the city. Great selection with fair prices for back issues and a…read morenice 50 cent bin. A nice guy named James helped me out at the register and was super helpful and welcoming.

Adore Quimby's - it is always such a joy to stop in here…read more Support Smaller Artists!! So much love!

After a recent visit, it's safe to say this is my favorite bookstore on earth and the best example…read moreof why physical bookstores matter and should be supported. Tons of titles -- and especially self-published/indie zines -- that you will literally not find anywhere else and are worth your time and dollars. A feast for curious people looking for truly unique and interesting reading material. If you want to be reminded what raw creativity and non-corporate book culture looks like, this is the place to come.

Maximum Distractions truly houses maximum distractions--so much so that I spent at least an hour…read moredigging through boxes to see what I could unearth. There were a good amount of back issues I was interested in, but so many weren't bagged and boarded and were definitely beginning to show some shelf wear. The bigger issues, though, is that nothing is clearly organized by series--or even publisher. There had clearly been some attempts to sort things out, but without any major success. It was frustrating to say the least. The owner was nice and happy to talk to you, and his interactions with other customers of varying sorts were very friendly as well. Sadly, there was a very offering radio station playing the whole time I was there detailing 9/11 conspiracies and whether or not Hunter Biden should be in jail. The owner said it was really just 'background noise,' but it sort of started to weird me out a bit. Regardless, i found a few books I wanted and decided to head out. At checkout, I paid with cash and wasn't charged any additional sales tax--which I always appreciate.

Pretty loaded with back issues. Cool place though somewhat disorganized. The owner definitely will…read morehelp you find something. I asked for prison related comics and he had a few recs like some Amazing Spiderman issues and some comic called The Prisoner.

This is a very cute, cozy book store. I stopped in looking for a book for a friend's baby shower…read moreand an employee helped me easily find one. The selection is smaller but it offers a lot. I liked seeing that they additionally offer crafts, games, and puzzles. They had a lot of DND stuff! Happy to support a fun, local book store. Definitely stop in and explore!

One of the best selections I've seen so far! Their TTRPG section was full of games I've never even…read moreheard of, and they had a ton of art from local artists. Their craft classes seemed really unique, and I signed up for next weekends. The staff was very knowledgeable and answered all my questions easily, which helped a lot!

It has been some time so I stopped in to Challengers Comics, I just finished working in the area,…read moreso I made my stop on the way home. I was greeted as soon I walked in, very friendly staff which is plus. The sele are is extensive and the price point is great, so much to choose from I did pick up a few items. I will make another stop very soon. Thank you Challengers Comics.

I have been visiting Challengers Comics + Conversation since their opening day and to this date,…read morethis is my spot. From day one the service, the selection and the whole atmosphere is something that I haven't found anywhere else! The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, they don't walk around behind you watching your every move like they do in most of the other places I have visited in Chicago and other states. They have a great selection of books, collectables, art, large selection of older comic books at great prices, love attending their events as much as possible, never miss the anniversary, only missed their FREE COMIC BOOK DAY once, I was out of the country! I could not say enough great things about MY FAVORITE COMIC BOOK STORE!

Edit (Sep 28, 2025): I went back and they gave me a cash…read morerefund, even though I originally paid by card, which I really appreciated. That made things right on the surface, but the experience itself still left a bad impression--especially for a store that specializes in cards. Here's what happened: I went in asking for sleeves to fit standard-sized Magic: The Gathering tokens--just regular cards, but double-sided. I explained that I already had sleeves for the rest of my deck, but those had colored backs, so I specifically needed clear sleeves on both sides to show both faces of the token. I picked out clear baseball card sleeves (which are the right size for MTG), but the staff told me they wouldn't fit and pushed me toward something else. The pack they sold me turned out to be 60mm x 87mm, which is too small. That's where the frustration came from. They were more concerned about whether I was using a "gaming" sleeve vs. a "sports" sleeve for feel, but they completely missed the basic form factor--which is way more important. I would've been fine with a sports sleeve if it fit. Instead, I left with something physically incompatible with the cards I clearly described. I don't expect every store employee to be an MTG expert, but this is a card shop. Knowing the standard MTG card size (91mm x 66mm) should be a given--especially if you're giving product advice. It's frustrating because I went in expecting the kind of help you get from a local face-to-face shop, but I ended up finding the right sleeves on Amazon after getting burned in person. I want to support brick-and-mortar shops like this. But when they miss something that basic--and then misguide the customer--that's a trust issue. The refund helps, but the experience still leaves me unsure whether I'll be back.

This place is alright. Stopped in on a Saturday afternoon and there were a good amount of people…read moreplaying TCG stuff which was cool to see. Lots of good singles and boxes to choose from, they really have a solid selection of everything. Have noticed the handful of times I've been in though that they don't have many new releases sports wise. Still a large selection though which is great. The reason for three stars is because of the prices for some items. For example, they have the WNBA Monopoly Prizim priced at $60(!!!) a box which is just insane. I can go down the street to Target and get a box for $30. A 100% markup on a readily available retail product is absurd, I understand a high markup on boxes that are harder to find, but that product is literally at every Target in the city. Noticed a lot of the other boxes were pretty expensive as well and priced higher than what you see online or in general retail. Overall it's a decent place, but there are better sports cards stores in the area. Also, idk if I've just caught the guy on a bad day the few times I've been in but the guy at the counter is always so stand off-ish. I know he's not the owner but it always feels like he's just waiting for me to leave when I've had questions about things.

A bit tricky to find as it is not clear that it is located INSIDE the Macy's big giant shop,…read moreperhaps in the lower level? I can't remember now. But we were in Chicago last week on our way to a concert and decided to buy the performer some children's books for his kid and I yelped "bookstores near me" and this one popped up. So we jumped in a cab and got to Macy's then wandered around a bit until someone told us how to find this part of the store. It is not a stand-alone bookstore, but it does have most things you would need from a bookstore, plus a friendly and helpful staff person. She picked up the phone when we called to ask her where she was located and the shop hours. We were in and out in a flash with a bag full of children's books as well as a bunch of cool postcards, pins, and a few decals, too. Huge "Chicago" section, lots of nice gift and souvenir options. Thanks!

So incredibly hard to find. As of April 2025, it is located by the luggage section in the basement…read moreof the Macy's. Despite its very odd location, the store gives indie bookstore vibes. A careful selection and a large YA section.

This shop is AMAZING! I stopped by here while tooling around shops in the west and northwest burbs,…read moreand I was astonished by the selection of newer back issues. These guys had prints that I haven't been able to locate at other shops, and everything was extremely well organized. Books were in great condition, and the staff were so kind and helpful. Very much a "reader's" comic shop, but they have tables set up for your D&D game or Magic or really whatever your fancy is. Best of all, the prices are fair, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better value in the area. I'll definitely be back. I would die for more time to dig through their back issues.

I wanted to like this place -- the location is nice and most of the staff were friendly and…read morehelpful. Unfortunately, several experiences left me really disappointed. First, their store credit policy makes no sense: you can't use it on "premium" items, which defeats the purpose of having store credit at all. On top of that, when I sold them some premium Magic: The Gathering cards, the prices I was given were for the wrong versions. Because I had my three kids with me at the time, I didn't notice until later, but it felt dishonest and not worth the argument. What bothered me most, though, was how they treated me as a newer customer. I stood waiting for about 15 minutes with my kids while staff ignored me to casually chat and eat with tournament patrons who weren't even doing business at the time. They had recognized me, but still dismissed me while I was clearly trying to complete a transaction. It made me feel like my time -- and my business -- weren't valued. Most of the staff were nice, but the older bald gentleman was rude and dismissive, which really stood out. Between the poor credit rules, the card pricing issue, and the way I was treated as a customer, I can't recommend Thunder Comics. If they want to encourage more sales and playtime in their store, they should focus more on being fair, welcoming, and attentive -- especially to new customers

Such a cool space!!! They have a huge downstairs level full of books too. Wow!…read more There is a large hand sanitizer dispenser near the entrance and everyone who enters is asked to sanitize their hands before touching books. I like that. They also have a really spacious separate room available for events. The Chicago Writer's Association hosted a lovely event there last night, and my boyfriend was chosen as one of the 12 Chicago writers to read some of his work. I'm glad we know about this bookstore now.

I love support location stores, especially when buying books!! Most of the selection is downstairs…read moreand they have a lot of things to choose from. I'll usually choose to go here instead of Barnes & Noble if I need something. I will say the prices are kind of steep, but that's I guess the price you pay if you need a book now and want to support a small business. There are a couple of rules to be aware of in the store - hand sanitizing before entering and being mindful of the other shoppers. The staff is really helpful and can quickly look up what they have in stock.