Very cool comics, graphic novel, manga, gaming, and figurine store with lots of fun items to explore on display. They have a sizable gaming area in the back with tables and lots of games to choose from. Helpful staff. Some snacks, stuffies, and props for sale too. Figurine paints. Great to have a wonderful home for the gaming community, and there are some good eateries at the shopping plaza for before and after. read more

This shop is awful. They promise and do not deliver on their promises or follow the rules that they have made and posted in advance of events. They are extremely rude. I will not go there again. read more

To preface: My friends and I were kicked out of a different gameshop so the magic the gathering players and other TCGs could play. So, we moved to Darkside which worked fine, until today, where we were setting up a table for a game of Warhammer 40k, and then a member of staff has the AUDACITY to tell us to pack up and LEAVE so the trading card game players could play. If you play anything other than a trading card game, stay away because you're not wanted. read more

Happened across this shop while in Sarasota for the weekend, and was immediately wishing we had a place like this near home. The store has a wide variety of interests covered, classic American Comics, board games, figures, toys, miniatures, table top wargames, table top rpgs, plushes, loungefly gear, card games, manga, and more. The staff were all very friendly and easy to converse with about comics or games. We had a pleasant discussion about the differences between the various editions of Pathfinder, D&D and they were certainly knowledgeable about that as well as a wider conversation about some American Comics. Will definitely visit wherever I'm in the area. read more

See all

Awesome little store with a huge selection of many miniature games. They have many different card and games tables, with very friendly staff. read more

Really nice guys that are very honorable. Cool stuff in the store. I will definitely revisit when back in town.

I am an occasional customer, and I make Dark Side one of my stops when I am in the area, spending eighty to a hundred bucks per visit. They are usually helpful and knowledgeable. Not today! I called to purchase a comic with a variant cover, willing to pay up front. I requested that they hold the issue until I am next in town, likely July, and I thought this to be a reasonable request of a comic book retailer, especially considering my advance payment. 'Glenn' said he didn't think he would do this. What gives, Dark Side? There are too many other comic book retailers in the area, and too many places online to not offer better service. Do you have too many customers already? read more

I've always loved this store. Great selection of comic books and games. It's a great place!

My son wanted to learn how to play Pokemon (card game) so we went to The Dark Side looking for cards and help. Not only is the staff fantastic, but their willingness to open up area's to host not only tournaments but regular weekly gaming nights as well is unparalleled around here. Not just Pokemon, but Magic, Warhammer, D&D, and practically any other game you can think of. While the staff may be awesome, the customers are just as great, they took my son under their wing and had him playing like a pro in no time. read more

Went here with the hubby! I enjoyed the selections of comics and mangas that they had. One of the workers was very sweet and took her time giving me good recommendations on some mangas to read! I took all her recommendations and am super happy to read them! Will definitely come again, this is my 4th time at the store. read more

I'll be straight with you right away. I really don't get the poor reviews for this place. If you've got a problem with the selection, that's one thing. If you've got a problem with the prices, what are you expecting? They've got to make a profit off it, and selling it at the msrp might not be an option for them if they themselves are buying it outright. Anywho, this little shop is pretty neat. I loved that they had the posters displayed along the top of the walls. I bought a couple of them, and I'll certainly be heading back for more as different comic movies get released. Their comic selection is decent. It isn't the best I've seen, but it's far from the worst. I was looking for DC Rebirth 1, and after asking an associate if they had any more in stock, he simply replied with a "No." Okay, cool. But he could have told me when they're expecting more, or about their special order service, or about their subscription service. He didn't though, so that's disappointing especially considering I would've been interested in that. All things considered, this place is neat for comic book readers, nerdy board game necessities, and some really great posters wrapped in plastic while pressed against cardboard which surprisingly looks really slick. This was a pleasant surprise, and I'm happy we stopped in. read more

The Dark Side - Had to have this poster! Squad! - Videos & Video Game Rental Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

First off, I'm a novice at board games, so I don't visit stores like this often, and I haven't played a whole ton of different games. But the selection here is quite large, with Euro-style board games galore, as well as some more mainstream varieties like Clue and Cards Against Humanity. There are also vintage Nintendo games for sale. There are lots of games to try, and plenty of tables. The folding tables are set up to maximize seating capacity as opposed to comfort, and there are no snacks or beverages for sale, so this is for serious gaming. read more

tried to sell two cards worth 400$ and was told otp that they only give 50% of the fucking money

Great place for gaming, lots of games and comic to purchase. Friendly staff. They have a lot of tables and terrain for what ever game you may want to play as well as tournament going on all the time read more

The Dark Side - Videos & Video Game Rental Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

I like the Darkside, more of a gaming shop, but a TON of Graphic novels. A huge selection. And yes, they are a tad higher than eBay, but they have odd titles that you can look at. For example, the wargame 'Singapore, 1942'. My friend bought it. They have a HUGE selection of games ready to play. You can go in, grab an open game off the back wall, and study it, read the rules and play it. And four racks of 1/2 price comics. Since, I'm not a collector, but a reader, I like that. read more

Tons of stuff for every type of nerd! Tons of comics! Tons of tcg stuff! Individuals, boxes, boosters, etc. Tons of video games! Tons of figures! Tons of dnd minis and dice! Tons of manga! Tons of board games! The list goes on!! read more

Seems like a good place for gaming, or new issues. They had lots space for both. But if you're a collector of silver & bronze age comics (like me) then you'll be pretty disappointed. All of their older stuff was on the wall, and there wasn't a lot of it. They had a handful of Amazing Spider-Man in the 51-100 issue range, and a few early Luke Cage issues and a couple bronze Daredevil & Captain America's, and that was it. I would say I saw maybe 10 silver age issues and 20 bronze age issues total. In comparison, my local comic shop in Ohio has probably 10x that amount of silver & bronze. I might be barking up the wrong tree here, meaning maybe I'm not the kind of collector that they're even aiming for. read more

I love Darkside. I've been a customer for almost a decade because this place provides a community for anyone who wants to play games, talk comics, and learn new games to play. There are board game nights, 24 hr gaming events, and it's friendly to both kids and adults! There is no other place like it in Sarasota. My recommendation: check out their website or Facebook groups for details on events coming up. I always find cool events that way. Also, as a teacher who runs a gaming and anime club, this is a great place to game with students and for students to go who want to just hang out with each other and play games. I cannot recommend this place enough. #supportyourlocalcomicbookstore! read more

Visited the Dark Side for the first time on Tuesday, May 5th. The store itself is big and nice, with plenty of comics and other related items in stock. I perused the comics section for at least ten to fifteen minutes. The young man working there totally ignored me. He was busy stocking the shelves or something. When I took my purchases to the register, he did ask me 'is that everything?' I asked him if there was a copy of a particular Spider-Man title. He didn't even bother saying 'no.' He just rang my books up. When I got out to my car and actually looked at my receipt, I saw that I had been given 15% off the books, although the signs clearly stated 30% off books. I didn't even bother going back in to ask about it. Nice store in the physical sense, but poor treatment of a new customer will keep me from going back. Edited on Sept 28. After two repeat visits and a conversation with the owner, I've changed my rating from 2 stars to 3 stars. The service was improved and the owner seems to care enough about service to make changes. The number of available graphic novels and games is a strength of the store that I did not mention previously. Worth checking out for yourself. Updated May 30 of 2018 I've dropped in a few more times over the last six months and found even more improvements at the store. Staff was friendly and helpful. The game tables were busy. My overall impression has continually gotten better so I've once again changed my rating from 3 to 4. read more

Great Store with loads of great comics new and old. They also have a lot of graphic novels, statues and games, games, games of all types! If you love gaming youll love shopping here as well as playing here. I dont do the gaming, Im quite a bit older than the gaming crowd, but Ive watched them and they have a great time. While youre gaming they have plenty of snacks and drinks to keep you going. You have to try this place! read more

Best store around. Staff are friendly and there is a great community of gamers. Which the store supports with frequent tournaments for popular games. If you like comics and tabletop games, bring your collection and you'll be sure to find someone to play! read more

I had an appointment yesterday (Monday, Apr 15) for Dark Side to come look at my son's 8-9 boxes of Marvel comics from 1970s-80s-90s for resale, but no one never showed up or even called to say they weren't coming. I had set aside time for this that I could've used to complete other tasks as I'm preparing to move out of the area soon. Very let down by this lack of customer service. read more

More of a gaming store, as 80% of the store is comprised of folding tables and gaming supplies. If you're looking for newer issues or trades, this is the best place in town. Believe me, I've checked. read more

Cool place with a good variety of comics, games, etc. nice and helpful staff. Always a fun trip when I go down there. Would recommend for anyone semi-interested in any type of games. read more

Overpriced. Lots of other choices online for 1/2 price. At least they were nice about denying my refund.

Came down to Florida for the holidays with the family for the first time in 6 years. This is my brother's favorite store/location for his Warhammer hobby. Upon my visit I asked the gentleman behind the counter if they had any items in store that my brother had been asking about or pining over. He informed me that while he didn't have an answer, he would text a few of his co-workers who are more familiar with my brother. Within 3 minutes he walked over to a wall with an impressive selection of Warhammer 40k figurines, pulled a box set of Wolfen soldiers, and handed it to me. "Your brother has substituted units for these guys for a few weeks now," he explained. After many thanks, and a wonderful % off sale, I was able to bring a wide sly grin to my brother's face. I can't forget the new dice and figurines I was able to find as well!! read more