They have a great back catalogue of comics upstairs with the most knowledgeable and friendly atmosphere. The only reason I don't go here every week is because I want to buy everything :-) read more

The Escapist is the best comic shop in the East Bay, and one of the best in the whole Bay Area. I used to live in Rockridge within walking distance, but recently moved to a different part of Oakland. Even though there are closer shops (which I don't even need to mention here), I still make the trip out to The Escapist once a week to pick up my books. The place may look like a mess at first, but that's all just part of its charm. They are always well stocked with new releases, especially Image books, which tend to get neglected by other shops. The folks that work here are also pretty chill and you can tell they love comics. Don't forget to check out the sister store, Dark Carnival, a couple doors down for an impressive selection of Sci-Fi and Fantasy books. read more

I come here once a month for Tom Neely's Humans book. The occasional Henry and Glenn Forever. I spend maybe $5 month tops...yet I'm always greeted with a smile, great service, and loose conversation. I love these guys. If I ever decide to quit dabbling and dive headfirst into a new obsession..they will be my supplier. read more

This store is the reincarnation of the original Comic Relief comic book store. To create The Escapist, neighboring Dark Carnival Bookstore purchased the entire inventory of the former award winning Berkeley comics giant Comic Relief, including both new and vintage titles. It even has the same cats. They are quickly cultivating a world class Small Press section, boasting comics from local artists, small press publishers like Sparkplug, Tugboat Press, and Picturebox, as well as individual creators worldwide. They have bins from cartoonists dating back through the 90s. The website lists the newest items and special events. I think the original founder, Rory Root, would approve. read more

I got to come in here yesterday, and I'm so glad Comic Relief lives on, at least in spirit. I spent a good half hour getting recommendations on good books to read from the friendly and knowledgeable staff. They have an extensive selection of trade paperbacks, with or without capes (and for the first time in my life, I walked out of a comic shop with a non-superhero book). Same great staff, same great collections in a slightly smaller (er, more intimate) setting that's walking distance from me now, YAY!!! Give them a few weeks to finish setting the joint up and it'll surpass the old store. (and they let me use a Comic Relief gift card, which I thought for sure was just going to be wasted, thanks guys!) read more

To write a review for this business I must first admit something: I'm into graphic novels again! What was once a pastime for me as a youngster now comes as a substitute for the plain dull literature I read today. If you read comics as a kid then there's a good chance you will read graphic novels as an adult! There's just something about the suspenseful stories combined with the visually powerful drawings that make graphic novels hard to put down. If you don't believe me look at how influential they've been towards Hollywood! I am convinced that you can never outgrow this type of literature, especially since I have been hooked by the works of Frank MIller, Alan Moore and Garth Ennis! The Escapist is the answer to your graphic novel/comic/manga needs! I have never seen such an excellent collection of the three in one store! They really make good use of the space they have available. If you cannot find what you're looking for here, well no problem, they even offer to order what you want online! It is well organized, the sections are not scattered all over the place either. Its all here and its easy to find. The staff is pretty nice, they are willing to answer any questions you may have for them. Finding parking can either be easy or hard depending on the time & day you visit. Fortunately you do not have to pay for street parking, a rarity around Berkeley! Ever since Comic Relief shut its doors for good, it seemed as if Berkeley had no more decent comic stores left. The Escapist definitely fills those shoes in & is as good if not better than Comic Relief! read more

I've toured all the comic stores in the Bay Area and am glad i recently found this one. Their inventory of toys/statues is impressive and the store's floor plan is pretty freakin awesome. read more

Update: I received the following email from the Escapist staff. Everything that the person says seems plausible to me. ========================== Hi Adam, We saw your review and we are very disappointed that you think that we were dishonest with you. First of all when we look at comics we look at condition first. You may go online and look at Ebay and see one of your comics in Near Mint condition and CCGd that will go for a lot more then what we will sell it for. Another thing is we have a lot of 80's and 90's X-Men already, it takes a lot of work to bag and board and bin the comics so that is also taken into account when we buy comics. If you had any concerns about the prices then you also could of called us and we would of gladly refunded the transaction and given you your comics back. Also most of those comics end up in a $1 sale bin. Again people on ebay can ask for any price they want. It does not mean they are going to get it. If you would like to come back in and see what your comics are selling for we will gladly show you. We were never dishonest about pricing, and if you had any questions I would hope you would come down and discuss them with us instead of just trashing us on Yelp. So in the future before you make bad remarks about a small business maybe take a step back and see if you can contact them first. We would of be glad to help you with any problems you might of had with this transaction. But again we are sorry you felt the way you did. -Escapist Comics" read more

This store is AMAZING! One of if not THE best local comic shop I have been to. From the outside it seems tiny, then you go inside and its like the Dr. Who TARDIS!!! SO MANY COMICS! They have a HUGE selection of TPB! There are super old/rare comics, indie/local comics, paperbacks, posters, toys, and all sorts of merch. I seriously had to have my wife tell me that "i was done shopping" or I probably wouldnt have left. They also have adorable store security in the form of tiny cat creatures that APPEAR to be sleeping but come to life when you get to close (think Atreyu going to see the Southern Oracle). I plan on going back weekly for our comic fix. read more

This place is awesome!! Fairly new (been around 3-4 years) but has this really nice established cozy lived-in vibe. Small and filled to the brim with stuff, but not messy or overwhelmingly so. They seem to have a wide range of stuff, from photocopied DIY zines to the superhero stuff and everything in between. Also laid back reading room vibe that makes you want to hang out and sample their wares before deciding what to buy. Highly recommended if you're in the area, or even if you're not, it's worth going out of your way for if you're into any kind of sequential art. read more

Stellar staff. They save my comics for me while I'm away for work for months at a time. They know what I want and have it ready for me when I walk in the door. Two thumbs up for this place. read more

Hadn't been to a comic book store in years. In fact, I didn't intend to go this one. However, as I stopped by Star Meats for the first time, I noticed this comic book store that was only a few doors down. It's a small shop but, the selection was very good. The best way to describe this store is quaint. It's nice in a throwback kind of way. I'm sure that I'll be stopping by again. read more

Nice people! Even called another store about a game I had questions about. Great selection of used comics. Staff knows their stuff, they will chat and educate and yet they never act snobby about their knowledge. My kind of people! read more

Paul is wonderful! I love the selection of art books and in the past when they have had something missing they are are always willing to special order products. One time I was very lucky and Paul actually found a book that was out of print that he had at home and then let me buy it me. Not many people know, but there is also an amazing back issue section upstairs, just make sure to ask staff if it's ok before heading up there! :) read more

A great comic store. Huge selection of graphic novels as well as current issues. You can't go wrong here, and as a plus the bookstore next door is great too. read more

Great bookstore - filled to the brim with wonderful finds. I could have spent all day there.

This has a most Amazing (I use that word on purpose-if you've read a particular book by Mr. Michael Chabon you'll know what the reference is :) ) selection of comics and graphic novels, mainstream and otherwise! I found 3-4 graphic novels I've been trying to find for months, within 30 minutes! It's another one of those "come explore me" types of stores, with shelves to discover and "books" and crannies. I will continue to visit this store and support it, and I recommend it to anyone out there looking for their next comic read. read more

I really like this store: the location is tucked away and it's on a really cool little street. The staff is always super cool and will help out if you need it. I had a great time shopping at Christmas and now I try and come in once a week or so. Nice selection of graphic novels and kids books. I found a cool little corner in the store filled with Charles Schultz peanuts books that I couldn't find anywhere else. I highly recommend and great if you are looking for or with kids read more

The Escapist has a pretty decent comic selection, but I know this mostly through how impressed my comic-obsessed girlfriend was when we walked through the store. I leafed through a few books, but generally didn't find the store's inventory particularly compelling to me, Mister Comic-Initiate. read more

Friendly staff. Lots of great selection of new and old back issues! Wish they could get a bigger store, but I'll take what I can get. I also like the science-fiction shop right next to it. It's nice how I can kill two birds with one stone when I go there. read more

This is my new comic book spot. I went to all of the other comic book stores over the weekend . The shop is what I am looking for ; great staff awesome collections and easy parking . read more

Great selection, helpful staff. They get all the current comics and have a great vintage selection, too.

Fantastic comic book store. Layout makes it very easy to find things, friendly and hip staff, great selection of comic books. This store has enabled my passion for the symbolism of Grant Morrison in a way I never thought possible. Also Jason Shiga will be there for the launch of Empire State so that's also good. read more

The Escapist is the premier comic book store in the east bay. Quality selection of trades from floor to ceiling. Always a ton of new comics to choose from. They even have a huge Vintage selection upstairs if that's your thing. They carry a wide variety of Image comics, which I always seek out. I've had a pull list here for well over a year now, and don't even think of going to other shops, since they are so reliable. Plus the staff are all super friendly and knowledgable, which is always nice! read more

love coming here, they will help you decide what to read. there is a lot to choose from.

I'm not a comics expert, but I can say that they have pretty much everything by Adrian Tomine and Osamu Tezuka that's in print. If they have achieved that level of completeness across all categories, most people should be able to find what they want here. Adrian Tomine has a new little book about the preparations for his wedding which I passed on for now. I'm holding out for more issues of Optic Nerve or a new series. The store is crammed with well organized books. It's a yes. read more

Great, knowledgeable peeps. Solid selection. Top notch all around

Yeah the ESCAPIST is new but it has everything- EVERYTHING! All the floppies, all the books and collections new and old, the graphic novels, the manga, many minicomics, even vintage "Golden Age", Silver Age and Bronze, everything you expect and don't expect, plus true service. It's like Comic Relief was trying to be but better-looking, less snobby, more up to date and in a less icky area. So instead of NO parking, there's Free parking? It's true. My girlfriend just coasts her bike down from UC campus and stacks up the goodies. Go see for yourself why we're going nowhere else. I found gifts for my little sister, floppies and even indies for the guys in the punk band, 3 floppies I somehow missed, the collected Ax Cop, plus a POGO book for my grandad, for real, and he loved it! I feel sorry for anyone who hasn't seen the place. (And don't even get me started on the highly cool sf+noir Dark Carnival Bookstore next door, full of strange toys.) Five stars for the Escapist. Or Six. Or ten! Now back to reading some great shit. read more