Comic Shopping in Europe
I recently had the opportunity to visit Milan, Dublin, and Barcelona. The trip was for business but I did have enough free time to explore the comic shops in each of these cities. The experience is very different in each city but the shop owners and customers are very much the same. Conversations centered on late shipping books and crossover events in US comics that have been translated into the local languages (when English is not the primary language). Each country also had its own comics and these books were the treasures I sought out. I did pick a few translated US editions but I spent time with locals and shop owners to understand the local favorites.
Milan - In Milan comic books are sold on the newsstands. Fortunately for me one of my business counterparts in Italy is also a comic book collector. Andrea took me to the newsstand and showed me the various Italian titles and the Marvel/DC titles that have been translated and repackaged. The Spider-Man title I picked up was much thicker than its US counterpart. Besides the featured story this books also contained an additional two full stories from other current Marvel titles. In my case I also got a Thunderbolts and New Avengers issue included with the main Spider-Man feature. The interiors are exactly the same as their US counterparts but the covers are new and created just for the Italian edition.My friend Andrea recommended Gea. This is a comic book that is published in manga style volumes with black and white interiors. I had to use Wikipedia to get the plot synopsis since I don’t read Italian. But once I understand the basic story I was able to enjoy the interesting line work and I was also able to follow the story through this last volume of the series.
Dublin - This city provided the richest comic experience (and largest hangover) of all the cities I visited on this trip. Dublin has four comic shops; one chain store and three shops that are closer to what we in the US consider local comic shops.The first store I visited was Forbidden Planet (the chain store) and while the staff was friendly and welcoming they weren’t interested in getting to know me or doing more than pointing the walls and walls of books they have stocked. Forbidden Planet had the largest store and the most inventories of US comics but ranked last in my list. Next up was Crow Corner owned and operated by Liam. This shop is a back issue mecca with stacks and boxes of all sorts of US, UK, and Irish comics. Liam spent a significant amount of time digging out some early Grant Morrison books for me and he also was the best at pointing me to Irish comics. Liam even found some comics published in Gaelic, these were perhaps the most interesting of all the comics I purchased on this trip. Next stop was The Third Place run by Bruno. Bruno is a Portuguese transplant and he and his customers were perhaps the friendliest and most entertaining. I spent at least an hour in this shop talking comics and pop culture. The last shop of my Dublin tour was Sub-City. Sub-City had a great selection of both current and back issues. I picked up Gene Colan penciled Daredevil #59 for a mere $10. This shop is really small but not on inventory or customers, I had to wait in line to get in but it was well worth it. The favorite local comic artist is Gerry Hunt and I managed to get two different books created by him. His books take place in Dublin and feature scenes and people that actually exist. His style is hard to describe but is closer to Derek Robertson than anyone else I could think of. The stories and art are rich in detail and now his stuff is available in the US so if you get a chance pick one up and let the world of Dublin draw you in.
Barcelona - The last stop on this trip was Barcelona and I was able to find one comic shop. This shop was located in an area I probably shouldn’t have been in by myself but I managed to navigate the tiny streets and find this gem. The owner didn’t speak much English but he was able to point me to Blacksad. From what I could I make out he explained that this book was created by a Spaniard but it was originally translated to French and published there first. It became so popular and acclaimed that the fans demanded to see it in its intended language and format. I snapped up one of the hardcover editions and again I had to rely on other sources to get the storyline but once I had that the art pulled me in and I really enjoyed this edition.
Comics and comic fans exist all over the world and I am grateful that my business allows me to travel and meet them. The languages and styles may differ but the enthusiasm and passion of the fans and owners seems to be universal. I learned a lot and made a few new friends that hopefully I will get to see again one day.
Sean Wheatley has been reading and collecting comics for over 35 years. Send comments and suggestions to: Seanwheatley1@earthlink.net