New comic book shop on Bank Street helping to revitalize Centretown

A new comic book shop on Bank Street is helping revitalize Centretown. CTV’s Dave Charbonneau reports.

A new shop in Centretown is giving comic book fans a place to connect, collect, and celebrate the art form they love, and it’s helping to revitalize an area that has seen several business closures in recent years.

Inside Nefarious Comics on Bank Street, owner Ryan Jordan has built more than just a store, he’s built a community.

“I really wanted to give a community, a sense of belonging where you can come in, you can hang out, you can chat about your comics, your Pokémon cards, your Magic cards. You can come play cards at a table, grab a drink, listen to some music, and just connect with members of the community,” Jordan said.

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The shop is part of a wave of new additions to Bank Street.

“We are seeing businesses leave and new ones come in. This is just going to drive more traffic, more tourism, and even the aesthetic of the outside of that comic book shop is something to see,” said Sabrina Lemay, executive director of the Centretown BIA.

Nefarious Comics opened about a month ago and is already popular among die-hard fans.

Residents say places like this new comic book shop are good for the community.

“People putting in the effort into opening a store like this in a place that needs brick and mortar shops and jobs and work, yeah, it’s really good for the community, I think,” said Dave Moncur, a comics fan.

Luke Hodge, a comic and Pokémon collector, said he visits the shop almost daily.

“It’s awesome. I honestly come in almost every day on my way to work,” Hodge said. “I’ve been collecting since I was a kid. But I did stop for a little bit. And then once I saw the shop, I kind of got back into it. But Pokémon, I have been collecting for a couple of years now.”

Fans say they love every aspect of the new spot.

“It’s the art. It’s the stories. The simplicity of it all and maybe just a little escapism,” said Jeff Taylor, a comic collector.

Jordan says owning a shop was always the dream.

“When we were children collecting comic books, you’re like, what do you want to be when you grow up? And like, I want to own a comic book store,” he said.

The store’s crown jewels are a collection of extremely rare comics, some worth a small fortune. One collection, with some issues signed by legendary comic book creator Stan Lee, is so valuable that it is kept off site in a safety deposit box.