Samurai Comics

First off let me say that this is a nice space. Coming in its clean and open, bright too.
I wasn’t greeted when I came in, which I’m not such a fan of. Just a quick hello is all I ask.
I walked around looking at various things looking for the back issues and for the life of me I thought I’d found the first comic shop with no comic books.
It turns out they are under the front window (awful placement with the Arizona sun) and I looked to see just an anemic selection back issue selection. I’m certain that many people have much larger personal collections than what is here.
So I go to the front desk to see if I’m missing the old X-​Men books that I don’t see any of (thats uncommon considering their popularity and long history) but there were no wall books or special comics save a couple in a display case.
What I found surprising is the lack of emphasis on comic books. Now, I am sure they aren’t huge money makers, and I completely understand that you have to offer additional products to stay profitable and all, but it almost feels cheap to put COMICS on the storefront and have very few comics outside of new stuff. This is more of a retail toy and game focus than anything.
I was directed to Bookman’s next door which I did, but that’s a different review.

Recently started collecting again and shopped a few places before deciding on Samurai Comics. After my experience at Greg’s (yeesh, the worst!) Samurai felt like heaven. I’ve read some of the reviews and I think some of the issues people have had (unfriendly staff, small selection, etc.) have been addressed, so obviously the management is paying attention. There is one woman there who is fantastic (I wish I remembered her name!) — friendly, knowledgable and helpful. For newer comics, pretty good selection and display. I like that they have a kid’s comic zone too, very nice. Too bad their back issue selection is pretty slim. One of my few concerns is with my subscription box, which I clean out once a month — they consistently neglect to pull all of them and I have to scramble to find the issue online or another store. Overall, not a bad place but it could be the best if they made a few adjustments.

A word of advice to this business: I can get comics online for cheaper than any store. The only reason to go to a store instead is the ability to flip through them first. I will never gamble on a new run that I know nothing about without sampling a few pages. Have I ever gone to a comic shop only to flip through some and leave without making a purchase? Yes. But more often I’ve bought comics from a store that I had started out just flipping through and then couldn’t leave without.
Wanted to love this place. Only comic shop near where I’m staying that had the new squirrel girl. There was no question that I was going to leave with that and another, but I decided to sit and flip through spider-​gwen since I’ve been curious about that comic. If it had been good I would have bought both of the ones they had there. I had flipped two pages when an employee approached and told me I couldn’t «just sit there and read the comics because it isn’t fair to the people who purchase the comics.» I was sitting there with two comics I’d already decided to buy, one I was flipping through, and one more that I would have bought if the one I was flipping through looked good. He acted like there was no possible world where opening a comic in the store could lead to a purchase. It turned out to be a self-​fulfilling prophecy, cause after that I didn’t want to buy any from them. I will be making those purchases at one of the MANY comic book shops that allow their customers to look at the comics in-​store in order to support those business that understand making customers gamble on a cover alone is stupid.

When you go in here and ask a question they look at you like your stupid and they are not infornative at all

This place is terrible. The merchandise is stale. For a comic shop they sure do lack in the comic department. It’s like half a Hot Topic threw up in Samurai Comics. The customer service is atrocitus. They use to have a couple decent employees on staff but I don’t think they work there anymore. The last time I was there this guy reeking of cigarettes «helped» me out but he wasn’t knowledgeable, just creepy. I won’t ever go back. They should brush up on their customer service. It’s not like they are the only comic shop in the valley.

I don’t know if its just me but comic book stores have been getting less interesting since my high school days, What I always shopped for and appealed to me were the statues and busts on display plus the unique toys and trinkets and imports you can only find at a comic shop. I remember being able to find some cool items like my Milk and Cheese magnet and Akira memories art book to name a few. I didn’t mind the geeks playing Magic the Gathering or whatever game is popular back then, nor did I mind the terrible animé art drawn by locals posted up around the store. And believe me some of these local artists are terrible.
Its not the same anymore and I think we have Hot Topic to thank for that along with the massive jump in a Marvel movies, but the feeling of browsing a comic store just isn’t the same.
I went here recently to look around and I just felt disappointed. I walked around and I just think this new generation of store is not for me. I could care less about the big selection of big headed Pop inaction figures or the 5 varieties of Dead pool shirts that aren’t funny. I’ve seen a lot of these items on display sadly at Hot Topic and at Games stop, so to come here and find nothing new is disappointing.
I can’t say I won’t be back to look around and hopefully find some back issues of Akira or maybe browse the small amount of statues they have in the case but for now I can shop online for that.

This place has the most disrespectful staff ever. They are always outside smoking and bringing that smell in with them. Then you make a purchase and they barely acknowledge you and NEVER say thank you. They could all take a Manners 101 class. They are too busy socializing to acknowledge paying customers. Ridiculous.

Seriously? I don’t even know why I attempt to go to other shops. The staff here is amazing, especially Justin, and Nick (now manager at phoenix location.) Once I walk in I’m instantly greeted, and I can easily find what I need because the shop is organized the whole way through. The selection here is awesome for comics, and if there is something they don’t have, 9 times out of 10 they can track it down for me, possibly even order it for me! They also support local artists by showcasing their work there! This shop is amazing. They will always take care of you and help you find what you are looking for. Keep up the great work guys! I love coming here for all my comic needs and will continue to be a regular customer :)

Since the day I decided to get back into the hobby of reading, collecting, and learning about comics, Samurai Comics: Mesa has been and will always be my home. From day one, the staff, the selection, and the conversation has made Wednesday my favorite day of the week. Everyone there has been kind, inviting, and knowledgable to all my questions and needs when I enter and leave. One of the best parts as well, is when I go in with my kids. Everyone greets them and let’s them wander and directs them to books they’d want as well (we now have a VERY healthy collection of MLP and Adventure Time books for their own box). So thank you for being great and never change Samurai Mesa.

I’m not a huge comic fan, but going into any store I expect to be greeted and said farewell to. Basic customer service is lacking. Decent selection. Clean. Organized. They even have a few games to choose from! What I found odd, however, was the massive selection of bobble heads they had. Are they really that popular?

I am giving this review from just going yesterday the 30^th of July 2014. Now I am not from this side of the US and coming from where the comic stores are far and few to having one so close to me is amazing. They are not mean at all. Didnt say much to me as I walked in which I didnt mind because who wants to be annoyed while you are searching for comics, but when I asked they were willing to order it for me if they didnt have it. So thats a plus. Its not lively though. Maybe thats why I didnt give it a five star. The price range depending on what it is okay in the middle. But its something there for everyone. I will check it out again. They have tournaments let me check that out then i will give another review.

It’s a place for comic and has some semi-​decent goodies. Overall its alright because the staff is zombied out. No one says hi to you when you walk in, asks you if you found everything ok and only acknowledges you upon check out. Been here many times and each time it’s the same.

I just started dabbling with comics and I’ve been to several stores throughout the valley. The staff at samurai is small and therefore they probably don’t have the best customer service. But they will answer ALL of your questions. They are not snotty or arrogant. They are friendly and welcoming. But all that stuff aside they have the BEST prices on the comic books and they seem to have random sales as well. No reason not to like this shop. All the other shops should hope to keep their blade as sharp as SAMURAI!!!

This place sucks the big D. Came for the PTQ, the staff was under prepared and didnt have the room nor equipment to run such an event. Multiple people sat down in chairs that immediately broke. I sat in a few chairs that felt lilke they were on their last leg too. It was hot as fuck and for my first PTQ I was not a fan of sitting 3 to a table. Fuck this place they don’t even play modern regularly.

Staff is completely unhelpful and rude. At the time of my visit, there were two women employees working (Both of these women are working every time I visit the store). I walked in at exactly 7 pm and I as I walked through the door I checked the signs in the window. There were three signs in the door. The open sign was up, another sign had the hours that said «Wednesday (New Comic book day) open til 8 pm», and a third that was hand written with hours of closing at 7pm everyday. I went in, grabbed what I needed and went to check out within a minute of being there. While checking me out, the woman asked her coworker to come by the door. The coworker walked over and asked if she should «look scary». Our cashier then responded saying that she just needed to flip the open sign because we obviously couldn’t read the other signs. It was extremely rude, and I will never go back to Samurai Comics to get anything I need.

From my experience, Samurai Comics isn’t bad. Of course every time I go there, I know what I’m looking for, so no complaints at customer service. I’ve been asked if I needed help from the two female workers that worked the shift, but no help was needed on my end.
My gripe is that for a comic book store, supply is very limited and high priced. Bookmans in the same lot sells the same back issues for 50 cents, and the no name comic book store right next door sold some of the same back issues for a quarter. Not sure on the pricing on their single back issues, but the selection isn’t all that great. In fact, they do not have a wide variety on anything good or new either. Shelves do not look like they get replenished much, and sometimes the bags and boards I look for (current) are sold out. The collectors toys and items are a tad too much, some of those toys you can find at Toys R Us for way cheaper.
Other than that, I’ve come and witness the card /​rpg gaming end of the store and it seems people have a lot of fun. There also seems to be a few regulars I see every time I go there, so that shows some loyalty. No major complaints, just a few tweaks here and there and then they can be a great comic store.

Samurai comics is okay.
The selection is okay, but definitely way overpriced. The customer service isn’t really much to talk about either; I’ve never been asked if I need anything or even greeted when I walked in the door. However, they were friendly when I went up to pay for an item.
I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something missing about the atmosphere that has turned me off. It’s unfair for me to be unable to say why exactly I don’t feel like I can take my sweet time and browse, but I don’t. Maybe I’m weirded out by the layout (it’s big and open, made for gaming), or maybe it’s just a vibe. It may not be my thing, but you may really enjoy it, so you should at least give it a try.
They did do a great job at the Free Comic Book Day, and they often have gaming going on when we go in. Other people seem to be enjoying themselves, and they have a decent amount of regulars, so I might just be missing it. I just prefer to go elsewhere.

I was in the store for ten minutes today, and no one bothered to help me or my girlfriend. We both buy comics. Actually, we both buy a lot of comics — we’ve spent about $ 1k on comics and toys in the past two months. This store is terrible. A Batgirl top with an MSRP of $ 35 on sale for $ 50? A leaking roof and zero customer service? Completely unforgivable. This was my second trip to the store — I’d hoped that the last time I went in was just a fluke. Not so, it was even worse today. I love comic shops and I always buy something whenever I go. Not here, and never again. Stay the hell out of this place. It’s terrible, and the only thing they’ve earned is failure. I wish I could give them negative stars. I wish I had the time to stand in front of this store and urge people to not walk in.

Wow Bertha made a Unilocal account just to gripe about this place. Frankly as far as LGS’s go, it’s my favorite. I sometimes feel like the staff are pedantic about the procedures for looking at cards in the store. There are some good people, though. Don’t give up on Samurai, Bertha.

The staff at Samurai are always friendly and helpful. Great selection of new books. What I really like is there’s no requirement on the number of books they will hold for monthly subscriptions. If you want just one book its no problem. Other comic shops in the past have told me there minimum requirement of 15 books a month, No Bueno. Thanks Samurai for always fulfilling my comic book needs