Comic Verse: Saudi Arabia’s First Comic Book Store is a MUST Visit
(Read all the way to the end to watch the vlog and podcast episode with the store’s owner)
In the summer of 2022 came the news that the geek community of Saudi Arabia would be getting its first comic book store but with the prevailing mentality in the business community, people didn’t know what to expect
The store started with an impressive opening, bringing all the major titles, imprints, and indies for the readers in the country. However, comic book stores are best experienced through in-person visits and that’s what happened to me
Two weeks ago I was invited to attend a collectors' gathering hosted at Comic Verse store in Riyadh. The organizers were kind enough to arrange for my trip. The gathering was on a Friday, and it brought together collectors mostly from Riyadh with only me being the exception (being a representative of Jeddah and someone who collected comics and vintage action figures)
As soon as I entered, I realized that this place besides being a historical landmark (due to being the country’s first comics store) was also a haven for the community. Shelves were adorned with statues and posters but the biggest display belonged to the collected editions (hardcovers and paperbacks), weekly comics stacks, and boxes full of back issues. The collection wasn’t only DC and Marvel, the store has it all. Being a comic book reader myself and having visited stores in Orlando, San Francisco, London, and Dubai; this store has really outdone our expectations
Obviously, I had to make a vlog about it but I also needed to know what inspired its owner to invest in such a niche venture, especially in a market that mostly prefers to invest in real estate, general contracting services, general retail, or e-commerce
He was kind enough to sit down with me at his store and talk about his journey. What really impressed me about him was the fact that he was not driven by profits or sales but rather by the community’s needs when it came to comic book reading. Furthermore, if anyone would ask about a particular story or any arc or any collected edition, he would have it. And there were more, collectible action figures from DC Universe, Marvel Legends, Marvel Select, and Star Wars. What more could a geek want?
Watch my Vlog
Watch the Superheroes of Arabia Podcast Episode with Sultan Saad (Owner of Comic Verse Store)