Travelling Man — Local services in Manchester

As a closet nerd who grew up in the early 90s, there was always something quite intimidating (and usually smelly) about going to comic & games shops. But it’s 2024 and upon entering Travelling Man for the first time in years, I was convinced things have changed. A great and clean store, full of pretty much everything; all wonderfully organised and displayed. I picked up a handful of what I call “dinner-party” games; the sort of light games you can convince non-gamer friends to play and hopefully reel them into forming a fullblown boardgame addiction (games like “One night Ultimate Werewolf” and “Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza”). Before I payed for my items, I asked the staff member behind the till if they stock a particular small-publish indy wargame I’ve been after. I was kinda shocked by their abrupt “NO” reply. I enquired if it’s something they might be able to order in for me please; again, a rude “NO” with a side eye look of distain up from their computer screen. Feeling like the kid who just got shouted at by Tim Bisley for wanting to buy a Jar Jar Binks toy from Fantasy Bazaar, I put my stuff back on the shelves and went and ordered them elsewhere. You work in a comic shop in Manchester m8, not Dior in fifth avenue. Granted, maybe they just had a bad day or had just received some terrible news. Or maybe they were just crushed that their pokemon tamagotchi finally kicked the bucket. Whatever the case, it didn’t make me feel good. I can see another recent review here which is clearly regarding the same staff member. The days of comic shops being filthy smelly chambers full of dusty collectables might be gone, but the nerd hierarchy is still...

I recently visited travelling man and wanted to share my thoughts on the experience. First off, the store offers an impressive selection of manga and comic books. For any fan of these genres, it's a great place to browse through an extensive range of titles. Whether you're looking for the latest releases or older, hard-to-find editions, there's plenty to choose from, and it’s easy to spend quite some time just getting lost in the selection.

However, while the store excels in its collection of manga and comics, I did notice that the selection of light novels is quite small. As a fan of light novels, I was hoping for a bit more variety. Additionally, the light novel section isn't clearly marked, which made it a little difficult to find. Clearer signage or a more organized display would definitely be helpful for those looking specifically for light novels.

In terms of the atmosphere, I found it to be okay. It’s neither particularly inviting nor unpleasant, but I couldn’t help but feel that the staff weren’t very approachable. Throughout my visit, the staff seemed more focused on chatting and laughing amongst themselves than interacting with customers. While it's great that they enjoy their work environment, it did make me feel a bit hesitant to ask for help or recommendations.

Overall, travelling man is a decent spot for comic and manga lovers, but there’s room for improvement, especially in terms of customer service and the organization of the store. I hope that in the future, the store can offer a more welcoming experience for...

Fantastic comic shop. Fundamentally it's the staff that make this place. They are welcoming and relaxed and engaging and helpful. Haroon the manager is great at making recommendations. He makes effort to get to know what you are into and will steer you way from books that he thinks you won't like, no hard sell here, just genuine joy in what he does. The rest of the team are great too, although I've not talked comics with them so much. Great vibe in there.I used to go to Forbidden Planet before Travelling man were around and although they have a bigger range with some older titles hanging around, I had gotten frustrated with some rude and inattentive staff although I get the impression that has changed more recently. But without a doubt Travelling Man is my first and...