Joker's Child Comics — Local services in Fair Lawn

This is the comic book nerds kinda comic book shop. Everyone that walks in seemed to have a bag of preferred comics and issues waiting for them, and while I was there I saw two employees prepping more for people that were sure to swing by at any moment. But that didn't stop everyone from browsing the shelves too 😉. The stacks, figures, and toys were well organized in a way that made sense as you walked throught the store. And the kids running around confirmed for me it was a family friendly place, even if they did have adult titles. The owners are the sassy, savy, knowledgeable types of people I love in a nerd environment.

They have a back stock of things to look through that would blow your mind, so they keep it "in the back", but they have it so well organized they can tell you in minutes what they have or not... There was one guy who asked about a video game comic, seemed a bit out of place. So I will say this is not a box store that has every geek or nerd item, it had a couple DnD things and other toys, but it is mostly comics and comics related first. Still they have enough comics to keep you busy for years.

My Comic Book Guy brought me by while I was visiting NJ from TX. So, we bought somethings of course. Not only did they make sure I had bags and boards for everything I bought but they made sure they were the right size! Something more people should pay attention to.

Over all the parking lot is a bit hard to get out of on busy days, but don't let that stop you from going in. It is a great shop for all...

I have collected comics since I came home from Afghanistan and my VA doc told me to find a hobby to help with my transition back to a normal life. I keep my comics like I did my footlocker for inspections - pristine. I don’t bend of crease my issues or trades.

Knowing this you can imagine my disappointment when I got a comic that looked like a library copy. I purchased a “new” comic. I was told it was a restock, special order and was bagged and boarded. You can see in the photo below the well bent cover that was concealed by the bag/board. I paid over cover price and will still need to source a copy of this issue if I want new condition. (I could see a crease on the spine as damage from shipping but these creases are from reading.)

The comic book community has more integrity than this. Well other shops do. At least this time when my family selected items someone from Joker’s Child didn’t take the issues from our hands while we were still shopping. They did ask if we wanted them to hold the issues but did so as they were taking them from my daughter. You can imagine a 12 year old who loves comics wondering why this man was taking them from them for no reason. (BTW my daughter knows how to take care of their issues and they do not feel welcome in this shop.)

This was the final straw for me. I tried three times to like this shop. They have only given me reasons to...

A solid NJ comic shop. This place falls under the premium category for me due to it's large amount of product, exceptional organization and good use of the store space. Joker's Child has some unique items I have not seen elsewhere.

Firstly, they have a huge collection of back issues. Secondly, their trade paperback collection is extensive. Thirdly, they have a great collection of books, magazines, statues, toys, etc. that you don't often see in other shops. This shop has interesting "stuff", and that is what I look for in a great comic shop. As far as content, this store is excellent.

Joker's Child decidedly lacks bargain bins ($1, $2, $5) or discount trade paperbacks, instead opting for a premium product focus. The trades are all cover price, but the back issues and magazines were all fairly priced and reasonable from my perspective.

Having visited this store several times, I feel like some of the staff seem to hover too much and at times and seem overly serious. They also tend to block access to content in the course of doing their work organizing back-issues, requiring you to ask them for access to product. This ultimately works against the best shopping experience.

Regardless, Joker's Child is worth a stop if you are near Fairlawn. They might have the book you are...