After nearly 18 years serving Bay Ridge comic lovers, Galaxy Comics will close its Fifth Avenue storefront on March 1, marking the end of a neighborhood institution that has been part of the community since 2007.
The shop took over the former Mutant Mania 3 space and quickly became a favorite for readers, collectors and families. Over the years, Galaxy Comics weathered rising rents, shifting retail trends and the pandemic — often with the help of a fiercely loyal customer base.
As a final thank you, the store is holding a closing sale — Funko Pops are buy one, get one free, and graphic novels are discounted between 25 and 50%
For longtime employee Matthew Rivera, the closure is bittersweet. Rivera began as a customer before eventually joining the staff, a path familiar to many who passed through the store’s doors.
“I started as a customer here,” Rivera told Brooklyn Paper. “I used to love coming here, killing time before a movie. This place is 20 minutes away from me, and after a while, they needed somebody to fill in, and I stepped up.”
Rivera acknowledged the challenges that small, specialty retailers face — especially in a neighborhood where foot traffic can make or break a business.
“You can do all the online auctions you want. You can have a social media presence,” he said. “At the end of the day, it all depends on foot traffic.”
Galaxy Comics’ Bay Ridge closure does not mark the end of the business entirely. The store’s parent location in Park Slope will remain open, and staff hope longtime customers will continue their support there.
“This is our Bay Ridge store, but we also have our parent store in Park Slope,” Rivera said. “If you want the same customer service and love, we’re still there.”
Galaxy Comics has long been more than just a retail space. In recent years, the Bay Ridge community rallied around the shop during difficult moments, raising thousands of dollars and advocating for rent relief to help keep it open — efforts previously chronicled by Brooklyn Paper.
Asked what he would say to the community that supported the store for so many years, Rivera did not hesitate.
“Maybe it’s a little sappy, maybe it’s a little mushy, but thank you,” he said.
“Thank you to the people who ventured out. Thank you to the people who didn’t live in this neighborhood. Thank you to the people who were right around the corner,” he continued. “You could have been anywhere in the world, but you shopped here with us, and we appreciate that.”
“If the love is real,” he added, “you’ll continue to support us in Park Slope. We’re just a couple more stops down the R line, ready to serve smiles and the best.”
Galaxy Comics will remain open through March 1, giving Bay Ridge residents one last chance to flip through the bins, say goodbye, and maybe carry home a piece of local comic book history.
