Best Comic-Book Store

Crash! Pow! Zowee! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Tate's, the go-to shop for lovers of everything from the silver age of Marvel superheroes to the new wave of graphic novels and Japanese manga. Established in 1993 by Tate Ottati, this 4,000-square-foot store has come to dominate the field through its sheer, bulging inventory. There are, of course, the new comic books, which run from $2.25 to $2.99. Then there's the vintage comics, which start at $2 and can run as high as hundreds, even thousands of dollars for the real collectible stuff. For example, the store recently sold a less-than-mint-condition Amazing Spiderman No. 1 for $1,200. But there are also the accouterments of the comic world: posters, T-shirts, anime DVDs, and plush toys. And the most hallowed of all accessories: pocky snacks in a wide range of flavors. For adults -- kids, cover your eyes -- there's a back room with hentai books, or naughty anime. Tucked back in a strip mall, the shop is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.