WBcomics is the Best Graphic Novel Store You've Never Heard Of

WBcomics masquerades as a humble produce store, but inside it is a comic book paradise

What you will find packed into the store’s few square meters of space is a truly global collection of original stories poured onto the page with colorful ink. Most of the books can be purchased online via the store's WeChat account (follow the store at WeChat ID: wbcomics), but why order online, when it's infinitely more fun to spending a lazy afternoon browsing the books yourself?

There's a variety of English and international comics and picture books for children

This room can be broken down into varying levels of corporatism and independence. Books on one wall stand neatly and uniformly under the headings of major American publishing houses, while on the opposite side is a jumble of European titles. Unlike on the WeChat store, none of the prices on these books are marked in RMB, though they can be estimated based on the price in USD or EUR (with prices usually translating to about RMB 80-200) – a beautiful thing given the usual practice of drastically inflating prices on hard-to-come-by imports.

The titles aren't shrink-wrapped so you're free to browse before you buy

The rear wall holds the most independent books of all: zines. Be careful when buying, though, because these small, all-paper booklets are priced by the authors with a range of about RMB 15-300, which to our experience may or may not reflect quality.

The American comic section is substantial

Regardless, with its diverse collection, WBcomics may just be the city’s number one spot to satisfy seekers of strange stories and supporters of independent comic artists, even though you might not know it from its humble exterior. In fact, there's so much intriguing material inside that even if you're new to comics you may find it impossible to leave empty-handed.

Images: Dianping, Joey Knotts