The Comic Book and Superhero Renaissance
The Comics Place offers something for everyone
Story by Aiden Luhr
“Django and I have been doing this dance for like 10 to 12 years, so we’ve gotten to see quite a bit of it [growth of mainstream comic books]. It seems like, every 10 or 15 years, there’s a life cycle that happens with comics, boom, bust and return,” said Comics Place Owner Jeff Figley as he brushed back his purple locks.
Django Bohren and Jeff Figley are just a couple of “nerds” who are the owners of the Comics Place Retro, located at 107 W. Holly St. Their new store, Comics Place, is located at 105 E. Holly St.
Comics have grown a symbiotic relationship with the movies.
“I think the most important thing [movies] did is make sure that nerds are cool. We used to walk around scared of getting swirlies in high school,” Bohren laughed.
The main mission for Bohren and Figley is to make comics inclusive.
“That’s the big part of our store, is to make sure that we’re not gatekeeping and encouraging people to engage in comics almost however they want,” Bohren shared.
Comics Place Retro is open Wednesday through Friday from 12 to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
As I look to my left and see a Fantastic Four poster, I’m reminded just how cool comics and superheroes are.
“It’s [comic books] are a warm blanket. Life’s tough, sometimes you need some fictional escapism and it’s real good,” Figley said.
The Comics Place is open Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Every Wednesday is release day, where customers can find the newest editions of their favorite comics stocked on the shelves.
Swing into the weekend with The Amazing Spider-Man #50 as he battles his arch nemesis The Green Goblin. “I mean Spider-Man, I love that guy. He’s probably my favorite superhero,” Comics Place owner Jeff Figley shared.
Photo by Aiden Luhr
Have you ever wondered what happens when a Kryptonian alien who can’t get drunk tries to celebrate her 21st birthday? The answer lies within “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.” “Probably in my top 50 favorite comics,” Comics Place Owner Django Bohren said. The movie adaption will release in theatres on June 26, 2026, starring Milly Alcock as the titular character.
Photo by Aiden Luhr
In their primes and at the top of their game, who will come out on top in a bloodthirsty quest for revenge: Spider-Man or Kraven the Hunter. Find out in “The Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt.” “One of the most seminal Spider-Man runs. I pointed to people all the time as like probably, one of the five to ten best Spider-Man runs,” Comics Place Owner Jeff Figley said.
Photo by Aiden Luhr
Sometimes loved ones can steer us towards the light in a flood of darkness. A sneak peek of “The Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt.” “Classic. I think I probably read it pretty close to when it came out,” Comics Place Owner Django Bohren shared.
Photo by Aiden Luhr
The two “deep nerds,” Jeff Figley and Django Bohren pose in a vacuum of space at the Comics Place, located at 107 W. Holly St. The Comics Place opened on Nov. 12, 2024 with a mission to make comics and superheroes inclusive. Every Wednesday is release day, where customers can find the newest editions of their favorite comics stocked on the shelves.
Courtesy of Jeff Figley
As the day passes, Comics Place staff member Sean Marshall meticulously places a comic book with a ‘Creatures Commandos’ ad in a seal — fulfilling online orders from various comic book collectors on March 5, 2025, in Bellingham, Wash. Once done, Marshall adds another online order to the collection of white boxes behind him, tagged with orange sticky notes.
Photo by Aiden Luhr
Whether it’s Halloween, Christmas or New Year’s, no celebration is safe from the “Holiday Killer.” With District Attorney Harvey Dent and Lieutenant James Gordon by his side, Batman must race against the calendar before Holiday claims more victims during festive months in “The Long Halloween.” “One of the best Batman comics of all time,” Co-Owner of Comics Place Jeff Figley said. “It’s like very noir and dark and has a great mystery to it.”
Photo by Aiden Luhr
Determined to join the war on crime in Gotham, Barbara Gordon becomes the city’s newest vigilante…Batgirl in her origin story “Year One.” “Gorgeous and super fun,” Co-Owner of Comics Place Django Bohren said. “It kind of fits in with [“Long Halloween”] visually and the story overalls with it a little bit.”
Photo by Aiden Luhr
With glowing screens and high stakes challenges awaiting, a portal to a world of pure fun can be had in the upstairs area of the Comics Place with these pinball machines, ranging from Godzilla, NASCAR and The Shadow, on March 5, 2025, in Bellingham, Wash. If you’re feeling a little competitive edge, pinball is just a few stairs away.
Photo by Aiden Luhr
Full of wonder and imagination, customers can flip through all of these comics stacked on shelves to their heart's content at the Comics Place, on March 5, 2025, in Bellingham Wash. If comics aren't your thing, you can take a long gander at the various amount of posters, replicas, etc the store has to offer.
Photo by Aiden Luhr