Empire Comics

A South Buffalo institution on Abbott Road, Empire Comics mixes comics and collectibles with a steady counter of Magic and Pokemon singles.

Empire Comics has been a fixture of the Abbott Road corridor in South Buffalo for years, the kind of neighborhood shop where the staff know regulars by name and newcomers leave with recommendations. While its roots are in comics, the store has grown into a genuine stop for trading cards in Buffalo, stocking Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon alongside the longboxes.

Walk in and the layout rewards browsing: neatly sorted comic bins line the floor, while glass cases and wall space hold trading card singles, sealed product, statues, figures, and anime merchandise. The mix makes it an easy one-stop for a household with different collectors under one roof — a parent grabbing a back issue while a kid digs through Pokemon singles.

The shop keeps approachable hours built around the after-school and weekend crowd, opening early afternoon Monday through Friday from 1:30pm to 7:30pm, then running a longer Saturday from 11am to 7pm; it closes Sundays. South Buffalo locals appreciate that the timing lines up with a stop after work or a weekend errand run.

What keeps the reviews warm is the atmosphere. Customers describe Empire as a true South Buffalo institution with polite, helpful people and inventory that is easy to navigate. For collectors who want a Buffalo card shop with personality — part comic haven, part Magic and Pokemon counter — this Abbott Road mainstay delivers a friendly, unhurried experience that bigger stores rarely match.