Ground Zero Comics

East Fifth Street comic and card store with a big Pokemon following, a large gaming area and 400 Google reviews averaging four and a half stars.

Ground Zero Comics has spent years building the kind of reputation that shows up in numbers: 400 Google reviews at a 4.5 average, in a city where most hobby retailers count theirs in the dozens. The East Fifth Street store has become a genuine anchor for Tyler collectors.

Pokemon is the standout category. Booster packs and singles both move well, and the shop comes up in local conversation as the reliable place to find current sets without a drive to Dallas. Magic: The Gathering holds a strong second position, with a stock of singles that players describe as large by East Texas standards. Yu-Gi-Oh and other tabletop card games round out the cases.

The comic side has not been neglected in favor of cards. Long boxes of back issues, current releases, graphic novels and manga all get proper space, and the store's tabletop game displays draw comment from visitors who were not expecting the presentation to be that considered.

A large gaming area sits at the heart of the store, and it is well maintained — reviewers specifically note clean facilities, standard pricing and available wifi, the unglamorous things that determine whether people actually stay and play. Staff have a reputation for being easygoing and knowledgeable, and the shop's atmosphere gets described in warmer terms than most retail reviews manage.

Hours vary more than at most Tyler card shop locations, so check before you go: Monday and Sunday run 12PM to 6PM, Tuesday is 10AM to 6PM, and Wednesday through Saturday extend to 10AM to 7PM. The E 5th Street address is a short drive from downtown Tyler with straightforward parking, and midweek afternoons are the quietest window if you want time to browse the back issues properly.