Comics Barcelona: 15 years and 19,000 comics

It all started with Tintin. From a first comic given by his father, to the complete collection. And from there, others arrived, on a journey made with his father in countless visits to the Mercat de Sant Antoni and to stores that left a deep impression on Ignasi Marí when he was a child. And from comic to comic, he has nurtured a personal collection until it exceeded no less than 45,000 copies, all carefully stored in boxes, special acid-free bags and everything necessary and more to preserve them in the best condition.

But Ignasi Marí's passion for comics didn't stop there: tens of thousands of his own comics were not enough. He wanted to go further and not only collect them, but also make it easier for others to do so, with a store like the one that had fascinated him as a child.

And from this passion and this will, Comics Barcelona was born, which this year celebrates its 15th anniversary, positioned as one of the main online stores at a national level, not only for comics and graphic novels, but also for figures of any character, superhero or villain that wants to join the collection.

The journey from being a comic enthusiast to opening the store first went through a broader world, but always within books: "I worked in a publishing house and, after ten years, I was laid off due to staff cuts." Overcoming the initial impact, he turned the news into an opportunity, and set out to build the comic store he would have liked to have at hand: "It was not born only as a business, but as a place for collectors, made by a collector."

It was thus that in 20211 Comics Barcelona launched its online store, which grew until it also led to a physical store: "Many people who bought came to pick up their comics at the warehouse, and we decided to renovate and adapt it as a store."

Since 2020, the store has welcomed other enthusiasts of the comic world two steps from Francesc Macià, on Loreto street. There, they are greeted by more than 4,600 comics, just the tip of the iceberg of a catalog of more than 19,500 available in the store, along with hundreds of other figures and items from their stories and characters.

The objective was clear from the beginning: to pave the way for collectors. He had had to resort to abroad and poorly protected shipments to expand his collection, and he set out to break with all that, with a place that would take care of comics and everything around them. "I want that, when someone enters, they feel like I felt with my father when I was little: that they feel they have just found their place," emphasizes Marí, who runs the store with his partner, Marta, and two employees.

In this context, working with the client can be simple when passion and interests are shared. Behind the counter, it is also to Marí's liking: "We are attentive to the novelties from publishers, and then we select them," to then offer them in the digital and physical store.

Of these, online continues to be the main source of billing, although the percentages are not very far apart: online sales account for 60% of the store's revenue, while 40% remains in the physical store.

Whether online or in-store, Comics Barcelona sells about 30 comics daily; the figure translates into nearly 10,000 copies a year, with a turnover that was around 600,000 euros in 2025. "The goal is to continue growing; you always aspire to bill more than the previous year," Marí highlights. And this year, even more: the 15th anniversary will not go unnoticed among comic fans.

The American author Bob Layton, recognized for his work on Marvel Comics titles, especially Iron Man, will contribute to this purpose. Precisely to commemorate this anniversary, the writer, artist, and editor will sign copies for Comics Barcelona customers, which will also be available for sale signed on the website.

It will be the culmination of the store's anniversary celebration, which presents itself not only as a business but as a meeting place for a clientele conceived as a community of comic lovers and everything around them, who have been gathering around Comics Barcelona for 15 years now.