A hop and a skip away from Cartel Coffee Lab and Buffalo Exchange near Arizona State University, Ash Avenue Comics & Books is the third point on a triangle of Tempe culture — places where hipsters and nerds and old heads alike converge to give each other the gift of fab and find their new favorite thing. Ash Avenue carries single issues and graphic novels, offering a broad assortment of mainstream Marvel/DC titles along with FantaGraphic collections of old comic strips, Love & Rockets, obscure creator-owned titles, zines, and other ephemera. The Ash Avenue staff are friendly and well-versed in all things comics, so they're more than happy to be your Virgil as you navigate the netherworld of illustrated storytelling. The store also buys comics if you've got some sweet collectibles or complete runs of in-demand titles you're looking to trade in. It's a cozy, neatly organized place where you can go to marinate in all things weird and nerdy without fear of judgment or getting put on the spot by someone demanding to prove your comic book nerd bona fides.