A fun, memorable, and quirky find in Baltimore that will keep you there for at least an hour IMO. A great selection of books, comics, and gifts, and a sizable store for browsing considering its location. The second you walk in you can see why this place is an Institution and so well loved in Baltimore. Highly recommend, and friendly staff!

A neat book and comic store with interesting items. Great prices on secondhand comics.Parking was tough to find. Other than that we had a great time. Definitely worth a visit!

I go every Wednesday pick up the latest and greatest in comics. Staff is super friendly and helpful. My comic book store of choice

Eclectic selections and variety is strong. Nice simple layouts

This is a pretty nice book store. Well organized and stocked. I went in with my son looking for comics, although they didnt carry what he was looking for, they had a lot of others he appreciated. The service was delightful.

This comic book store/bar was one of my favorite stops on a recent trip to Baltimore! The staff was extremely friendly and was accommodating enough to sell me a display Godzilla figurine because they were otherwise out of stock. The bar room was cozy and very cool and the selection of comics was awesome with some excellent deals as well. Overall these guys rock 🤘🏼⚛

Quirky and unusual selection of titles, comics reflect alternative emphasis. Definitely worth a visit!

They dont update when they sell stuff, so if you wanna order online, better call up and speak to someone and make sure you ask that they have every single book you want. And you can imagine how excited they are to do that. A shame, because they have good stuff, but you dont know if it is really in stock until you call.

Definitely one of my favorite bookstores that Ive ever had the opportunity to visit.

Drove 40 minutes to come here, just to find a piece of paper on the door saying they aren’t allowing people in the store without an appointment. You should update your information online because this was a waste of time. And the shop looks very small anyway. There are plenty of other awesome book/comic stores around that are probably more worth anyone’s time.

This place sells overpriced (and often worn and damaged) graphic novels and manga ironically. Thats hipster speak meaning that theyre actually mocking the fans of these items. Save your self-respect (and some money) by buying online instead.

A wonderful place to explore books and comics with people who appreciate the power of words!!

Atomic is the place to go for books on design & illustration, music, pop culture, politics and more. Normally, I browse a few times a year, however this year has been solely call-in or email ordering. And if they dont have a book you want, there is a good chance they can get it. Its a great place to get a gift (book, vinyl toy, knickknack) for anyone you might call a creative type.

Lovely staff and huge selection

VERY cool comic shop/bookstore. Amazing, eclectic assortment of what you should be reading. Great proprietors, great atmosphere, perfect shop.

Stores ok. Irritatingly, they dont respond to email inquiries. Want to like the store, really do, because hey, indie bookstore but its pretty badly organized, and customer service is meh. In the internet world where its far easier to find the books you want online and indie bookstores are endangered, they need to up their game.

Great place to buy good music! Very helpful and knowledgeable staff!

Staff knows their stock really well

Very interesting-eclectic-little bookstore. My customer service experience was a positive one-both on the phone and in person.Ben has been very helpful with my comic book ordering re-education

My home away from home. All the reading material I could ever desire, combined with all the potable beer I could ever drink. This place is as close to a cultural mecca as Hampden could deserve. Also, John Waters gets his fan mail sent here, so theres that too.

Talk about professional. I was scheduled for a visit due to covid, welcomed in and left to my book shopping while being told if I needed anything just ask. Felt incredibly safe and clean. Will be back.

They dont know how to do business online.

Atomic Books is a beloved bookstore in Hampden in Baltimore. It carries a variety of new comic books, magazines, other books, zines, and gifts. If youre into unique books, go here. They have an amazing selection!The staff are helpful and they often host events throughout the week for the community.If you go in the evening, theres a fun bar in the back with a few games and couches to sit on.

Went to a fairly crowded book signing here, for a small store it was easy to walk around and socialize with hip people with delicious drinks to boot. The store itself has an impressive selection of comics and graphic novels. Will definitely be back.

Awesome rare items and great owner very knowledgeable

This is a great comic/book/art shop! I asked for some recommendations and I loved both. I told them what I was currently reading and they shared some of their favorites with me, and I agree, they are excellent. If you stop in, plan to stay for a beer in the bar in the back. I didnt have enough time to enjoy it this trip, but Ill plan better for next time. This is the shop I will return to when I need something out of the ordinary that will become a new favorite. Thanks for the excellent service!

Its not your average chain bookstore. You will find interesting books rubbing shoulders. Decent selection of todays comic books and eclectic fiction and nonfiction. Gorgeous shop design. Very pleasant staff.

Atomic books is just simply awesome. The staff are friendly and helpful. They are knowledgeable about comic books and good old plain fashion regular books. They carry unique an awesome miscellany that you will not find in any other store in Baltimore City. I implore you to pop in the store if you are ever in the area. Believe me oh, you will not be disappointed. I can answer any other questions that someone might have, just ask me. Atomic Books is and amazing shop in every contemplatively sense and scenario.

One of the best small bookstores I have wandered into! Comics, graphic novels, and lots of lesser known books. Good collection of queer lit, too! Many awesome finds. Worth dropping in. Also, there was some kind of club in the back that opened in the evening!

I love this store. They have a great mix of comics and other interesting books. They have a great room in the back that serves drinks and has standup comedy monthly. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. My kids enjoyed browsing through their kids section and their toys.

Theyre amazing. Support your local book shop!

A great place for a younger person just getting into important (read: hip) authors, as they have a couple selections from each of the heavyweights. Not a very good selection outside of that though, so once your librarys complete with all the Burroughs, PKD, and Vonnegut you need, theres not all that much other reason to go there.

A cool bookstore with good variety. If you need to order a book, just ask. Staff are helpful.

Worth the 40-60 min of busses when I find myself wandering and wishing for a new trade to read. One of my favorite places. Like places. Not comic or book store. Like places en general.

Went there 2-3 times a week. Its an excellent place to get something to eat, get a cup of coffee, & most of all, a perfect time to read & buy a book(especially those comic graphic novels. James

Any comic book shop with a bar will get 5 stars. Besides that, it is a great place to go with excellent service. Great reading and beverage selections. No liquor or taps though. Only cans and bottles.

This place is so sweet. Great collection (lots of 1st volumes missing cuz they sell so fast) and an awesome bar in the back. Great beers at a really good price. Atmosphere is bomb.

This place is great. Perfect book and comics store atmosphere with an always up-to-date collection of the current cutting edge and important long time stalwarts.The bar in the back feels like a Baltimore version of Cheers, great service, fun conversation, and theyve remembered me every time I go... which since I dont live here means Im only here 4 or 5 times a year when I have work trips in the area.

Great bookstore and bar. Both have fun products. Wine and beer products taste better than the books.

I stopped in to drop off a gift for John Waters and loved this little shop. I really like the woman working when I stopped in, she was really nice and helpful. I look forward to return visits.

A well curated collection of books not easily found elsewhere. They have an expansive comic collection and a number of Taschen books. If youre looking for something that they dont have, theyll quickly order it for you. They also have a bar stocked with an excellent assortment of microbrews.

Fun little shop. They have all kinds of books ranging from comics to literature. Theres a cool section in the front supporting local talent. Cashier was nice but not very talkative.

If you’re looking for off the wall and informative...this is the place for you. They have a little bit of everything here.

Great place been going there for years. Great service

The best in Baltimore. There is a small bar in the back, great place for fans of John Waters, comics, books, and zines.

So neat and organized! Fun to place to find a new book.

Stand-up folks serving a need in the artistic and fringe literary community for 27 years.

Will never not check atomic first when buying a. Book

This is a nice independent book store. Clean and neat. Staff is nice. Only been there once, but love to return

A Baltimore staple! Great selection, knowledgeable staff, highly engaged in Baltimore cultural and political life. Excellent author events + bright, quirky atmosphere

Hands-down, my favorite Baltimore bookstore, cultural hub, and community cracker barrel. While booksellers in general have always been heroes of mine, Atomic owners Rachel Whang and Benn Ray go above and beyond with extraordinary insight and imagination in their stock, not to mention their passion for currency in subject matter. Id give 4s if I could. Just go there and learn something new.

Wide selection and knowledgable staff make this place a pleasure to shop at. The bar in back is a great place to grab a drink and relax.

Will definitely check this place out more in the future. Staff seemed to enjoy what they do and have a lot of knowledge.

This place is amazing! I was looking around for less than a minute before I found some very interesting books! Good pricing and a cozy atmosphere.

So much amazing personality at this place. A truly authentic Hampden experience.

Absolutely fantastic, any place that supports independent artists will always have my business

Love the little bar in the back. Employees are super nice and helpful.

While they might sell out of newer or more popular editions, theres always something you didnt know you needed until you find it on the shelf. Also, John Waters gets his fan mail here, so, kill two birds with one stone while youre shopping.

The ultimate independent bookstore and stuff, with a fun bar in the back that has a multi arcade unit. Art everywhere on the walls. By the counter you will notice Christmas cards from baltimores own John Waters!

Great selection and a knowledgeable staff make this one of the best bookstores in the country.

I went here last year, sporadically, and fell in love. Because it wasnt a planned visit, I didnt get to stay as long as I wanted, but, my thoughtful mate surprised me with a book that stole my heart when I was there. Excited to return in the warmer months!

Well put together store. Good vibes. Wish I lived closer.

Super fun place to browse! Good selection and great service, they really know their stuff

The book store was great, but i didnt look to much just mainly went in for the bar

Always up to date on comics and the staff are friendly/very helpful

Owner is very nice. Great store.

This store has a fantastically curated collection of books and graphic novels for sale, and there is a bar in back. One of the best independent bookstores of any kind in Baltimore.

Pretty cool place. They have a lot of books and a bar, interestingly enough.

Great local place! Shop local! CS is exceptional and knowledgeable. Will return often.

Such a nice range of books from visual novels, comics, fiction, non-fiction, and list goes on. They have zines and stories from local publishers as well.

Great selection of everything from indie literature to zines to graphic novels and everything in between. Definitely a go-to shop for something that raises a few eyebrows.

Great selection and so much fun for laser disc karaoke.

I love some of the products but the place has a pretentious hipster feel to it that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. Good for in and out visits for me to pick up some nice merch but i couldnt see myself spending hours here browsing.

Attractively laid out books and comics. Easy to find location. Bathroom

Great place to pick up comics or graphic novels. Loved the bar in the back as well!

Not for regular weekly comic buyers. Found them on Google maps. Visiting from out of town, I went in on a wednesday, which is when the weeks new comics arrive. They were missing several mainstream titles from DC and Marvel That I had confirmed on line were on sale that day. The sales person said well, we probably dont regularly order those, but there were recent back issues of those titles. Bottom line, a nice bookstore and boutique, but not for regular comic readers.

Nice vibe. Really good collection

Awesome books, fantastic staff, and theres a bar for drinking! Its like literary nirvana.

Always a cool spot to check out when visiting Baltimore in general. Its right at the start of my favorite Hamden walk. Plenty of local print work, and a great selection of dope coffee table books the kind that make you seem 10x cooler IRL. They added a cool hangout/lounge area in the back. Seemed chill. Prices are good, and product even better.Definitely a go-to in Hamden.

This store has an amazing collection of graphic novels and interesting books available. I was impressed with the selection.

Great selection of comic and other types of books. Great atmosphere to browse and great staff.

I cant imagine a better, more friendly place to buy comics.

One of my favorite comic stores, the selection is great and the staff is friendly.

Weird and wonderful

Great selection of graphic novels, books and cute toys. Always find something when visiting this shop!

Small, with a heavy focus on comic books and serial art. Also had an extensive zine collection. Clean and nice, but not a deep selection of stuff.

I get being a local shop is tough but its expensive to the point of parody. It makes it real tough not to just buy it on Amazon. Not sure how selling a $15 hardcover for $30 (literal example just now) is a sustainable business model. Also, no price stickers on any books, so hope you like really awkward surprises.

Tons of great finds and super helpful staff!

The store was actually very interesting visually, had a wide range of titles and several that I ALMOST bought. However, at one point some misogynist rap music was playing that I found extremely offensive. Hip hop and rap as a genre can be excellent. There are various talented performers both indie and mainstream that can convey artistic message without relying on objectification of women as sex objects. After that crap started up, I changed my mind about my purchase entirely. My friend and I (who felt similarly) I left.

The best book store anywhere

Great book selection. Some great stuff you wont find in a lot of places

What an interesting book store, the bar in the back is nice. Great selection of graphic novels and comics.

Great place to buy cool books and magazines and grab a beer if you want one.

Great book store with a cute bar in the back!

A charming alternative bookstore and shop in Hampden, helps keep it all weird. Great selection.

I really love the selection of books these guys have. I usually come here on Saturday mornings and I’m yet to be disappointed with their services. These guys are just the best.

Good selection, but overpriced. I like the atmosphere. Usually wander around to look for books that Ill later get on Amazon

Vast variety of comics book, nicely shelves and clean store

Great local book/comic store

I cant go near Hampden without stopping by Atomic Books. They have a wide variety of books, graphic novels, zines, and assorted collectibles. They have two large shelves filled with new comic books, if you are a comic enthusiast, you wont find everything youre looking for, but the comics are not the focal point of this wildly eclectic shop.