Hall of Justice Comics & Collectibles Owner Talks Beating the Simpsons’ Comic Book Guy Stereotype

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Each week, we’re highlighting a fantastic local comic book shop recommended by our team or our readers. This week, I visited Hall of Justice Comics & Collectibles in Parker, Colorado – my family’s favorite! I discovered this shop a few years ago, and it’s become our first stop whenever we’re looking for comics, collectibles, or just want to browse. Lately, we’ve been going every week for a new Scooby-Doo! and Krypto comic as a reward for my four-year-old’s swimming lessons. I recently chatted with owner Jon Garnett shortly after Hall of Justice celebrated its 10th anniversary with a big event featuring famous comic creators.

Do you want to see your local comic book store featured on our site? You can nominate them by sending an email to shoptalk@comicbook.com. Please tell us a bit about why you like the shop, what makes it special, and why you think it would be a great addition to our ComicBook Shop Talk series.

Hall of Justice Comics & Collectibles

Website: hallofjusticecomics.com Email: hojcomics@gmail.com
Address:
10136 Parkglenn Way #109,
Parker, CO 80134		 Facebook: HallofJusticeComics
Phone: (303) 484-9103 Instagram: HoJComics

The Hall of Justice Comics & Collectibles Origin Story

Ben Kendrick asked how the owner got started in the comic book business. He wanted to know if they were a fan of comics as a child, or what led them to eventually open their own store.

As a parent, you naturally want your children to be engaged and try new things – whether it’s reading, playing sports, and so on. When I was growing up, comics were a big part of that. I spent my childhood in Pueblo, Colorado, and our family often took road trips and camping in an RV. We’d always stop at small-town gas stations and browse the comic book racks. Back then, we didn’t have phones or handheld gaming devices, so comics were our entertainment on long car rides. My brother and I would always grab a few to keep us occupied. But it could be frustrating because you’d often pick up a comic that was in the middle of a story, and you wouldn’t be able to find the next issue anywhere else. You’d only get a piece of the puzzle.

We discovered a comic book shop in Pueblo, and my dad would take my brother and me there regularly. We started collecting comics around the late eighties and early nineties, right when the comic book industry was struggling. Despite the challenges, there were still some great titles coming out – I especially loved Hellboy, and things like McFarlane’s Spider-Man and the ‘Death of Superman’ were popular at the time. As I got older, into high school, other interests like sports, cars, and girls took over, and I gradually stopped collecting comics.

I spent my high school years really into comics, and that continued into college. I was working at a small pet store in Greeley, and a friend told me they were bringing the character Hal Jordan back to life! He’d been dead for a while after becoming Parallax and the Spectre. This happened right around the time Jeff Johns released Green Lantern: Rebirth. We were so excited, we had to find a comic shop to read it. It wasn’t the more recent Rebirth event, just that original Green Lantern: Rebirth story. Then came Flash: Rebirth, bringing Barry Allen back – it was a great period for comics. At the same time, Warren Ellis was writing Iron Man, and his take on the character, with all its extreme elements, was fantastic.

We used to visit a storage unit monthly to collect and read books. The original collection for our store came from a man in Greeley who’d run a comic book shop in the 60s and 70s. All his comics were stored in a friend’s garage, and the friend needed to clear it out when he sold his house. Luckily, the friend was able to rent a cheap garage at his new apartment complex – actually, he rented three! He used one for the comics and the other two to store all his other belongings.

After we graduated, my wife and I moved to Parker. I knew the owner of a comic book collection was too busy to deal with it, so I offered to buy it from him. I was already trying to sell things online and get a little business going, and that collection became the foundation for our first store. Now, ten years later, here we still are, and it all started with that one purchase!

Ben: Yeah, you just had the anniversary.

Jon: Yeah, it was last Saturday.

Ben: How’d that go?

It was fantastic! Usually, the upstairs area is cluttered with boxes as we process new collections, but we had 21 people here – local artists and creators – for the event. That included writers, illustrators, and fan artists. It was a really lively and busy space.

Ben: It must be incredibly rewarding to look back after ten years and see how far things have come, even though I’m sure there are still hurdles to overcome.

Honestly, I’m completely winging it. I have no clue what I’m doing, especially in this business – comic books are just the most frustrating retail industry, and I struggle with even the basics, like ordering. But despite all that, it’s still incredible and really fun.

What Makes Hall of Justice Comics & Collectibles Stand Out

I think what makes this shop special is that it’s evolved. I remember when it was Time Warp, Wayne was fantastic – he knew everything about the products and was really friendly. Now, with all the collectibles, toys, and cards, it’s a much more diverse business. Shops really need to offer something unique these days to stay afloat, and this place does that.

We strive to create a friendly and inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome, regardless of their knowledge or background. We believe in being helpful and supportive, and that’s why we’ve built such a strong community around our store. People often come in feeling a little unsure, maybe after seeing a Marvel movie or show, and wanting to explore the source material. This summer, the new Superman movie brought in a lot of newcomers asking where to begin with the character – and Superman has been around for almost 80 years! We’re always happy to help people find their way in.

Are you looking for the campy, over-the-top Superman from the 1960s, or something more modern? Our staff is great at helping people find exactly what they’re looking for, offering suggestions like, ‘If you enjoy Superman, you might like this,’ or ‘Have you checked out Invincible?’ We’ve really tried to create a friendly and inviting atmosphere, and I have to give my wife a lot of credit for that.

My wife and I were hesitant about opening a comic book store, worried it might feel unwelcoming. We’ve seen the stereotype – the messy, disorganized shops with a grumpy owner, like the comic book guy from The Simpsons. We really wanted to do things differently and create a family-friendly space. Our kids, ages nine and eleven, have practically grown up here, and we want everyone – from young children to longtime collectors – to feel comfortable and welcome when they visit.

I think the bright colors and organized space really make a good impression. My daughter loves coming here – in fact, we head straight for the kids’ corner when we arrive. She’s really into Krypto and Scooby-Doo, and you have those early-reader comics, which is perfect. The kid-friendly setup lets her easily find characters she recognizes, and it’s a great way to get her excited about reading.

Today’s kids are already familiar with comics, even if they don’t realize it – things like Dog Man and Cat Kid are introducing them to the format. We’re raising a new generation of comic readers who don’t even identify as such. It’s ironic because schools often allow book reports on regular books but discourage graphic novels, even though there are some really excellent ones available – some are actually better than traditional books kids are assigned!

How DC Studios and Marvel Studios Can Better Support Local Shops

I’ve always wondered, since we started Screen Rant and benefited from the popularity of movies like Avengers, why it’s so hard to get those same movie fans to visit a store like yours and become regular customers. What do you think we can do to change that?

We’re facing a real challenge here. The big question is why TV adaptations drive people to read the original comics, but blockbuster movies like Avengers don’t have the same effect. We consistently see a surge of interest in the source material for shows like Umbrella Academy and Invincible – I can barely keep the Invincible collections on the shelves! People watch the show and immediately want to read the comics. It’s strange that seeing these characters in a serialized TV format makes people seek out the original stories more than seeing them in big-budget movies.

It’s tough to figure out how to attract a wider audience to Superman stories. He’s unique because he’s been featured in so many films – a lot, really. It was great to see so many people connect with the character, especially considering how powerful and seemingly distant he is. I’d love to be able to guide those movie fans towards other great Superman stories, like ‘All-Star Superman’ and the many classic collections. I just don’t know the best way to do that. It’s similar to the difference between fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and those who follow the Marvel comics – there’s not as much overlap as you might expect.

Ben admits he wishes the film studios had offered more support to the creators. He believes there’s a lot of potential for expanding the story and hopes James Gunn will be able to do that, given his background. He’s surprised there isn’t a way to connect the movie to its source material, like a post-credits scene suggesting where viewers can find the books that inspired the film.

Jon: Here’s the comic book shop locator – and a QR code.

Ben thinks it would be really beneficial to release content gradually, not just when a new movie comes out. This would give fans time to connect with the characters and deepen their understanding, so when a new movie does come out, they’ll be able to say something like, “Now that I’ve read the source material…” and have a richer experience.

Jon: “That wasn’t how it was in the comic book.” [Laughs]

Ben chuckled, suggesting that movie studios might intentionally avoid involving comic book fans too closely in film adaptations. His reasoning? To prevent those fans from pointing out that the original comics are actually superior.

Comic Book Recommendations from a Decade of Hall of Justice – Including Must-Read Indie Titles

Ben is asking what comic books a store employee would recommend to someone who’s just getting into comics.

When it comes to major publishers, DC’s Absolute editions and Marvel’s Ultimate line are really popular – they’re easy to find, and the stories and artwork are top-notch. I’ve noticed these lines have brought in a lot of new customers to the store over the past few years, more so than anything else from DC or Marvel. Personally, I’m a big fan of Rick Remender and I recommend anything he writes – especially ‘Low,’ which is a fantastic space fiction story with beautiful art. I also like to promote independent comics because they often feel more personal than superhero books. For horror and sci-fi, I’d suggest ‘Harrow County’ by Cullen Bunn. And if you’re looking for something fun and lighthearted, ‘The Goon’ by Eric Powell is always a good choice.

I encourage you to look beyond mainstream superhero comics and explore the independent scene. You might find a lot more satisfaction in reading indie books. That’s not to say superhero comics are bad – they’re popular and well-made, and they keep many creators working!

We also face the challenge of balancing support for smaller, independent creators – publishers, studios, and game developers – with the needs of our business. We need to grow our audience and cover what people are interested in, which often leads us to focus on popular culture. It’s fantastic that you’re so passionate about indie books and championing them, because you’re right – there’s a wealth of amazing content out there. We do our best to showcase it, but we inevitably miss some great books.

I just want to remind everyone that there’s a lot more to life than the things we’re used to. Don’t be afraid to try new things and step outside of what’s comfortable.

We appreciate Jon taking the time to chat with us! Just a quick reminder: you can find Hall of Justice Comics & Collectibles’ contact details at the top of this article. We encourage you to check out and support all the shops featured in this series.

Do you want to see your favorite comic shop highlighted on our site? Please send us an email at shoptalk@comicbook.com to nominate them!

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2025-12-02 22:44