Forbidden Planet Dublin: The Best Comics and Manga Shop in Dublin

Forbidden Planet Dublin (named after the 1956 film) is a shop catered to fans of comic books, manga, anime, movies, television, and video games. They sell assorted merchandise like collectables, action figures, t-shirts, and bags, to name but a few. It is part of a UK-based retail chain of the same name, founded in 1978, with its first location being in London. 

Then in 1987, Forbidden Planet’s Dublin location opened up, initially on Dawson Street, and later relocated to Crampton Quay (where it still is today). Its shop has two floors, its ground floor as you go through the front entrance and the basement level. 

Forbidden Planet Dublin – Ground Level

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Image: Forbidden Planet

The ground level of Forbidden Planet Dublin houses its books, comic books, and collectables, including action figures and Funko Pop vinyl figures. Forbidden Planet Dublin sells the latest running comic book series and compendiums collecting previous issues of past series from Marvel, DC, Image, and Vertigo to name a few of the publishers. An example of one of the comics they regularly have in stock is Critical Role Vox Machina: Origins Volume 1 (shown below), a prequel to the Dungeons and Dragons series Vox Machina from the creators of the popular online show Critical Role

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Image: Facebook

Its collectables and action figures range from featured pieces emphasising detail and pieces with a more cartoonish quality to them. One such collectable available out of these types of products is the Spy x Family: Anya Forger & Bond Forger Figure by SEGA (pictured below). Measuring out at 14.5 cm, the figure shows the adopted daughter of the Forger family, Anya Forger, atop the family dog, Bond Forger, from the anime/manga series Spy x Family.

Anya Spy x Family
Image: Instagram

Forbidden Planet Dublin – Basement Level

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Image: Forbidden Planet

As for its basement level, this part of Forbidden Planet Dublin houses sections like: its manga section, t-shirts, anime memorabilia, board games, and trading card games. The manga on offer is always discounted at a 3 for 2 offer, with the cheapest one coming for free as part of the offer. All of its manga selection is eligible for this offer, including the first issue of the hit shonen manga, Jujutsu Kaisen (in the picture below).

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Image: Instagram

Forbidden Planet Dublin’s basement floor also has an array of different board games and trading card games to choose from. This includes franchises like Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering, and Dark Souls, to name a few. They currently have the new Yu-Gi-Oh! expansion on sale titled Yu-Gi-Oh! Battles of Legend: Monstrous Revenge (in the bottom image), featuring Yu-Gi-Oh! monster, spell, and trap cards both new and old alike.

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Image: Facebook

Forbidden Planet Dublin – Events

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Image: Instagram

This shop also plays host to a number of different events all year round. They have done promotional events for days such as Free Comic Book Day and previously had the Evil Dead Rise (2023) film director Lee Cronin in for a signing day for horror and Evil Dead fans. Not only do they have international days and figures in their shop, but they have also had community-building events such as their Loungefly Collector’s Club Night, which was on earlier in the year (its setup shown above). 

Whatever area of popular (or more niche) culture interests you the most, Forbidden Planet Dublin has you covered. On both floors, the shop caters to a wide variety of different fandoms of comic books, collectables, trading cards, and more. Forbidden Planet Dublin has stood as a hub of many different mediums huddled together over the years, and that sentiment still holds true today. 

Address: 5-7 Crampton Quay, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 VX56

Opening Hours:

Monday to Tuesday: 10am – 6pm

Wednesday to Friday: 10am –7 pm

Saturday: 9:30am – 6pm

Sunday: 11am – 5pm

Matthew Lehane
Matthew Lehane

An upcoming MA graduate in New Media and Digital Culture in Utrecht University, with a BA in English, Media and Cultural Studies from IADT, and a QQI Level 5 qualification in Arts, Culture, and History from DFEI. The topics written (and edited) to date for Babylon Radio range from film, tourism, and photography, with a broader range to come during this internship and in future work.

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