weathered<\/a> rising rents, shifting retail trends and the pandemic \u2014 often with the help of a fiercely loyal customer base.<\/p>\n![\"Galaxy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260202_Frangipane_Paul_Galaxy_Comics_Closing_07.jpg\")
The beloved comic store in Bay Ridge is set to close on March 1 due to declining foot traffic.Photo by Paul Frangipane<\/p>\n
As a final thank you, the store is holding a closing sale \u2014 Funko Pops are buy one, get one free, and graphic novels are discounted between 25 and 50%<\/p>\n
For longtime employee Matthew Rivera, the closure is bittersweet. Rivera began as a customer before eventually joining the staff, a path familiar to many who passed through the store\u2019s doors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI started as a customer here,\u201d Rivera told Brooklyn Paper. \u201cI used to love coming here, killing time before a movie. This place is 20 minutes away from me, and after a while, they needed somebody to fill in, and I stepped up.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260202_Frangipane_Paul_Galaxy_Comics_Closing_01.jpg\")
The store is located next to Alpine Cinema, where Rivera remembered going to pass the time between movies.Photo by Paul Frangipane<\/p>\n
Rivera acknowledged the challenges that small, specialty retailers face \u2014 especially in a neighborhood where foot traffic can make or break a business.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can do all the online auctions you want. You can have a social media presence,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the end of the day, it all depends on foot traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Galaxy Comics\u2019 Bay Ridge closure does not mark the end of the business entirely. The store\u2019s parent location in Park Slope will remain open, and staff hope longtime customers will continue their support there.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is our Bay Ridge store, but we also have our parent store in Park Slope,\u201d Rivera said. \u201cIf you want the same customer service and love, we\u2019re still there.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Galaxy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260202_Frangipane_Paul_Galaxy_Comics_Closing_10.jpg\")
The store has a parent location in Park Slope, so its magic won\u2019t be too far away.Photo by Paul Frangipane<\/p>\n
Galaxy Comics has long been more than just a retail space. In recent years, the Bay Ridge community rallied around the shop during difficult moments, raising thousands of dollars and advocating for rent relief to help keep it open \u2014 efforts previously chronicled by Brooklyn Paper.<\/p>\n
Asked what he would say to the community that supported the store for so many years, Rivera did not hesitate.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe it\u2019s a little sappy, maybe it\u2019s a little mushy, but thank you,\u201d he said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you to the people who ventured out. Thank you to the people who didn\u2019t live in this neighborhood. Thank you to the people who were right around the corner,\u201d he continued. \u201cYou could have been anywhere in the world, but you shopped here with us, and we appreciate that.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260202_Frangipane_Paul_Galaxy_Comics_Closing_16.jpg\")
Galaxy Comics offers a wide variety of comic, candy and film memorabilia.Photo by Paul Frangipane<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the love is real,\u201d he added, \u201cyou\u2019ll continue to support us in Park Slope. We\u2019re just a couple more stops down the R line, ready to serve smiles and the best.\u201d<\/p>\n
Galaxy Comics will remain open through March 1, giving Bay Ridge residents one last chance to flip through the bins, say goodbye, and maybe carry home a piece of local comic book history.<\/p>\n
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