Batman Day was a big hit in Long Beach, with local comic book shop Pulp Fiction raking in a large turn out Sept. 19.
The annual event created by DC Comics in 2014 to celebrate Batman’s 75th anniversary includes new releases, re-releases, and new variant covers of Batman comic books.
This year, DC Comics produced a Batman Day-exclusive comic, “Batman of Two Worlds,” which saw how Batman and an alternate universe version of himself handle the same crime, an inside job robbery.
“It was easily the most people that have shown up for Batman Day,” said store owner Ryan Skinner.
Skinner said that the only other day that really shows this kind of turn out for comic shops is Free Comic Book Day which takes place annually on the first Saturday in May.
Comic books and the characters in them have sentimental value to every customer, with Batman being a popular favorite.
Ryan Skinner, owner of the Pulp Fiction Comics store introduces guest signers during Batman Day at Pulp Fiction Comics on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (Abigail Soto Godinez)
“It’s a way to bond for us,” customer Alex Del Campo said when asked what significance comics meant to him.
Pulp Fiction Comics has been operating since about 2004, with Skinner taking ownership around 2020.
Skinner utilizes his shop to platform indie comic writers and artists in hopes that it helps them transition into getting comfortable in speaking at bigger conventions.
The shop has shelves dedicated to Long Beach local comic writers and artists, as well as hosting signing events from independent publishers, including cartoonist Cory Tran of Planet Land Comics.
Miguel Martinez, costumer of the Pulp Fiction Comic store browses through comics during Batman Day on Saturday, Sept 19, 2026. (Abigail Soto Godinez)
Writer Daniel Freedman, who worked on the “Bird King” graphic novels, was also in attendance signing copies of his multiple books.
“Big comic companies take up a lot of wall space with different variants of the same issue,” Tran said. “Shops like Ryan’s really help push smaller publishers by providing the wall space.”
Skinner and his store associate’s amicability with their customer base makes their shop stand out from the rest, with multiple customers coming up to him throughout the day just to ask for recommendations, or just to talk.
“It’s really easy for people just to read online. We need to give people a reason to get out of the house,” Skinner said.
Pulp Fiction offers an online subscription pull service with over 600 regular customers.
The shop hopes to continue platforming smaller comics as well as hosting small events for customers every month.
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