If you are into comics, Universal Export - Back Issue Comics is a shop in Newcastle worth knowing about. It is a vintage and back issue comic book shop inside Grainger Market, in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne. You will find it at Unit 78, Alley 2, Grainger Market, NE1 5QQ. It is also featured in Get Into Newcastle's guide to geek hangouts in the city.
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The shop sells back issues, graphic novels, trade paperbacks and collectables, with plenty of Marvel and DC merchandise. The range includes silver age comics, rarer titles, slabbed issues (comics kept in protective cases), manga and some related collectables and ephemera. Customers who write reviews often mention X-Men, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man when they talk about what they found there.
The owner is Scott. Reviews describe him as helpful, knowledgeable and welcoming, and mention that he has a personal collection and buys in stock regularly, which keeps the range extensive. Other staff members are also praised for their service. One review notes that some customers have had an unfriendly experience on certain visits, so your experience may vary. Some customers say they received free comics or other free items when they were starting out as collectors. The atmosphere is described as a "class little comic shop" and "very welcoming".
On Google Maps the shop has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 from 74 reviews. A second source gives it an overall score of 8.3, with 9 for product variety, 8.5 for price, 9.2 for location and 7.5 for customer service.
According to the listing, the shop is open Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 5pm. It accepts credit and debit cards as well as NFC mobile payments. You can call them on +447-412-299900. Grainger Market itself is open Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 5:30pm, so you can plan a visit around the market hours. The market is a covered Grade I listed building that opened in 1835, and it has more than sixty traders, which makes it easy to combine a comic browse with a look around the other shops and food stalls.
Published Date
21 October 2026
