COMIC fans in Oxford can now Marvel at the variety of graphic novels available in a new store in Cowley Road.

Inky Fingers opened in time for last month’s Cowley Road Carnival and owner and manager Dave Page said it had been well received by customers.

Mr Page, 28, who lives in Oxford, has worked in retail and hospitality for the past 10 years.

But he was motivated to open the store when he realised that the city had been without a comic book store for a decade.

He said: “I’m absolutely blown away by the amount of interest the store has received already.

“The whole aim of opening it up was to encourage people to read comics and to show them that there is a genre for everyone, and that’s exactly what we have done.”

The store stocks a diverse collection of comics and graphic novels, ranging from DC’s original Batman comics to Marvel’s Captain America.

And Oxford-based Phoenix Comics has pride of place in the children’s section of the store.

Kate Manning, sales and marketing director for Phoenix, said: “As a kid’s comic company we think the store is brilliant.

“It’s a great way of encouraging children to read and it’s fantastic for the community too.”

Mr Page said: “We’ve had all sorts of people coming through the door and, interestingly enough, we’ve had more women than men and lots of children popping in with their parents.

“We’re proud to hear that we’re bringing the community together and encouraging children to read more – even teachers are coming in to buy comics for their classes.”

Speaking of the comic store’s importance in the community, Mr Page said shopping online did not allow new fans to get the flavour of what it is really like to read a comic.

He said: “Part of the ethos of our store is to talk to customers and tailor it to their needs and interests, and we think that is what will put us in good stead for success.” Mr Page added that he believed the success of the Marvel movie series was contributing to the contuining rise in popularity of graphic novels and comic books.

He said: “The series has certainly sparked interest because people are excited to find out what’s going to happen next, or what has happened before that they don’t know about already.”

Inky Fingers also stocks a range of imported soft drinks and sweets for customers to enjoy alongside their comic.

The Phoenix was launched in 2012 by Beaumont Street-based publisher David Fickling.

The comic is aimed at children aged six to 12.

It is a successor to the DFC, which also produced by a team headed by Mr Fickling, and backed by children’s authors including award-winning Oxford writer Philip Pullman.