The shop can be found in an ideal spot for book and game lovers
Owner Cathy Charnley took the plunge and opened her dream shop (Image: )
An independent comic book shop in Bebington is attracting customers from as far as Manchester and Birmingham, just seven months after opening.
Not just a space for science fiction and superhero lovers, the shop is home to graphic novel and comic adaptations of everything from Shakespeare plays to biographies, with plenty to browse for both children and adults. Owner Cathy Charnley, 40, said: “It’s a medium, so you can find a comic for every genre. We’ve got the same range as an ordinary bookshop, except everything is a comic.”
Kraken Comics was a dream of Cathy’s for more than a decade before getting off the ground in June 2025. With a background in graphic design and a lifelong passion for comic books and graphic novels, Cathy combined her own creativity with help from her brother and her current husband, who is also a graphic designer, to bring Kraken Comics to life.
“My brother said that we need an animal with lots of arms that can bring in comics from all areas, not just superheroes and science fiction, like a Kraken. The Kraken hunts for comics.”
Cathy Charnley at Kraken Comics on Church Road (Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool ECHO)
Support and inspiration from fellow Church Road independents, Bulwark Games, also helped Cathy take the plunge into opening her own shop. After taking time to heal and raise her child, Harper, 11, following the loss of her first husband in 2016, it was through Bulwark Games that Cathy, who lives in Pensby where she grew up, first found a sense of community and support in Bebington.
She said: “I’d never had the confidence and it was never the right time. But the opportunity presented itself and I could see there was an appetite for a community space at Bulwark Games.
“It was brand new for me but opening the shop has been so much fun. It’s an absolute joy and it’s different every day. I’ve had so much support from neighbours and I couldn’t be happier with where we’re situated”.
As well as selling comics, the store operates as a welcoming creative space. It often attracts parents and children and features a creative table for activities, as well as a café serving hot drinks. There is also a library of books from Cathy’s personal collection available to read for free, including out-of-print comics.
Cathy said: “Not everyone has accessed comic books before, particularly in Britain. I grew up reading my uncle’s Peanuts collection and Calvin and Hobbes from America. This is a space where you can get comfy with it, that feels welcoming.
“I’m dyslexic so it’s how I absorb stories, with the help of images. It’s how I learnt to read, first with picture books and then illustrated books. By the time people started asking me when I was going to read ‘proper’ books, I migrated to comics. I still needed the support of the images. With dyslexia it’s like the words are moving around on the page.
“I find it hard to keep up stamina with reading and pictures help me form an understanding of the story. There’s still a perception of what constitutes a ‘proper book’, but it’s changing, particularly for younger readers. Scholastic publishes a range of graphic novels, and The Phoenix comic has helped normalise comics as a reading choice for children.”
An easy system sees grey shelves indicate library books and black shelves indicate books for sale (Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool ECHO)
As well as being home to Kraken Comics, Church Road in Bebington also welcomed the UK’s first bricks and mortar fantasy bookshop, Paper and Word, in November, owned by Abby Munro.
The connections between the worlds of gaming, fantasy novels and comics have proven useful for both shoppers and business owners on the street alike.
Cathy said: “If I spot a game associated with a book I’m stocking, I’ll send it to Bulwark [Games]. If Abby sees something that also has a comic book or game attached, she’ll send it to us. It means people can pop into each shop.”
Future plans for Kraken Comics include opening an upstairs floor to the public with a “nautical” theme. The space will be used to host creative events and will also be available to hire.
The shop already hosts events including zine-making workshops, open mics and cartoon drawing classes for a range of ages, as well as working with local schools.
Kraken Comics is based at 4b Church Rd, Bebington, Wirral CH63 7PH.
It is open Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.