In many comics and video games, the final boss represents the end of an adventure. When you defeat the final boss, you save the day and become the hero. At Final Boss Comics and Games, however, the adventure has just begun.
Lawrence Township’s newest comic book shop, located on 10 Gordon Avenue, officially opened its doors to the public in November. The store sells not only comic books and video games, but also action figures, board games, table top games and trading cards. There is something for everyone at all ages at Final Boss and the owner, Floyd Bennett says he is making sure that everyone gets whatever they are looking for.
“Whatever people want, I will sell,” Bennett says. “I always want this to be a one-stop shop.”
This isn’t the first time Bennett, also a Lawrence Township resident, has owned a comics and games shop. He previously ran FJB Comics and Games (named after his initials), which was located in Jersey City from 2007 to 2017. FJB Comics 10-year run came to an end when the landlord of the building that the shop was located in sold the property.
He considered looking for a new home for FJB Comics, but ultimately opted against it. “I thought about looking for another space, but decided it was best to close after a decade of serving the [Jersey City] community,” says Floyd,
The Jersey City native hung up his hat as a comic book shop owner for more than four years. He had moved to Lawrence in 2016, one year prior to closing FJB Comics. After leaving the comic book life, Bennett worked for the Trenton and Camden school districts. After a long hiatus from the comics store business, he had the itch to renew his business again.
“I missed it; all of it.” Floyd says. “I spent the time in between my last store as a director of operations/vice principal for several schools and even with all the responsibility on my plate, my favorite part of the day was bringing comic books in and giving them as incentives for the kids who were struggling or as rewards for those who were doing good.
“After the pandemic hit, I was able to reassess my options and I realized that I needed to be back in my element and what better place than this wonderful town I live in.”
That’s when Bennett decided to open up a new comic book store again—this time in his hometown and a different name: Final Boss Comics and Games. Bennett initially wanted to keep the original name of the store with his initials, but eventually decided on the change.
“Closing FJB took a lot out of me,” Floyd says. “It was a successful company, and while I was ready to bring it back, I knew that I needed to change and be at its best. I wanted to keep the FJB initials for obvious reasons and then it hit me; who’s better than a Final Boss. I created FJB to be a one-stop shop and Final Boss will continue to evolve to be even greater.”
Customers who step into Final Boss Comics and Games are greeted with a wall of comic books and shelves of graphic novels. There is plenty of space to browse and see everything the shop has to offer.
For those who are not in the mood for comic books, there are video games for sale, action figures and Pokémon cards. Bennett says he is there to greet those walking in and needing help. He asks what they are looking for and their interests. He says he can recommend a new comic book series or graphic novel to you just based on your favorite shows, movies, books etc.
“I’ve always had a sense of being able to match the consumer to the entertainment,” says Floyd. “There’s something for everyone in the comic world, whether you’re a fan of superheroes, a story of friendship/romance, or a tale of action and fantasy. I carry all of it and love when someone comes back and says they loved their purchase especially when they’re young and encourages them to read more.”
Aside from comics, Bennett is also concentrating on the games portion of his store as well. Unlike his previous FJB Store, he is selling board and tabletop games for the first time with Final Boss. Trading card games like Pokémon and Yu-gi-oh are also available for purchase too.
With the popularity of retro video games mixing with current video games, there are also plans for Final Boss to sell older games at a fair price while taking in trade-ins for games to build a library in the store. Other Final Boss plans include several special events at the store.
“I definitely have more room in this space than I did at FJB,” says Floyd. “So I definitely want to host more events, game nights, signings, and give more local creators/artists a place to express themselves. The community asked for a place to play board, table top and card games and we’re bringing it. We definitely want to have a few kids play as well.”
Bennett says he knows the importance of having a new business in Lawrence as it differs from running one in a larger town like Jersey City. With a location like Jersey City being closer to New York City, there was consistent turnover in FJB due to people moving to work in NYC then sometimes moving away.
“In the six years I’ve lived in Lawrenceville it definitely comes with a community feel which is even better for what I want to create,” says Floyd. “Local businesses are the heart of this town and I love being part of it.”
Even with the change of venue, Bennett says he plans on running Final Boss the same way he ran FJB.
“When someone walks through the door, they’re part of the family. Yes, this is a business, but we’re here to have a good time,” he says. “We used to joke that the store [FJB] was like Cheers, where people would come by just to hang with each other while buying their books. We definitely want to keep that atmosphere [with Final Boss].”
One thing that Final Boss is bringing from FJB is the practice of pull lists, where the owner holds a series of newer comic books for a customer so they can pick them up and purchase them at a later date.
This usually happens a lot on new comic book release day, which occurs every Wednesday. This is the practice that Bennett wants to keep, so that way his customers do not miss a single issue, while also giving them discounts. He also plans on keeping older comics, trade paperbacks and graphic novels in stock, since new movies and television shows often bring older stories back to life.
In the four years between FJB and Final Boss, Bennett has started a family, and found new challenges in running a business while keeping a balance in his family life.
“A lot has changed since I started 15 years ago,” says Floyd. “The good thing about this town [Lawrence] is that it is community and family centric. I close at 5 p.m. most nights to ensure I can have dinner and family time. This is also why I have ‘by appointment’ hours as well, because I live five minutes down the road and can always open the shop to fit a customer’s schedule.”
It is never easy to start a business again from the ground up, especially when life changes very quickly for you in the several years after your first business closes. It’s also not easy starting during a pandemic, but defeat is not always the end.
As for Bennett, he is coming back and says he is ecstatic to bring his love for comics and games to Lawrence. Final Boss Comics and Games is bringing a community closer with entertainment during these interesting times. Bennett encourages anyone to start a business even with a pandemic with this advice: “Know your customer, listen to your customer, make sure to budget properly, make a good business plan and have fun!”
Final Boss Comics and Games is located on 10 Gordon Ave. The store is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with special appointments scheduled on Mondays and Tuesdays. Phone: (609) 447-1093. Online: facebook.com/FinalBossComics.
Lawrence Township resident Floyd Bennett recently opened Final Boss Comics and Games in downtown Lawrenceville. (Photo By Angel Ortiz Jr.).JPG,
