Michael Raphael really loves comics book. He loves to read them, collect them, talk about them, and fix them up so they look pretty.
He also likes to give them away.
Head to his Middle Village boutique shop, Spineworks Comics NYC, to get some freebies on Saturday, May 3. He’ll be there from 9 am to 7 pm as part of Free Comic Book Day, an annual, nationwide promotion.
While most of print media is dying, comic books are doing quite well, informs Raphael, who carries new releases, back issues, toys, and action figures in his second-floor store. Prices start as low as $3. (Yes, $3.)
“We don’t raise our prices. We’d rather sell the books at cover price to our customers than have them sitting on our racks,” he says. “I’ve also been a consumer, so I understand that people want to be treated with respect and courtesy when they walk into a store.”
DC and Marvel still rule the galaxy, but Raphael also sells a lot of Image brand publications as well as independent and horror books. He warns those who haven’t been fans for a while that many storylines have changed.
Batman is no longer rich, for example, and Superman isn’t really a nice guy anymore. Wonder Woman comes from Hades, while Green Lantern is female and from a distant universe. Then there’s the new favorite, Jeff The Land Shark, a quadruped with a huge appetite whose main superpower is his biting ability (naturally). Plus, the Marvel Rivals video game has added a new dimension to the hobby.
Raphael is quick to point out that selling products is a small part of his business. He also presses and cleans old comics, which increases their value. He charges $18 to $30 for “rejuvenation” (his word), and the turnaround is around 45 days.
“I’m like a plastic surgeon of old books,” he jokes.
His other big service is signature-witnessing. He has authorization from Certified Guaranty Company to vouch that a writer or artist really autographed an individual copy.
Spineworks is a labor of love for Raphael who gleefully recalls getting a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comic from his Uncle Billy when he was about eight years old in 1986. It was love at first sight, but he noticed that it was in black and white…so he colored it.
Uncle Billy, an avid collector with stacks of merchandise, only lent him used comics from then on. This was a blessing in disguise, actually, as he learned how to press and fix ragged publications at a young age.
Raphael then went through the usual growing pains while living in South Ozone Park and attending John Adams High School, but he always found time – lots of time –to follow the latest adventures of Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, X-Men, and the rest of the gang.
“I was reading comic books all the time, and they kept me on the straight and narrow,” he recalls. “Through comic books, I learned vocabulary and the core values of being a good person. Superheroes are great role models. If you want to be a good parent, read a comic book with your child.”
Raphael then worked various jobs while studying sociology and economy at Hunter College and landing a managerial job at Avis Car Rental. That led to a 13-year, well-paying run in Corporate America until Covid ended his hotel-related job in 2020.
This was another blessing in disguise, as Raphael decided to start a book-fixing business with his friend Lenny Serna, who’s in Kissimmee, Florida.
Spineworks came to life with a press in the basement of his Howard Beach home, and thanks to word-of-mouth, business grew. He had to turn the dining room into what he called “The Lab,” before hiring another person and opening the current mixed-use facility at 74-10 69th Rd. He now has three full-time employees and as many as 15 part-timers. Plus, he’s looking for one more full-time worker.
What a great story! May Spineworks live long and prosper! By the way, does Raphael have favorites or are all superheroes the same to somebody in the business?
“I have always had a special interest in the Hulk and Captain America,” he shares. “But I would say Batman is my favorite because he’s always doing the best he can with what he has got…we should all strive to be like him.”
