Walking into Crush Comics is like walking into a candy store -- except that it's all eye candy. The walls and shelves are lined with thousands of comics and graphic novels, all covers facing out. It is a colorful feast that ranges from kid-safe fare such as good ol' "Archie Comics" (Betty or Veronica?) to dark, edgy works including "Sin City" or "The Sandman". The vast majority of Crush's trade lands squarely in the middle: mainstream superhero comics from Marvel and DC, such as "Superman", "Batman", "X-Men" and "Fantastic Four". But thumbing through the bins you'll turn up pre-owned back issues as random as a 1977 copy of "Heavy Metal".
The store also carries a variety of superhero action figures, collectibles, posters and T-shirts as well as baseball cards and gaming cards for Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon. The business sponsors youth sports teams and donates items for Castro Valley school fundraisers.