Dark Matter
57 Crossgate Durham DH1 4PR
Geeks of the world (well, Durham), unite at Dark Matter, for coffee, comics and cosmic fun. The brainchild of a couple of self-professed comic nuts, Dark Matter is Durham's cool hangout for anyone into gaming, trading cards, comics, Manga, graphic novels, you name it. The retro look blasts bright colours and ker-pow writing at you from every direction – think the comic store in 'Big Bang Theory' – and you get comfy sofas and a couple of big TVs, and absolutely no hassle about spending all day reading Batman, watching telly and playing with your mates. Food is kid and geek-friendly – waffles, pancakes, flatbreads, cakes and biccies to bacon sarnies and bagels – but even though it's cheap and cheerful there's craft and thought here too. The coffee is good and proper, you can get a chai latte, and you have to pre-order the baked spuds, because a microwaved one just doesn't taste the same. The shop racks at the back hold the comic merchandise, and they can order anything you don't see. Love the loos too – with big, smut-free graffiti walls that encourage clever doodling and geek-tastic tagging.
