On the corner of 3rd Street and Broad Street in Oxford, you’ll see a pretty recognizable celebrity, known best for his web-slinging and crime-fighting. You can find Spider-Man behind the glass at the Maroon Hornet Comics and Collectibles.

Since October 2016, Randy and Lori Grace have run their business for customers from all around southern Chester County and beyond. 

“She (Lori) always wanted to own her own pastry shop,” Randy Grace explained. “As we were looking at opening, the costs were skyrocketing.” 

Randy would visit his kids in Reading, where a comic book store stood. After multiple visits, Randy wanted to open his own comic book store. 

“I saw the demographics up there, and it’s similar to what we have here,” Randy said. “The owner showed me his books and I went back to Lori and she was crazy enough to listen.”

October 7, 2016 was Opening Day as the Maroon Hornet opened its doors for the very first time. With every new business comes a set of challenges. For Randy and Lori, it was learning what the customers liked. 

“I knew what I liked in a comic book, but learning what other people like and what the community likes was the hardest thing,” Randy said.

The store carries over 200 titles of comic books. From Spider-Man to Superman and Batman to Star Wars, you are sure to find something that fits your taste. 

Over the course of a few years, the Maroon Hornet established itself in the business community. It became a destination for people who like or collect comic books. 

The pandemic presented a fresh set of challenges for the Maroon Hornet, just like it impacted other businesses.

Things were on the upswing again when, just before midnight on September 13, 2023, a fire hit several buildings in downtown Oxford, significantly damaging the Maroon Hornet and many other local stores. 

A friend of Randy’s contacted him just after midnight that evening, telling him the terrible news. 

“It was bad.” Randy said.

“Once the fire got on another store's roof, it jumped all over our roof and came up front,” Lori said.

With the help from the Oxford community, the Maroon Hornet was able to get back on its feet, despite losing all of their products. The Graces had to operate from their garage for the time being, with multiple former customers returning previously bought comic books back to the couple. 

When asked what the most rewarding aspect of running the Maroon Hornet is, the Graces spoke highly of the relationships they have built.

“When they shut us down during COVID, we received phone calls from customers saying how can I help,” Randy said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

If you’re wondering how the name of the store came to be, it’s a good story. 

Oxford Area High School’s mascot is the hornet and the school’s colors are maroon and white. The Graces wanted to bring the community closer by paying homage to the school. Being a part of the community has always been important to them.

One thing the Graces don’t do is overcharge their customers. Customers walk in all the time and tell them that these comics go for way more than the prices they have listed at the Maroon Hornet.

“I’d rather make a million dollars off of a million people, one dollar at a time, than a million dollars off of one person,” Randy explained.