Casual Comic Book Gift Giving Guide – Hot Gifts for Comic Book Fans this Christmas

Thanks again to CJ and Craig over at Dragon’s Lair for helping me compile a great list of hot holiday gifts for the comic book fan in your life.

I stopped up at Dragon’s Lair (156th and Q) this weekend as they were setting up their holiday display and came away with a list of cool stuff.

Gifts for the Casual Comics Fan

I’m going to break the list into a few parts – mostly because there’s so much good stuff in comic shops these days.

Part 1 – Trade Paperbacks

Part 2 – Prestige Items and Books for more Serious Collectors

Part 3 – Odds and Ends / Stocking Stuffers

Gift Guide Part 1 – Trade Paperbacks

I didn’t really think of it until I saw the holiday display Dragon’s Lair built. A great idea the Lair crew suggested was to give the gift of Trade Paperbacks.

There are a lot of great series that the casual comic book fan in your life may have not ever read. Sneak a peek at their comic collection, or bring up these series in a conversation. If they haven’t read these yet, picking up the first trade would give them a great entry point for these critically acclaimed series.

Current Trade Paperback Series

“Hawkeye”

This is my favorite title since I started really getting back into comics. If the comic fan in your life isn’t reading it, they really should be. A great title and a great gift.

“Blackacre”

From Image Comics: “”AN ERRAND INTO THE WILDERNESS” A walled utopia conceived by the elites of the former United States. A barbaric wilderness engulfed in the perpetual strife of tribal warfare. A crack soldier tasked with a clandestine mission to recover a lost comrade. Welcome to the American dark age of the 22nd Century.

Looks like they’ve got two trades out, so there’s not a lot of back issues to catch up on if your comics fan likes the title.

“Blue Estate”

Another intriguing title from Image: “BLUE ESTATE deals with a low-rent private eye trying (and failing) to escape the long shadow of his respected cop father. But a chance encounter with a B-list action star drags the wannabe gumshoe into a world of strippers, mobsters… and the wildest (and only!) case of his career! See who lives, who dies, and who gets the Tiger Blood knocked outta them…”

With a description that bold, I’m hoping Santa puts this one under my tree (well wrapped so I don’t have to explain the cover to my daughters).

“Chew”

I have to admit, I read the first couple of issues and just didn’t get it. The guys from Dragon’s Lair swear by it and I’m sure they’ve sold plenty of copies. You should stop out and they can tell you what they like about it.

“Happy”

This series from Grant Morrison actually looks really interesting. Four issue limited series, so not too much a commitment for a casual fan to digest.

“Invincible”

I’ve had many, many people recommend this series. If the comic fan in your life is looking for a longer term commitment – a series they can really spend some time with, there are over 100 issues of Invincible already, so it fits the bill.

Classic Tradepaperback Series

“Quantum and Woody”

This one is just plain fun. “The World’s Worst Superhero Team”, indeed.

“We3”

Another story that deserves a wider audience, We3 is a great series that too few people have read. Ultra-gory at a couple of points, it still packs an emotional guy-punch and an ending that makes me tear up every time.

“Y: The Last Man”

This was a great series, splendidly illustrated and with a deliciously twisty story about Yorick – the last man on Earth after every male on the planet suddenly dies. Many trade paperbacks followed and the ending completely delivered the goods.

Series for Comics fans who are also TV Junkies

“Castle”

I don’t watch the show, but I know people who do. And, I do love me some Nathan Fillion, so I might have to check it out sometime.

Great gift for comics fans who like the TV series, though.

Serenity

Love the show “Firefly” and still mad at Fox TV for messing it up? You aren’t? Them’s fighting words around these parts…

Well, if you have a friend who’s a fan, these trade paperbacks are perfect companions to the TV series to continue the ongoing journey of the crew of Serenity.

Wait? Nathan Fillion again? I sense a theme.

Walking Dead

Any fan of the show should love the book as well. The stories and characters will be familiar, but the TV show has taken several significant departures from the book, so there will still be surprises.

So that’s it for Part 1 of the Casual Comic Book Holiday Gift Giving Guide (the C.C.B.H.G.G.G). If you’ve got any other Trade Paperback suggestions, I’d love to see them in the comments.

Otherwise, any of these should be available at your friendly local comic shop – I know they’re at Dragon’s Lair.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the guide:

Part 2 – Prestige Items and Books for more Serious Collectors

Part 3 – Odds and Ends / Stocking Stuffers

– CCG