It’s December, and that means that all your favorite gift-related holidays are right around the corner. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, Festivus or Anti-Life, we here at Multiversity support your right to religious diversity. As such, we seek to offer you up opportunities to spend all of your money on gifts for your friends or yourself — whomever is most important in your life!
The entire Multiversity staff have picked out some books and films to keep in mind when shopping this holiday season, so take a look after the cut as we break down what to buy and why, as well as provide lots of helpful links to make your life easier. We live in the digital age, after all; if things aren’t a click away at all times, we’re clearly doing our job wrong.
Absolute All Star Superman ($99.99)
This is my go-to recommendation when it comes time to tell people what to buy. You may never have purchased a giant over-sized collection like this before, but for All Star Superman it is absolutely worth it in every way. Featuring a fantastic introduction by Chip Kidd (who designs his own awesome custom versions of comics) and wonderfully detailed and interesting backmatter, these over-sized pages showing off Frank Quitely’s gorgeous and heartbreaking artwork perfectly brings to life the Superman story of our generation. This is Morrison and Quitely at their collaborative finest, and if you’ve ever doubted the importance of Superman as a comic character beyond the simple element that we wouldn’t have any superheroes without him, then rest assured: this book will make a believer out of you yet.
Besides, if it’s good enough for my eleven-year-old nephew, it is certainly good enough for you. (I bought it for him as a gift last year.)
Thor by Kieron Gillen Ultimate Collection ($34.99)
I recently went to considerable lengths to talk about how much I love Journey Into Mystery. Kieron Gillen’s take on Thor has been just pitch perfect, and his entire body of work is slowly building up to be quite an myth of considerable proportions. I don’t mean to get too heavy too early on you, dear reader, but we are perhaps looking at a bourgeoning epic on par with Walt Simonson’s famous and celebrated work on Thor. So if you haven’t been reading it yet for some odd reason, this one book collects everything he did before the Journey Into Mystery relaunch. Start here, and thank me later.
Morning Glories Deluxe Collection Volume 1 ($39.99)
To a similar extent as the previous, I’ve gone on and on and on about Morning Glories and why you should be buying it. I’m not entirely sure that, at this point, I really need to again; I’m very clearly biased (and have actually appeared in the book!). However, my condensed pitch is this: if you, like I, adore the long-form mystery contained in your entertainment — such as the epic show LOST — then Morning Glories is right up your alley. Centered in a mysterious and violent school with a shady forward-thinking purpose and starring six hormone-fueled teenagers with curious talents, the book is quite easily one of my absolute favorites month in and month out, and I can’t recommend a comic to fans and non-fans of the sequential medium any more than this one.
Now, I should note — I had picked this item before we got the news that the book had been delayed due to a printing error. However, you can always get Volume 1 or Volume 2 in trade paperback form to hold you over.
Continued belowAdventure Time: My Two Favorite People on DVD ($14.98)
Not intrinsically comic related (Adventure Time will have a comic out next year, but nothing at the moment), but this cartoon is just the bee’s knees. Absolutely affable and effortlessly entertaining in every way, there is no greater way to pitch why you need to own this existential post-apocalyptic romp through magic, space and time than the following clip:
I know, right?
David’s Gift List
Bone 20th Anniversary Full Color One Volume HC Collectors Box Set ($150.00)
For fans of comics of all varieties, this is one of the holy grails (along with things like the Complete Calvin and Hobbes and any number of things that involve the word “Absolute” or “Omnibus”), and there’s a good reason why: Bone is one of the best comics of all-time. Jeff Smith crafted an epic story with beautiful art, phenomenal characters and engaging writing, and it deserves premium treatment. And you can’t get any more premium than this gem of a box set. Even for me as someone who already owns Bone, I would have a very merry Christmas if this was under the tree for me.
X-Men: First Class on Blu-ray ($39.99)
In a year that featured four comic book movies that came out in theaters (well, four main ones), this was my favorite of the lot. Featuring top notch performances from James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr (or Professor X and Magneto, as they may be), for someone who thinks of themselves as a comic fan or as an aspiring one, this is a great gift to get them started. Plus, you get a digital copy if you want this bad boy on your iPad or phone or whatever.
Invincible Compendium Volume 1 ($64.99)
Have you heard of this Robert Kirkman guy? He created The Walking Dead and does things that people seem to really like? Well, if you know someone who has a cursory interest in superheroes, I couldn’t recognize a book more than Kirkman’s Invincible. I like to call it the best Spider-Man book on the market, as it is a great book with fully realized characters, humor, fun and some intense twists and turns. Throw in beautiful art from Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley and a price tag that comes out at less than $1 per issue (this volume collects the first 47 issues), and you’ve got yourself something any comic fan would love to have.
Patrick’s Gift List
Supergods by Grant Morrison ($28.00)
The creative forces that drive men and women to make comic books about people in spandex pants bashing each others’ heads are vague and mysterious. Or, well, not really — it usually boils down to that man or woman using these super-avatars to write about the better world that lives in their imaginations, against which mundane reality is a disappointment. Not that it was always this way — Grant Morrison’s analysis of the bizarre impetus behind early superhero plotlines is the most vibrant and fun part of his book on the history of superheroes. It drifts into self-indulgent autobiography in the second half, but few comics creators have lives as worthy of such indulgence.
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Cult-ure by Rian Hughes ($45.00)
One-time comic book artist and now-time graphic designer Hughes has created a beautiful object — and a hell of a book, too. Sparse of text and dense of content, it’s a book designed to unravel piece by piece, to provide context for all of the things your eyes traffic in but your brain pretends it doesn’t notice.
Captain America – The Captain ($39.99)
As far as actual comics go, the superdeluxe editions have been getting pricier and pricier, with content that’s getting skimpier and skimpier (unless someone out there thinks that Identity Crisis is worth $13 an issue, anyway). The Captain isn’t cheap, but the value for money is fantastic, and it spans one of the best arcs in the history of Marvel Comics. Sure, it’s as 80s as 80s gets (including a cameo from Virally Mutated Ronald Reagan), but it laid down track that Cap’s current adventures still follow.
Josh’s Gift List
Brian K. Vaughn’s Runaways vol. 1 HC ($34.99)
This series has been printed and reprinted as trades, digests and hardcovers (my preffered version) for a reason. Simply put it, it is one of the strongest, most unique concepts to arise out of the Marvel offices in well over a decade and if you have someone in your life that has been on the fence with comics, this just might be the series that lures them over to the nerdy side. The story stars an ensemble cast of teenagers that learn that their parents are, unbeknownst to them, some of the most vile, cruel and downright evil super villains the world has ever known. Much like I’m sure you would do in a similar situation, they then run away into an epic, charming, occasionally dark adventure all weaved into existence by the mind of Brian K. Vaughn. Much like his other work, Runaways combines deep interpersonal stories with high stakes action that spans multiple genres and time periods and throws in a whole heaping dose of teen angst and lighthearted humor to boot. Quite simply, if you can find someone out there that DOESN’T fall in love with these characters and these stories, I’ll buy you a coke.
Not as universal of a gift as Runaways, but just as timeless and important. Twin Brazilian Brothers Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon have been responsible for some of the most gorgeous, unique art seen in comics over the last few years and Daytripper proves that they are just as adept at crafting stories as they are at visualizing them. The story follows Bras de Olivias Dominguez over the course of his life, exploring the various paths he has taken and pondering the roads not travelled. What it amounts to is a joyous, beautiful, frequently grim but ultimately life affirming treatise on life and death and every bit of it is brought to life by the vibrant, etherial pencils of Ba and Moon. Make no mistake, this is not a story for the faint at heart and can at times confuse and disturb. But if you are willing to stick with it and really peel back the layers, you’ll find one of the most intricately written comic books of the last five years.
Before he became the Marvel Architect piloting the Fantastic Four into their greatest era yet and redefining the Marvel Universe with SHIELD, Jonathan Hickman wrote some of the most profoundly entertaining and entirely thought provoking mini-series that Image Comics has ever seen, starting with the utterly fantastic Nightly News. Following the exploits of an underground urban terrorist cell intent on destroying the media’s propagandic hold on the American public, the story provides an incredibly candid, hyperviolent look at the role of the media in today’s society and weaves Hickman’s own, stunningly human views into the fast paced action of the story. For less than 20 bucks, this one is well worth gifting to your more revolutionary friends.
Walt’s Gift List
I apologize for beginning on such a negative note. Fact is, while most people like celebrating the fun and happy feelings associated with the holiday season, it can also be an incredibly sad time of the year. Every Christmas/Hanukkah/what-have-you is someone’s first one without someone they loved, and the familial emphasis of the holiday season tends to drive the fact home. If you know someone who has recently lost someone dear to them, I highly recommend handing them Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon’s Daytripper, an absolute beauty of a comic that celebrates life and understands that death is part of that life. I know it helped me get through a rough point in my life.
Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume ($39.95)
Jeff Smith’s Bone is pretty much the perfect universal gift. It’s appealing to both children and adults. It can be both laugh-out-loud hilarious and deadly serious (though the former is more common). There are role models for children of both sexes. And goddamn, it is one great story. On top of the value of the series itself, the complete edition is one of the best values in comics. 55 issues for approximately $40, and that’s if you don’t find it marked down at all. Every comic fan should have this, and it stands a good chance of making someone else into a new fan of the medium.
Asterios Polyp, on the other hand, isn’t exactly what I would suggest to just anyone. However, if you have a friend that isn’t too into comics, but has another medium that they are obsessive about, see what they think of David Mazzuchelli’s masterpiece. I don’t just mean that the recipient in question goes to the movies about once a week; I mean that he or she is heavily invested in the medium, and loves seeing how it ticks. They could be a movie buff, an academic, or – best of all – an artist. So long as they have that analytical eye, the mild and varied techniques that Mazzuchelli uses in Asterios Polyp will open their eye up to a whole new medium and the possibilities it contains.
Gil’s Gift List
Justice League: The Complete Series on DVD ($99.98)
The DCAU was a special thing that existed for a time. It went from the earnest Batman series, and expanded to Superman, and eventually included the entire DC Universe proper. Here you could follow the adventures of the Big Seven Justice Leaguers to one of the breakout stars of the DCAU, The Question (voiced by the venerable Jeffrey Combs). This series is a treat for any DC Fan, and should be in any collection. Check it out!
Continued belowBatman: Arkham City for XBOX 360, PS3 or PC ($59.99)
Comic Book Licensed video games have had it rough. That is until this video game series came out. It’s seriously a lot of fun, and it’s one of the hottest video games out there. Arkham Asylum has moved from an island to a portion of the actual city of Gotham. And where else can you see Batman take on a shark and it wouldn’t silly as Hell?
Scalped Volume 1: Indian Country ($14.99)
Do you have a friend who may not be a comics fan, but they love crime books? Why not buy them the first volume of Jason Aaron’s stellar Crime Series Scalped. The whole series is based in a fictional American Indian Reservation in South Dakota and gives a stark look at all who live there. Aaron’s frank and at times gut-wrenching storytelling is like no other in the industry. And while you’re at it, check out the, oh, other 7 volumes that have come out by the time this has been published? It’s an amazing series!
Captain America: The First Avenger on Blu-ray ($44.99)
This movie was my favorite of the summer blockbusters, and with good reason. It captured the spirit of the iconic character and his compassionate nature, along with his bravery and skill. IT was a crowded summer this year, with Cap, Thor, X-Men AND Green Lantern coming out in a 2 and a half month time frame, but this one is the one that deserves to be under someone’s tree. If you don’t, you hate FREEDOM [note: Matt, add a link to a photo of a bald eagle flying in front of an American Flag crying or something from the capped FREEDOM…yeah]! Get the 2-Disc Combo Pack so even people who don’t have a Blu-Ray Player (yet!) can still enjoy the film, and then can enjoy it in full HD once they upgrade!
Brian’s Gift List
A few years ago, some friends did a gift exchange where each person was paired up with a category from Trivial Pursuit – I had to buy gifts with a geography theme for a friend who I would say was willing to give comics a shot, but had no idea where to begin. The collected Local was the first thing I picked up – this is a beautiful, unique, story that works as a great introduction as to why comics are more than just a place to get ideas for movies. I can’t say that this gift exactly turned him into the type of guy with a pull list, but it is still, 3 years later, displayed prominently on his bookshelf.
Lego Batman for Wii, XBOX 360, PS2, PS3 or PC ($19.99)
This is for the young person not reading comics on your shopping list. Much to my chagrin, my 8 year old nephew isn’t really into comics (yet). But he is really into playing Lego Batman on his Wii. As I see it, there is no better way to train a kid to become a Batman fan than to have him know who Nightwing, Killer Croc and the Riddler are before he’s ever cracked open an issue of Detective Comics. So, my “The Black Mirror” hardcover will stay on my bookshelf until osmosis finally takes hold and he asks Uncle Brian if he has any Batman comics he can read.
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Starman Omnibus Volume 1 ($49.99)
This is the perfect gift for someone who thinks they have graduated past superhero/mainstream comics. Starman is a story about legacy; it somehow manages to set a story in the “modern” age, but be just as much about the Golden and Silver Age as it is in modern times. The artwork, by Tony Daniel, is magnificent, and the story manages to be both sprawling and self-contained. This is the standard upon which I compare just about any other comic I read, and can convince even the most ardent anti-capes and tights reader that the superhero milieu can still be a place worth visiting. But be warned: by buying the first ominbus, you are practically inviting your friend/relative to whom you are giving this to hock their iPod dock to afford the next five omnibuses.
Brandon’s Gift List
X-Men Inspired Retro Art Prints by Christian Petersen ($18 for 1 print, or $75 for 5)
I was looking around etsy.com for some neat comic related stuff I might be able to get my son and ran across these awesome prints. The Nightcrawler and Phoenix prints in particular are all kinds of awesome! I figure they could be a lot of fun to decorate his room with now that we are moving into a comic theme for his room.
Each print gives you the name of the character and a quick rundown of their powers. They are really simple yet dynamic pieces. I really love them. Please, everyone, don’t buy them all before I get some for my kid’s room, though!
X-Men by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee Omnibus Volume 1 ($125.00)
I want this thing like no one’s business! It’s about time they collected these guys’ run. My favorite writer and my favorite artist of all time all in one book, with another to follow! I haven’t had a chance to get my hands on a physical copy but I can only imagine holding it would cause mass ejaculation. Want! Want! Want!
Granted, I have every single issue collected here and I have the X-Force Omnibus that collects #116-129, but I want them all in one large hardcover! This is such a great comic run and being able to pull them off the shelf and read through them all or pick through the collection would be amazing. I also view it as a great catalogue in which to choose my next tattoo out of!
The Death of Captain America Omnibus ($64.99)
I have the first volume of Ed Brubaker and Steve Eptings run on Captain America and I covet the damn thing so much I am sure I’m going to hell for it. I figure it’s time to get the next omnibus in the set so I can give the other a bit of a rest. Much like the other two omnibus’ listed here, I actually have all the issues, but it’s so nice to be able to just take it off the shelf and bust it open as opposed to digging through one of my 30 long boxes.
That’s what the Burpee wants! Gimme Gimme Gimme!
Continued belowRyan’s Gift List
Incredible Change-Bots ($15.00)
For the 80’s child in your life, how about Incredible Change-Bots by Jeffrey Brown. It’s a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek look at the Transformers, complete with Chee choo chee choo chook sound effects. It’s the story of the Awesomebots and Fantasticons and their never-ending battle for energy. Unlike Michael Bay’s recent look at Transformers this is (deliberately) funny and silly. There are Change-Bots who turn into microwaves, the villain is called Shootertron, the planet they’re from is Electronocybercircuitron. It’s really just big cheesy fun in a compact package. You can get it, and the sequel, digitally as well for even more savings!
For the introspective in your life, how about One Soul by Ray Fawkes. One Soul is a unique comic reading experience, every double page spread is 18 panels focusing on 18 different lives from all different times. There’s an Egyptian soul, a turn of the century fighter pilot, a contemporary soul and everything in between. Each spread focuses on the same time in each souls life showing parallels and differences to these connected lives across time. It’s not really a story in the traditional sense but it’s a fascinating and thought-provoking book that I can heartily recommend.
For the horror fan in your life, how about Green Wake by Kurtis Wiebe and Riley Rossmo. Green Wake volume 1 is out in trade now and since the story was originally solicited as a mini it’s a perfect self-contained story. Green Wake is a Twin Peaks-ian town where nothing is how it seems, complete with murder mystery to be solved in this first installment of the story. In no way a slight on Wiebe’s writing, but Rossmo is really the star of the book for me. He does a fantastic job with mood and atmosphere in the spooky town of Green Wake, he’s also one of the best scary monster artists around. It’s easily one of the spookiest comics you’ll ever find.
Chad’s Gift List
The Best of Archie Comics ($9.99)
Want a crash course in all things Archie? Here you go!
The Best of Archie Comics comes in at around 400 pages, and features hand-picked favorites by such Archie greats as Dan DeCarlo, Bob Montana, and Stan Goldberg. And with over 70 years of stories to pull from, even if you’re not a fan of Riverdale’s eternal teen, there’s plenty of Josie and the Pussycats, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and others to make up for your inexplicable distaste of gingers.
G.I. Joe Omnibus Volume 1 ($24.99)
I was pretty opposed to IDW’s GI Joe reboot. I grew up reading Larry Hama’s GI Joe at Marvel, and it was a favorite. I hated that they weren’t picking things back up there, but still, as a huge fan of all things Joe, I did give it a try, and, well… I was pretty under whelmed by the whole thing. It felt slow, and didn’t have nearly enough Cobra, so I stopped reading after five issues and called it a night. Then, several months back, a friend insisted I give it another try, so I picked up the omnibus when it came out, and simply put, folks, they were right; I was wrong!
Continued belowHaving this opening arc in one giant volume does wonders for its pacing, and changes how it reads completely. Instead of feeling slow or like it’s meandering, it feels surprisingly layered and character driven. Give this one to somebody patriotic. Except maybe not your weird uncle who’s on a watchlist and living off the grid. Don’t go giving him any ideas.
Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series on DVD ($79.98)
Sure, it just ended a few months ago, but the sixth series of Doctor Who had so many twists and turns over its 13 episodes that I’m sure all of us are ready for a refresher. Picking up just months after the last series finale, Matt Smith’s 11th incarnation of the Doctor is at it again with companions Amy and Rory (Pond), and with standout episodes like the Neil Gaiman-penned The Doctor’s Wife, and the extraordinarily touching, The Girl Who Waited, Who fans both old and new-ish should be pretty happy to find this one next to their TARDIS on Christmas morning.
Mike’s Gift List
Drawer Boxes (Price varies per store)
Does the comic collector in your life have a healthy size assortment of four color funnies? Lots of long white boxes? Yeah. I’ll let you in a secret, those boxes can be a real pain in the ass. Stacking then, unstacking them. Too much lifting just because you’re not sure if it was X-Factor #6 that Apocalypse had his first appearance in (it was 5, silly.) Get them Drawer Boxes! They’re pretty much exactly what they sound like. They look a lot like those familiar long white boxes, except instead of top loading, you fill them by sliding a drawer out of the front. No more of this stacking/unstacking nonsense!
iTunes Gift Card (Price varies per card)
Wait, What? That’s really impersonal, right? Wrong! You see, I’m thinking (hoping) that one of my cohorts has already listed a gift certificate to your local comic shop as an ideal winter holiday gift. So what’s iTunes have to do with this? It’s like a comic shop on the interwebs, man! That gift card money will count in the App Store, which means you can use it to buy comics from comiXology, Dark Horse, DoubleFeatue, or any other purveyor of sequentials that go through Apple. See? You knew just what they wanted. Pair it with that lcs gift certificate mentioned earlier for maximum impact.
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| Art by Joe Eisma |
A Commission (Price varies per artist)
Whether a comics fan collects original art or not, to own some of it is a pretty special thing. So who’s art does the target of your gift giving babble on incessantly about? Who’s name shows up on the most spines along the bookshelf? And don’t forget to consider the masters! Retired Silver and Bronze Age artists are still turning out original works for their fans. Once you know who it’s going to be, do a bit of Internet research. Does the artist have contact information? Are they currently taking commissions? Maybe they have a commissions section of their personal website? Then make contact! Know what character you want them to do, and be prepared to provide reference, even if it’s an Avenger or a Justice Leaguer. Look for a price list on their site, and if they don’t have one, ask. You want to know what you’re spending before you place an order. Easy peasy. You’re now on your way to giving someone an awesome piece of art, my friend. Now, these things may take a bunch of weeks for a turn around, so it’s not going to happen for this holiday season. But fear not! There’s always another reason to spend some money just around the corner.
Continued belowThere you have it — the full extent of our madness and love contained over 35 pieces of merchandise. If one of these items doesn’t fit at least one person on your shopping list (or yourself, even), then we’ve clearly done something wrong — but I can’t imagine that this is the case when we’ve give you a list of ___ pieces of merchandise!
For your comfort and colorful browsing, you can find everything we mentioned above listed below with helpful links, so buy away! Or don’t. But have a happy holiday either way!
Matthew’s Gift List
David’s Gift List
Patrick’s Gift List
Josh’s Gift List
Walt’s Gift List
Gil’s Gift List
Brian’s Gift List
Brandon’s Gift List
Ryan’s Gift List
Chad’s Gift List
