Multiversity’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide

“The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl” omnibus ($133)

Look, I’ve made it no secret how much I loved Ryan North’s “Unbeatable Squirrel Girl” run. It’s one of the most enjoyable, clever, and heart-filled comics I’ve read in ages, and it still has yet to be topped. So an omnibus collecting everything (including crossovers) is right at the top of my list. It’s got over 1,000 pages of butt-kicking, nut-eating squirrely action, and it’s absolutely overflowing with love for all things Marvel. If you missed out on its run starting back in 2015, now’s a great time to catch up on everything you missed. – Robbie Pleasant

“Sandman Mystery Theatre” Compendium One ($59.99 Retail)

A couple years back, DC added a ton of their Vertigo titles to ComiXology Unlimited (RIP.) I had always been a noir fan, had recently, finally, read “The Sandman,” and was looking for more books that occupied that space. I saw that “Sandman Mystery Theatre” was added to the service and thought, oh hey, that seems right up my alley. Oh and it’s by Matt Wagner? Sweet! I’ll give the first couple issues a read.

I then proceeded to read the whole 70 issue series in around 5 days.

I’ve been waiting to have a collected edition on my shelves for years. I didn’t hold out hope. It’s not a particularly popular series, DC had been struggling to put stuff out into print for years, and “Sandman Mystery Theatre” never even had its full run collected. However! DC’s recent commitment to keeping their comics in print with these compendiums and omnibuses seems to have shifted the calculus a little and many, many of their older titles are finding their way into affordable, or at least readily available, packages. Including this paperback gem!

Would I have liked it hardcover? Yeah. Am I happy it’s cheaper because it’s not? Also yeah. And your gift wallet will thank you later too. – Elias Rosner

POP Star Wars The Mandalorian Peli Motto With Grogu Vinyl Bobble Head ($12.99)

Look, I don’t need yet another Funko Pop.  But Peli Motto was the best of the supporting characters of The Mandalorian.  And just look at the little Grogu she’s holding!  If this cuteness doesn’t win you over, check your pulse. You might be dead. – Kate Kosturski

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game—Complete Edition vinyl ($60.00)

Anamanaguchi put together an absolutely awesome soundtrack for this game. There’s a single disc version available on CD and via digital download, but I need the complete soundtrack, and it’s only available on vinyl. Shipping’s gonna be murder, but, well, I need it. – Mark Tweedale

RoboCop: Rogue City (PS5/XBOX Series X/PC) ($59.99)

It feels silly to say that I need a video game, but I just got back into gaming somewhat regularly and I am a massive RoboCop fan, well mostly just the first movie, but from what I hear from fellow fans of Alex Murphy, this is a really great extension of the franchise that captures the tone of the first two films. Blow away bad dudes in Delta City and Old Detroit as everyone’s favorite cyborg police officer. I still have some other games that I just got that need to be beaten, but can’t you just picture my face when I find a brand-new copy of RoboCop: Rogue City (for PS5) under my Christmas tree on December 25th? – Christopher Egan

BCW Comic Book Frame ($29.99) 

It’s been three years since I moved in with my wife, and while I’m trying to change my collection from floppies to trades and hardcovers, I still want to keep a couple of meaningful issues, and I think it’s time to display my “Ultimate Fallout” #4 and other gorgeous covers, it’s way better than to keep them stored in a box gathering dust. – Ramon Piña

Hank’s Cancer Socks ($49 retail)

I was originally going to recommend the T-shirts of Rebecca Kirby. Sadly, there aren’t any available right now. You should keep an eye out though, Rebecca designs a mean shirt.

Instead I’m going to recommend Hank’s Cancer Socks. They’re not really comics adjacent but Hank is a big comics fan, and is definitely a staple of nerdy culture, so I’m gonna cheat a little to plug these.

Basically, Hank designed eight socks with geometric designs that all work together so you can mix and match without looking mismatched. They’re really flipping cool and would make an excellent gift for those looking to add a splash of color to their wardrobe yet still look professional. Who cares if it’s cliched.

Plus, and this is really the big selling point, all the profits go to increasing access to cancer treatment around the globe. OK the other big selling point is they’re really comfy.

If you’re looking for something funkier, the Awesome Socks Club also makes for a great gift. I wear these regularly. Seriously, y’all. These are excellent socks. – Elias Rosner

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Inspired Bracelet ($34.99)

My favorite way to show off my fandom is with jewelry – it’s subtle enough to wear at the office, but unique enough to make an impression.  If you had to ask my first fandom love, it would be Doctor Who, which is why I love this charm bracelet with charms representing those things most iconic to the Doctor: Daleks, Cybermen, the Sonic screwdriver, the TARDIS, a Converse (of course) and a 60th anniversary charm. Quite the fashionable way to commemorate six decades of this iconic TV show. – Kate Kosturski

T-shirts by Jesse Lonergan ($22.00)

Earlier this year I bought a pair of t-shirts by Jesse Lonergan. Gotta say, they’re great t-shirt, very soft, and I often have people say very nice things about the shirts when I go out in them. And that makes sense, because the designs kick arse. Clearly I need more. – Mark Tweedale

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Winter Coat by NY Jacket ($129.00 – SALE PRICE)

Ok, so, this is a very specific item, but for Ghostbusters fans, this is one of the hottest items on wish lists this year. As soon as the trailer for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire dropped everyone from casual fans, devotees, and professional cosplayers were scouring the internet to find what company produced the killer red jackets that the titular heroes must don to take on the ghosts attacking a frozen Manhattan. Well, as it turns out, the original jacket is the Sabretooth LI Parka made by Wuxly and regularly retails for about $1500.00! Too rich for most people to buy a jacket just because it’s in one of their favorite franchises. So, Magnolia and NY Jacket have put out a high-quality replica that will set fans back a more typical price tag for a well-made winter jacket. As a Ghostbusters cosplayer, with complete movie accurate costume and props, I would love to add this jacket to my arsenal, so thankfully there is one on the market that is much easier to obtain. – Christopher Egan

A Pullover Hoodie from “Saga” ($47.95) 

I have never really used printed t-shirts, and maybe it’s my 30’s screaming, but I want to show off my love of comics, and what better way to do it than with one of the best books of the decade. Fiona Staples and Brian K Vaughan have a Threadless shop with a lot of different covers and even limited editions.  – Ramon Piña

Comic/anime workout shirts ($19.99)

I admit, I’ve put on a few pounds over the past few years (and that’s okay, we don’t body shame here), but finding the time, energy, and motivation to work out has been tricky. You can normally count me among the numbers who will resolve to lose weight in 2024 and then promptly forget about it, but whenever I do get the chance to work out, having a good workout shirt goes a long way. That’s why I like having an assortment of comic and anime workout shirts to choose from; it adds a nice bit of extra motivation to my workouts, and lets my nerd flag fly at the same time. – Robbie Pleasant

“Murder Falcon” Hardcover Collection ($29.99 retail)

*Whisper cries* Now that’s heavy

Daniel Warren Johnson is a treasure of the comics sphere. There’s a reason why he was our 2021 best artist. His stories are affecting and brilliant and take the most bonkers sounding concepts and turn them into instant classics. I do not like metal as a genre; I LOVED “Murder Falcon.” I do not follow, and certainly don’t roll deep with wrestling; I FUCKING LOVED “Do a Powerbomb.”

Stop everything you’re doing and get this book. Give this man’s work to someone you know has good taste. You will impress them and maybe even convince them that, yes, comics are good. It’s only $30! That’s a fucking steal for a hardcover this nice and a story this brilliant. – Elias Rosner

Double Double to Invincibubble – The Continued Adventures of the Cool Cat in his Magic Hat ($28.00)

If 2022 was the year I discovered what many call The Beautiful Game (aka soccer/football/futbol), 2023 was the year I discovered English Premier League, and became an Arsenal fan. (Guess my prediction in this review came true!) This book looks back on Arsenal’s 2003-2004 season, nicknamed the season of “The Invincibles” when the team went undefeated in the league.  Illustrations come from the webcomic Poorly Drawn Arsenal, a comic artist in Philadelphia who (in his own words) has “questionable artistic skills and a love of Arsenal.” (You can read his backstory in this article from The Athletic.)

I look forward to his drawings after every match, and what better way to celebrate an accomplishment in the Premier League that we may never see again? – Kate Kosturski

Mondo: The Art of Soundtracks ($50.00)

I have pretty serious FOMO for the comics I love, so if something I like is available for pre-order, chances are I’ve already bought it, which is why this item is not a comic. However, despite appearances, it is kind of comics related. You see, Mondo’s soundtracks have awesome art, and the artists doing that art are often comic artists. Plus, I just love art books.  – Mark Tweedale

Nightmares in the Sky: Gargoyles and Grotesques (Prices Vary Based On New/Used Copies)

This is a bit of an oddity, but for fans of Stephen King, the bizarre, and old architecture, this might be up your alley. A limited-edition coffee table book from 1988 that still has quite a few copies in circulation, this is a collaboration between the master of horror and the avant garde photographer who goes by F-Stop Fitzgerald. As any invested King fan, I have copies of every one of his books, most of his movie adaptations, and plenty of other bits of work and memorabilia, but I did not know this book existed until this year when the King-centric podcast, “The Losers’s Club” did a bonus episode on it. Written by King and filled with photos from Fitzgerald, the two artists created a book about their love and fear of old gargoyles and other odd building designs. My love of King and coffee table books knows no bounds. So get this for the Stephen King fan in your life, even if that’s you. – Christopher Egan

“Richard Stark’s Parker: The Complete Collection” ($69.99) 

I have only read great things about Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s “Parker” novels, I read that Donald E. Westlake was reticent to license his books, much less to turn them into comics, but once he saw the passion of Cooke reflected on his pages, he gave his blessings. But if you want to get the Martini Editions, well, they are rare and very expensive, so I’m glad that IDW published this book collecting every story.  – Ramon Piña

A House with a Library in It (Way too !&#%ing much)

This year, I figured I’d go as big as I could think with my gift guide’s pie-in-the-sky. If you’re a comic fan, you likely don’t have enough room for all your comics. If you’re a young(ish) comic fan, you probably struggle to afford most of your comics, let alone the space to put them in. Like me, every time you get a new bookshelf, you find it’s already full before you can even finish setting it up.

Recently I’ve run up against the wall of my one-bedroom apartment and only by the grace of very deep shelves and jussssst the right width books have I been able to get them all stored. I need a house! With a room for books/comics and a space to read them in. But a house? With that kind of excess space? In today’s economy? In MY area? Thinking about it makes my head spin.

If anyone is willing to gift me my dream house, or magically decouple an entire nation’s dependence on houses as stores of monetary value needed for comfortable retirement and change our housing system to be affordable, hit me up. If not, I’ll keep hoping Morpheus can make me one.

(I mean, I could put a Zillow link here but why bother.) – Elias Rosner

Donation to The Face Radio Brooklyn (varies, ranges from $5 to $10,000) 

I have plenty of stuff on the lists above, so I’m using my final item to give back with a donation to my favorite independent radio station in Brooklyn, The Face Radio. I started listening to this because two of my friends had shows on the station, and after a while I just kept it on in the background at work because it always had something unexpected – from soul to jazz to funk to a show entirely devoted to cover songs.  The community that sprouted up around this station has also provided lifelong friends who introduce me to new music and put up with me somehow always working soccer into the conversation in our Discord chat.

You can support them with a donation for a show or through purchasing some sweet sweet swag.  Truly independent radio is a dying breed, and licensing costs money. If you’ve ever complained about radio all sounding the same, this one’s for you. – Kate Kosturski

Bookshops & Bonedust ($17.99)

Did you really think I’d only have one book on the list? Bookshops & Bonedust is the sequel to Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes. If you’re unfamiliar, Legends & Lattes is about an orc, Viv, who retires from life as an adventurer and opens a coffee shop (what we’d call a café in Australia). The book is a comfort read and that’s exactly what I expect from the sequel. So far the series has ticked off coffee and books, two big comforts for me. If I’m lucky, the third will add chocolate. – Mark Tweedale

BATMAN AND BATMOBILE DELUXE 1:10 Scale Statue by Iron Studios ($1,150.00)

Like most geeks that grew up in the 80s and 90s, Batman: The Animated Series is a part of my DNA and a core part of my overall Batman fandom. This two-piece 1:10 scale collection of Batman and the iconic version of the Batmobile from the hit and beloved TV series is something I would absolutely love to have in my collection. Even if I have no idea where I’d put it at the moment. Made from polystone using the original Bruce Timm reference art for the series, this is a truly magnificent piece that any fan should be drooling over clearing shelf space for. – Christopher Egan

A Riso printing machine (I honestly have no idea how much it costs, but you can find used ones on eBay for around $2000)

Maybe this is the year where I want to try to make some Zines, they are cheap and accessible, and I love the idea of spreading information this way. And maybe having a Riso machine can make printing zines accessible to a ton of friends and people in my town. Maybe I can make my own printing company! – Ramon Piña

ANYCUBIC 3D Printer ($429.99)

Miniature painting and cosplay are two of my many nerdy hobbies, and 3D printing has revolutionized them both. It’s now possible to print multiple minis, or detailed props, especially with the amazing 3D modelers selling their designs online. A 3D printer is near the top of my list for “things I’d like to get if I ever have the money and storage space for it,” and the quality of the prints and details have only been improving with every new printer that hits the market. The only downside: my pile of unpainted minis would grow exponentially as soon as I get the printer working. – Robbie Pleasant