Comics Holiday Buyer's Guide 2015
You’ve still got some time to stack a few more presents underneath the tree, so if you’re looking for some help in making the comic fan in your life a happy camper, I got you covered. Feast your eyes on our Holiday Comic Buyers Guide.
Superheroes
For those who prefer capes and cowls, there is a plethora to choose from this year. Many heroes saw themselves revitalized, such as Captain America, Starfire, Black Widow, and Grayson. If you want something a little different, maybe give Dark Horse’s Zodiac Force, or Marvel’s Hawkeye, or Image's Starlight a chance. Happen to be in the mood for some humor? Check out Spider-Woman, Batgirl, or Nova for some lighthearted adventuring. Of course, you could always just pick up the latest run of Uncanny X-Men and be good to go, but maybe I'm a bit biased.
Picks Include: Spider-Woman, Batgirl, Hawkeye, Grayson, Starlight, Starfire, Nova, Black Widow, Zodiac StarForce, Captain America, Uncanny X-Men.
Family Friendly
At the moment there is a glut of books geared towards adults, or at least young adults. The good news is there is still some great picks for the age-conscious parent. Titles like Jedi Academy, Gotham Academy, My Little Pony, Scooby Doo Team Up, and Groot take familiar characters and gear them towards any age group. Meanwhile other books like Gronk, Cleopatra in Space, Bone, Moon Girl, and Devil Dinosaur offer something a bit different for the adventurous reader.
Picks Include: My Little Pony, Jedi Academy, Gotham Academy, Avatar The Last Airbender: The Rift, The Promise, The Search, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Scooby Doo Team Up, Cleopatra In Space, Bone, Gronk, Groot.
Fantastic Fiction
To say this was the year that non-superhero books pretty much defined comics would not be a stretch. Titles like The Walking Dead, Sixth Gun, and Rat Queens have become as synonymous with readers as stalwarts like Batman and The Avengers. There is something for pretty much every type of reader, and even for longtime fans, there is a book to expand your field of vision for the hobby. Maybe give something like Trick r’ Treat: Day of the Dead or Krampus: Shadow of Saint Nicholas a try? If you’re a fan of video games, Dragon Age Magekiller or Tomb Raider might be right up your alley. Looking for something a bit on the unique side? Try Mouse Guard, Rat Queens, or The Adventures of 19XX. You aren’t going to run out of great books anytime soon.
Picks Include: Mouse Guard, Walking Dead, Sixth Gun, Star Wars (Marvel), Chew, Tomb Raider, Rachel Rising, Krampus, Trick R’Treat, Dragon Age Magekiller, Rat Queens, Wayward,The Adventures of 19xx, Black Sad.
Kick Ass Leading Women
Another milestone of 2015 is the sheer amount of fantastic female led books currently on the shelves. Some of these have been mentioned before, but another mention isn’t going to hurt anyone. Books like Lumberjanes, Black Canary, Molly Danger, Papergirls, Ms. Marvel, and Mighty Thor are some of the best books out there, and deserve to be spotlighted. While we still have a way to go in how women are depicted in comics in general, the books I mentioned above are a huge step in the right direction.
Picks Include: Lumberjanes, Spider-Gwen, Ms.Marvel, Mighty Thor, All New Wolverine, Black Canary, Rocket Girl, Molly Danger, Saga, Paper Girls, DC Bombshell
Classics
These stories are stalwarts of the genre (with some personal favorites thrown in for good measure. It is my list after all). You really can’t go wrong here, and even if someone has read them before, they will still enjoy adding it to their bookshelf.
Picks Include: All Star Superman, New Frontier, Batman Year One, Preacher, Annihilation (Marvel), 52, Green Lantern Rebirth, Age of Apocalypse, Kingdom Come, Blankets, Civil War, X-Men Messiah Complex, Strangers in Paradise,
Well, that's my list! Of course as always, these are just my picks, so if you are feeling adventurous, always be open to trying something different. You just might find a new classic.