The holidays already?!? I guess it’s time for my annual contribution to the Biff Bam Pop! Holiday Gift Guide™.
As I say every year, if you can avoid shopping at Amazon…do it. Aside from not respecting their workers, they’ll ship you a paper book in a paper envelope and leave it on your wet front porch so that you’re left with a kind of slurry or a “Build Your Own Comic Book” kit if you’re optimistic about it.
Instead, find your local comic shop or independent bookstore and give them your hard earned American or Canadian dollars. Trust me, they need it more than a billionaire that bought a newspaper that refused to endorse a presidential candidate for the first time in their history.
And now…BOOKS.
DC Compact Comics
Some months back, I was at a bookstore and spied perhaps the tiniest copy of Watchmen I ever did see priced at a very attractive $9.99 USD. I passed on it because the same copy of Watchmen I’ve had for almost 30 years is still doing just fine, thank you very much. However, I was instantly smitten with the format.
Measuring 5.5” x 8.5” these books are the perfect size to toss in a backpack or overnight bag. Larger than manga but smaller than a regular trade paperback with a real clean trade dress that gives them an air of legitimacy, people will think you’re reading an actual book! (Comics ARE literature, put away your torches).
As I said, I passed on Watchmen because carrying around a copy with me may be the comics equivalent of carrying around a copy of Infinite Jest or House of Leaves. But I absolutely DID pick up copies of All-Star Superman and Batman: The Court of Owls Saga. Two certified bangers from DC’s vast library of titles all for TWENTY BUCKS.
The return on investment here is staggering since both of these book clock in right around the 300 page mark and they’re cheap enough that they’ll make a good stocking stuffer or secret Santa gift. Maybe you know someone who’s been looking for a way into comic books? With these you can fill a (small) bookshelf of theirs for the price of one hardcover omnibus. Have you looked at an omnibus lately? Hard to handle and they’ll smash your crotch…no one wants that!
Other titles currently in the DC Compact Comics line include Far Sector, Batman: Hush, Wonder Woman: Earth One, Harley Quinn & The Gotham City Sirens, Joker, American Vampire Book One, and Catwoman: Trail of the Catwoman.
“But what if they’re a Marvel fan?” you’re probably saying right now. Well, next year Marvel is coming out with their OWN take on Compact Comics (why they’re not calling them Marvel Minis is beyond me), which will cost a fiver more than what DC is doing. It was right THERE, Marvel…all you had to do was price them at $8.99 and I’d have bought my third copy of The Dark Phoenix Saga.
