Holiday gift guide 2004
December 14, 2004 | Trades
The Complete Peanuts 1950-1954 Box Set
Fantagraphics Books
$49.95 US (hardcover)
It’s hard not to equate the Peanuts gang and Christmas.
The long-running A Charlie Brown Christmas animated special which runs every December is a tradition and many people feel it’s just not the holiday season with out Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and good ol’ Charlie Brown.
This slipcase two hardcover set of every single Peanuts strip done by the late Charles Schultz from late 1950 to Dec. 31, 1954 will take you back to a simpler time where you can watch the evolution of one of the most iconic strips of the 20th century take shape.
This is also a gift that can become an annual tradition, as every one of Schultz’s strips until his retirement — a span of 50 years — will be collected and released at a rate of two books a year for the next 11 years.
Bone: The One Volume Editon
Cartoon Books
$54.75 (paperback)
The One Volume Edition of Bone is a 1,332-page behemoth, but rarely will you find a finer read in a more compelling package.
One of the most deservedly lauded series of the past 15 years, Bone tells the epic story of three cousins trapped in a lush valley filled with dragons, rat creatures and people good and evil. Full of simple, yet elegant art by creator Jeff Smith, Bone is witty, suspenseful and thoroughly enjoyable.
This volume contains all 55 issues of Bone (or all nine previous trade paperbacks, if you prefer) and at about $4 per issue or $20-25 per trade this book’s value becomes clear. The only thing that could deter people from the One Volume Edition is its hefty four-pound weight. But it is well worth setting down on your lap for a long winter read.
The Art Of Usagi Yojimbo
Dark Horse Books
$39.95 US (hardcover)
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo and to celebrate, Dark Horse Books is pulling out all the stops.
This over-sized hardcover covers everything you need to know about Sakai’s creation — an anthropomorphized rabbit samurai who lives in 17th century Japan — beginning with two illustrated pieces on how the writer/artist creates an issue of the comic book series, from concept to completion.
Other highlights include a look at the character’s origins from rarely and never-before seen sketches, a look at Usagi’s early years and the development of the long-running series and a section on Sakai’s stunning painted work which illustrates his truly immense talents as an artist.
The book also features a gallery of Usagi sketches by other famous artists, such as Frank Miller, Sergio Aragones, Tim Sale and Jeff Smith.
The DC Comics Encyclopedia
DK Publishing/DC Comics
$50 (hardcover)
Having access to the complete DC Comics Universe in one volume is the dream of many a comic fan.
Well wishes can come true and for the first time in over a decade, an updated guide to the DCU is here: The DC Comics Encyclopedia.
From Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman to the more obscure heroes and villains produced by this venerable comic book company over the past 60+ years — this book has it all. This guide is packed with information in the typical encyclopedic manner and features illustrations by some of the top names in comics covering over 1,000 characters, places, vehicles and weapons that make the DCU such an amazing and evolving place.
Wrapped in a cover by acclaimed comic painter Alex Ross, this is a high-priority present for the comic fan in your life.
Star Wars: Panel To Panel
Dark Horse Books
$19.95 (paperback)
It’s less than six months until the release of the final piece of the Star Wars puzzle: The Revenge Of The Sith and the Jedi nuts are starting to come out of the woodwork.
Everybody knows a Star Wars fan, closet or otherwise, making gift giving to them a piece of cake. And Panel To Panel is a perfect gift for one wise in the ways of The Force.
The work of Dark Horse Comics on the adventures set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away have been terrific over the past 13 years.
To commemorate some of the amazing work produced by some of the industry’s finest creators, Dark Horse has released Panel To Panel. From galleries on the heroic Jedi Knights to villains and rogues such as Darth Vader and Boba Fett and others on spacecrafts and aliens, Panel To Panel is a collection like no other.
Dreamwave Pockets
Dreamwave Productions
$10.95-$12.95 US (paperback)
Markham’s masters of action, adventure and fantasy have got the perfect stocking stuffer for the comic fans on your list this holiday season.
Dreamwave Productions, best known for reviving the Transformers comic franchise several years ago have been roaring full steam ahead since then, producing handfuls of entertaining series, including several based on licenced characters such as Megaman, Duel Masters and, of course, the Transformers.
In addition to the traditional trade paperback collection to bring together the first five or six issues of these series for come-lately fans, Dreamwave has released them in handy novel-sized pocket editions.
For a younger crowd, try Megaman, Duel Masters and Transformers: Energon. If you’re buying for a slightly older fan, Darkminds, Warlands, Transformers: War Within and the ultra-hot Transformers/G.I. Joe are a perfect fit.
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