It's that time of year again when most of the Western world runs about in a bit of a panic trying to find Christmas presents for their family and friends. We thought we'd use this time to spotlight a few of our older reviews and suggest some books which would make Christmas presents. Without further ado, let's continue....
For children
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade
An adorably funny take on Supergirl and a perfect introduction to the character. Suitable for kids from about 8 years and older.
Azumanga Daioh
A Japanese manga comic presented in strip format - very similar to how newspapers publish their daily cartoons. Azumanga Daioh follows a group of schoolchildren over four years of high school and it's simply brilliant. Very funny and very touching.
Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things
Filled with spookiness and magic. This is ideal for lovers of young adult fiction or fairy tales.
For teenagers
Runaways Pride & Joy and Rock Zombies
Brilliant series of books about a group of teenagers who find out their parents are supervillains and decide to atone for their parents mistakes. Features prominent Black, Asian and LGBT characters and comes in a handy digest (about A5) size.
Love Roma
High School romance Japanese style! Cute and expressive art with some truly memorable characters. This should keep the recipient happy and giggling for an hour or so on Christmas day.
Beautiful gifts
There are a few books out there that would make some gorgeous presents due to the way they are published and presented.
DC: The New Frontier
Excellent recap of 1950s America and the rise of modern day superheroes. Glorious art and fantastic storytelling. This would be an ideal present for someone who grew up with comics in the 1950s or 1960s but hasn't read anything for a long time.
Creatures of the Night
The hardback version of this is stunning and would look fantastic on any bookshelf. Included within is two adaptations of Neil Gaiman's short stories The Black Cat and Daughter of Owls. It's gothic, it's creepy, it's beautifully rendered and it's very grown up.
Pride of Baghdad
The story of the American bombing raid of Baghdad, told from the point of view of the zoo animals. Highly acclaimed and very moving, this book has powerful art and doesn't shy away from the horrors of war. At £8.99 it's not too expensive but it is very thought provoking, no matter whether you supported the war or not.
Batwoman: Elegy
DC's first out lesbian superhero! This is colourful, very well laid out, gripping, seductive, heart stopping, life affirming, attention seeking, fantastic, dream-like, imaginative, action filled... I could go on. It's great, it's just great.
Black Orchid
Another gothic delivery from Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. Black Orchid is a hybrid plant/human creature. In this volume she is discovering her identity and place in the world amidst mystery and ignorance.
Conan: The Frost-Giant's Daughter and other stories
A comic adaption of Robert E Howard's Conan stories. Faithful to the original, this is a rare thing that adds to the source material and makes it's existence worthwhile. Full of myth and legend this would be great for anyone with an interest in folk tales in general or Norse stories in specific.
Of course there are lots more books we have highlighted on this blog. We think they are all worthy of attention so don't forget that you can search for old reviews by label, for example, all ages, teenage, LGBT, Characters of Colour, superheroes, not superheroes, Halloween, romance, disability and so on. For more advice about the types of labels we use and the arrangement of the reviews on this site see here.
For children
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade
An adorably funny take on Supergirl and a perfect introduction to the character. Suitable for kids from about 8 years and older.
Azumanga Daioh
A Japanese manga comic presented in strip format - very similar to how newspapers publish their daily cartoons. Azumanga Daioh follows a group of schoolchildren over four years of high school and it's simply brilliant. Very funny and very touching.
Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things
Filled with spookiness and magic. This is ideal for lovers of young adult fiction or fairy tales.
For teenagers
Runaways Pride & Joy and Rock Zombies
Brilliant series of books about a group of teenagers who find out their parents are supervillains and decide to atone for their parents mistakes. Features prominent Black, Asian and LGBT characters and comes in a handy digest (about A5) size.
Love Roma
High School romance Japanese style! Cute and expressive art with some truly memorable characters. This should keep the recipient happy and giggling for an hour or so on Christmas day.
Beautiful gifts
There are a few books out there that would make some gorgeous presents due to the way they are published and presented.
DC: The New Frontier
Excellent recap of 1950s America and the rise of modern day superheroes. Glorious art and fantastic storytelling. This would be an ideal present for someone who grew up with comics in the 1950s or 1960s but hasn't read anything for a long time.
Creatures of the Night
The hardback version of this is stunning and would look fantastic on any bookshelf. Included within is two adaptations of Neil Gaiman's short stories The Black Cat and Daughter of Owls. It's gothic, it's creepy, it's beautifully rendered and it's very grown up.
Pride of Baghdad
The story of the American bombing raid of Baghdad, told from the point of view of the zoo animals. Highly acclaimed and very moving, this book has powerful art and doesn't shy away from the horrors of war. At £8.99 it's not too expensive but it is very thought provoking, no matter whether you supported the war or not.
Batwoman: Elegy
DC's first out lesbian superhero! This is colourful, very well laid out, gripping, seductive, heart stopping, life affirming, attention seeking, fantastic, dream-like, imaginative, action filled... I could go on. It's great, it's just great.
Black Orchid
Another gothic delivery from Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. Black Orchid is a hybrid plant/human creature. In this volume she is discovering her identity and place in the world amidst mystery and ignorance.
Conan: The Frost-Giant's Daughter and other stories
A comic adaption of Robert E Howard's Conan stories. Faithful to the original, this is a rare thing that adds to the source material and makes it's existence worthwhile. Full of myth and legend this would be great for anyone with an interest in folk tales in general or Norse stories in specific.
Of course there are lots more books we have highlighted on this blog. We think they are all worthy of attention so don't forget that you can search for old reviews by label, for example, all ages, teenage, LGBT, Characters of Colour, superheroes, not superheroes, Halloween, romance, disability and so on. For more advice about the types of labels we use and the arrangement of the reviews on this site see here.
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