by Wayne Markley

A year ago I wrote a blog about the six best Christmas presents for the comic book fan. For a variety of reasons, that blog got cut to be the four best books for Christmas presents. After a year of stewing about this, I am once again writing about the six best books for Christmas presents. I have noted the status of the availability of these books where I can. I have also focused on books for the younger readers and books their parents can also enjoy. I am sure it will go without saying I highly recommend all six of these books as they are great gifts, and while most of them are holiday oriented, they are perfect gifts for anyone at any time. And now onto the list, in no particular order.

Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories

1.)    The Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories HC

This is a beautiful, full color hardcover book edited by Craig Yoe. There are almost 200 pages of classic comic stories all about Christmas. Most of these stories are from the 1940s and 1950s and have a charming sense of nostalgia to them, sort of like watching It’s A Wonderful Life. It includes the writing and art of such greats as Walt (Pogo) Kelly, John (Little Lulu) Stanley, and Mike (Justice League of America) Sekowsky. It is filled with short stories starring Santa Claus as well as the Biblical telling of the reasons for Christmas (and no, it is not to spend more money at Wal-Mart on gifts). My only criticism of this book is my complaint I have off all of the Craig Yoe books, and that is the reproduction looks like the pages were scanned from the original comics and are reprinted on nice paper but the art still looks washed out. A minor complaint to get a collection of these rare stories.

Toon Treasury of Classic Children's Comics

2.)    Toon Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics HC

This is a massive book of over 350 pages that I highly recommended last year, and it probably ranks up there as one of my favorite collections of all time. While the stories are not holiday related, they are by a far stretch the best collection of comics not only for children, but for everyone, ever collected. Since the mastermind behind this collection is Art Spiegleman, it is not a major surprise he was able to get the best from all the publishers. Within these pages are stories starring Sugar and Spike, (one of my all time favorites), Bugs Bunny, Uncle Scrooge, and dozens of others by creators ranging from Carl Barks to Sheldon Meyers to Walt Kelly and beyond. And all of these stories are in full color. This books is a perfect gift and it also belongs on any true comic books fan’s bookshelf.

Tiny Titans: Welcome to the Treehouse

3.)    Tiny Titans Collections TPBs

A set of books, all by the team of Art Baltazar and Franco. These four volumes collect the excellent comic book that is destined to be a classic. These books are done in a style that is perfect for younger readers yet it is filled with a love and passion for the world of comics that any fan of any age can and will appreciate. These are whimsical and entertaining comics that take the well known canon of the Justice League/Teen Titans/Super Pets and turns them all upside down for great story telling and laughs. It is one of the few books that will bring a smile to your face. The four collections are: Tiny Titans Vol. 1: Welcome to the Treehouse; Vol. 2: Adventures in Awesomeness; Vol. 3: Sidekickin’ It; and Vol. 4: First Rule of Pet Club. As a side note, the same masterminds behind Tiny Titans have also recently completed a three issue miniseries of Tiny Titans/Little Archie which I would also recommended.

Archie's Classic Christmas Stories

4.)    Archie’s Classic Christmas Stories Vol. 1 TPB.

As any reader of my blog posts knows, I am a big fan of Archie comics, particularly the classic material. This trade paperback (96 pages) collects various Christmas stories from the pages of Pep, Laugh, Pal’s and Gals, and other Archie titles with story and art by such luminaries as Dan DeCarlo, Frank Doyle and George Gladir. There was a long tradition in Archie titles to have a Christmas issue every December with stories all about all aspects of Christmas, and this trade collects some of those stories. It is a very nice collection that will make you feel good no matter how sad you may feel after having read the latest Marvel or DC epic where they kill your favorite character. As an aside, if you are a fan of Archie, I would also recommend the recent book from Dark Horse called Archie Firsts. This full color hardcover reprints the first appearance of Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Reggie, Mr. Weatherbee and more. It is a fascinating read to see how these characters first appeared compared to the characters we all have grown to know over the years.

Bloom County Complete Library Vol. 3

5.)    Library of American Comics HCs

For the next two recommendations I am moving away from the books with holiday themes or for younger readers, and recommending two higher priced books for true fans of the comic’s medium. The Library of American Comics is a series of books being Published by IDW and overseen by the great Dean Mullaney reprinting some of the best newspaper strips of all time. I am recommending the whole line of books, as it is very diverse and I am sure there is something for everyone. All of these books are sequential reprints of these classic newspaper strips (unless otherwise noted). Among the titles they publish (and remember these are from the very first strip forward) are Dick Tracy, Little Orphan Annie, Secret Agent Corrigan (Al Williamson), Family Circus, Bloom County, Rip Kirby (Alex Raymond), Terry and the Pirates, Archie (the newspaper strip by Bob Montana), Polly and Her Pals, King Aroo, Blondie, Bringing Up Father (not from the beginning), Li’l Abner, and many more. Every book is well over 200 pages and often 300 + pages. All have beautiful design and offer hours of reading pleasure. All of these books are Highly Recommended. Please check www.westfieldcomics.com for titles and availability.

20th Century Boys

6.)    20^th Century Boys
I recently read of a review of this series by Naoki Urasawa comparing it to a mix of Watchmen and Battlestar Galactica. While I would not disagree with this, I think it under sells how good this series is. It is a complex 22 volume collection about a group of kids who discover their childhood games could lead to the end of the world, and one of them is behind this threat. As with Urasawa’s other works, Monster and Pluto, this is a great read. It reads like a thriller novel by the best vs. a comic book. The story is filled with twists and turns and surprises that the reader never sees coming. So far, 12 volumes have been published in the US, so there is plenty of time to jump on the bandwagon and start reading one of the best stories by one of the best comic creators out there.

There you have my top six picks for Christmas this year. As I mentioned a few times in this column, please check www.westfieldcomics.com for availability. There are a number of other titles out there worth your time and money (the Simon and Kirby collections from Titan Books come immediately to mind). These are only my opinions and do not reflect the opinions or thoughts of Westfield Comics or its employees. I am always open to comments or requests of review copies at MFBWAY@aol.com. Happy Holidays.

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