Everyone on our gift list knows what they’re getting this holiday season: books! And not just any books, but the best graphic novels and comics around. Here are our staff picks this year:
Tucker:
I can remember coughing loudly to conceal the sound of my parents old trinitron turning on late at night, after bedtime, so I could catch Liquid Television, the show that first introduced me to Sala. His work, in turn, introduced to me the possibilities of the comics medium–I just didn’t know it at the time. To return to his initial comics work in Night Drive, including “Invisible Hands” all these years later was a stark reminder to me what an incredible talent he was, and what a bewitching artform comics can be.
No cartoonist makes me laugh quite the way Julia does, with my eye on the door, a little unnerved, a little unkempt. And while it might not be the most company friendly thing to say, I truly think her best work is often in the mini-comics form, a format she’s excelled at over the years. This hardcover collection retains all of her ferocity, and the experience of so many of these shorts back to back is an unrelenting, diabolical pleasure.
Inject it directly into my veins. I would die for these comics.
Kayla:
Nancy Wears Hats is my favorite Nancy collection yet!
Raised by Ghosts is a haunting and deeply moving memoir, and Loewinsohn remains one of my favorite graphic memoirists writing today!
Beat It, Rufus is incisive and funny, but it also nudges the reader toward a little self-examination, which is a rare combination.
Lauren:
For anyone who appreciates the craft of cartooning, Precious Rubbish is a revelation: a graphic memoir that calls upon jaunty mid century comics, puzzles, and biblical allegories to tell Kayla‘s story of surviving an abusive childhood and the resilience it took to make a better life–stunning.
On the lighter side, we’ve got Tedward, which follows the increasingly sordid adventures of a cheerful moop who manages to remain optimistic in the face of modern horrors: liquid-laden sex parties, intrusive condom clerks, scooter-riding psychopaths, and the like. Truly a book for our times.
The way some people feel about Cher, I feel about Nancy: she’s my icon! This collection–which features strips from 1949–1950–is witty and cool, I just can’t get enough.
Kristian:
This title hits my ’70s nostalgia sweet spot with classic EC-like tales told through a early ’70s Marvel lens featuring artists like Jim Steranko, Barry Windsor-Smith and even EC alumni like Wally Wood and Johnny Craig.
The latest tome from Fantagraphics’ unofficial cultural historian Pat Thomas. This book reprints classic articles from the legendary publication touching on everything from Naked Lunch to Dennis Hopper to Free Jazz. Classic magazine cover art reproduced as well.
Fantagraphics reboots its classic Nancy & Sluggo reprint series with this first volume. These classic strips never get old.
Justin:
Enter the apocalyptic, post-invasion world of Oesterheld and Lopez’s Eternaut and you may never escape. Strange and sprawling, this story would be at home in the pages of any EC serial.
Gorgeously designed, lavishly illustrated, and deeply researched, this is a magnificent love letter to one of America’s greatest – and most overlooked — illustrators and cartoonists.
This loose scrapbook of early works, photographs, and unpublished sketches gives an intimate peek into the world inhabited by Parrish. I dare say, a more stunning self-portrait of any artist would be hard to find.
Darren:
One doesn’t often get a chance to read rock ‘n roll fine art interdimensional time travelling intrigue so this volume was most welcome. One of my favorite works from one of my favorite cartoonists. Jason is in top form here.
I knew this would be fun because I’d read one of the individual issues but I was not prepared for all the laughs I got from this book. It’s beautifully drawn and colored as well. The total package and quite possibly my book of the year.
This book consists mainly of reprints from Uptight so I wasn’t initially sure how bad I needed it. JC once again proves that he’s not only a masterful cartoonist but also the king of comics production. Upon first glance his ‘no spine’ technique seems dubious but as soon as the reader gets to that first two page spread and the book opens completely FLAT it all becomes clear. This book is gorgeous.
Mike:
Spawn Of Venus And Other Stories illustrated by Wallace Wood and (mostly) written by Al Feldstein because, in addition to offering the best-ever reproduction of the title story, in addition to the trilogy of Wood’s Ray Bradbury adaptations, in addition to Wood’s most iconic science fiction story (“My World”), it also presents a story originally gutted by the Comics Code but now fully restored for the first time ever. (Whew!) This is Wood at the absolute peak of his “beautiful clutter” period AND an historical triumph over censorship. 26 stories plus in-depth info and insights from Thommy Burns, Jon Gothold, Howard Chaykin, Larry Hama, S.C. Ringgenberg, and Ted White. (And, OK — shh! — I wrote a fun little fumetti in the back of the book, too.) A treasury of Wood goodness sure to please every fan of science fiction, Wallace Wood, and EC Comics.
Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: “The Lonely Lighthouse on Cape Quack” because Carl Barks‘s Duck stories never disappoint. A sinister mystery during a raging storm, Magica De Spell, and the Junior Woodchucks in their own solo stories. 17 stories jam-packed with well-plotted adventure, laughs, and an irrepressible joy that is so rare in comics today.
Buz Sawyer Vol. 5: Island of the Lotus Eaters by Roy Crane because they don’t make adventure comic strips like this anymore. These 11 stories, never collected before, present a master class in plotting, pacing, and comics storytelling. A hurricane, a plague of locusts, and — every parent’s worst nightmare — Buz and Christy’s new baby is kidnapped! Crane, the dean of adventure comic strips, shows off his A-game on every page. Rapid-fire action, suspense, intrigue, humor, unforgettable characters, and brilliant art.
Ben:
A master class in the art of auto-bio comics.
Squeak The Mouse fans rejoice! There’s more of Mattioli‘s cartoon madness to enjoy!
A heartfelt and hilarious story about friendship, grief, sobriety, drugs, sex, booze, rock ‘n’ roll, and a garbage prince named Boss.
Conrad:
This comic captures the breakneck folly of a youthful road trip adventure, with an unexpectedly deep and affecting conclusion. Self deprecating, hilarious and cathartic.
Shapiro conjures the milieu of the 1920s American ex-pat literary scene, in this poignant and charming summertime coming-of-age story.
A completely bonkers fever dream of a graphic novel chronicling the author’s grandfather’s bumbling misadventures in a far-flung jungle colony. This newly resurrected classic will enthrall adventurous comics readers and perhaps scare tamer readers away from the form for good.
Kaz:
A solid comic strip collection for any comic fan. I can’t tell you how many times re-reading Bushmiller‘s masterful gags always gets a smile and chuckle outta me – If your loved one enjoys comics, I definitely think Nancy Wears Hats would be a grin worthy gift to receive.
A powerful heartbreaking true story that is hard to put down or stop thinking about once it’s done. Extremely disturbing with moments of dark humor that kept me riveted till the end.
Oliver Schrauwen cracks me up big time and anything he makes is a must buy for me. To be honest, I’ve been taking my time with this one and haven’t finished it yet, but it’s hilarious so far and I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for some good comic laffs.
Jenn:
I’ve been a fan of Jordan‘s work since Non so I was happy to finally see this collection materialize. The book packaging features high quality color printing, spot lam, and an exposed binding — it is so beautifully produced and really shows off Jordan’s art and craft. If there’s one truly special gift book to give anyone this year, it should be this one.
When I was little running weekend errands with my mom, she always went to the same Cumberland Farms to get gas and buy the Sunday paper, tossing it on to the front seat with a brown paper bag that had an extra treat for me (Hostess Snowballs). I always crawled up from the wayback to grab the Sunday strips and my snack waiting for my mom, reading the funnies as the gas pump gently clicked. These Peanuts Sunday strips are a beautiful reminder of how simple and good life can truly be, especially seeing these again in these gorgeously designed paperback editions.
This one is technically not a 2025 release, however the (fifth!) printing will be arriving very soon and I had to include it on my list as a “bonus book”. A bestseller for us even before the Netflix TV series — if you don’t know who Juan Salvo is by now, you should. Essential reading.