December is upon us and it’s time to start thinking about gift ideas for the comic book geek in your life.
This year Marvel and DC released hard-cover collections, so there are a lot of choices out there. These editions can cost more than the traditional trade paperback, their durability is worth the extra price.
Fans of the late Jack "the King" Kirby will appreciate a copy of "Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus Volume One" from DC Comics. Readers will see the birth of the New Gods, the arrival of Darkseid, one of the most evil and powerful villains in comic book history.
Beyond the arrival of many characters that have had significant impacts on the DC universe, readers will be delighted to see the amazing art of King Jack. This was an artist who constantly experimented with angles and pushed the boundaries of forced perspective. His influence is felt today in the lines drawn by nearly every comic book artist.
The $29.99 price may seem costly, but the fact is that Kirby’s works set the standard for comic books for years. Few creators have had the impact on the industry that Kirby did.
Another great book to pick up is he "Heroes" collection.
The television show that proved a runaway hit last year was also a hit online. Each week the story was expanded on with five to six page comics that went along at the same pace as the television series. The stories gave more origin information than the show could and even better understanding of the powers that some of the characters showed.
The short books are done by a veritable who’s who of the comic book industry and includes covers by Jim Lee and Alex Ross the dustcovers are beautiful as the books are enthralling.
Copies cost $29.99 and are well worth the price. If you know a comic book fan or a fan of the television series, this is definitely something to grab. If they already have the DVD set, this book makes a fantastic companion.
For a more detailed review of “Heroes, Volume One” visit my blog at www.freedomblogging/toontalk.
Shawn Munguia does graphics and layout for the Valley Morning Star. He also maintains a blog about cartoons and comics at http://toontalk.freedomblogging.com/. Munguia can be reached at 956-421-9870 or you can e-mail him at shawnm@valleystar.com.
