Were you a good boy or girl this year? Did you avoid Internet snark, practice goodwill towards your fellow human being, and cross with the light? Yeah, neither did I.

So, as Black Friday and Cyber Monday approach, I offer the following list of graphic novel gift books, designed to help you assuage your guilt, and/or utilize those gift cards you’ll receive from relatives who know you love comics, but are afraid of getting you something you already have.

Of course, you can also use it as a suggestion list for those special geeks in your life. Just be sure to get a gift receipt, just in case they want to trade it in for something else.

As usual, The Beatrix and her minions get no remuneration from linking to Barnes & Noble. I do work for B&N, but nothing I post here is endorsed by Barnes and Noble.

Oh, and my criteria for this list? Anything over $40, published since July 2010.  There’s no rhyme or reason to the order on this list… and since the new server is not liking pictures, please click on the ISBN-13 link, and you’ll be directed to the listing on BN.com, where you can see the covers.  Click on the highlighted publisher name, and you’ll be directed to the exact book listing on their website.  (Some publishers are very bad… they don’t have a dedicated page for these expensive and beautiful books, so I’ve linked to their homepage.)

What would you like Santa [Hanukkah Harry, Kwanzaa Kwame, Agnostic Agnes] to leave beneath your tree? Let us know below in the comments… perhaps Krampus will take pity on all you bad boys and girls!

The Simon and Kirby Superheroes
Joe Simon, Jack Kirby (Illustrator), Steve Saffel (Editor)

Blondie, Volume 1
by Chic Young

Art of Jim Starlin
by Jim Starlin

Absolute All Star Superman
by Frank Quitely, Grant Morrison, Neal Adams

  • $ 99.99
  • Pub. Date: October 2010
  • Publisher: DC Comics
  • Format: Hardcover, 320pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781401229177
  • ISBN: 1401229174

DC Super Heroes: the Ultimate Pop-up Book
by DC Comics Staff, Matthew Reinhart

Critically acclaimed pop-up engineer Matthew Reinhart celebrates the history, heroes, and villains of the DC Universe in this ultimate 3-D masterpiece! Bursting with over 25 impressive pop-ups, this deluxe format features a variety of unique novelty elements-including a light-up Bat-Signal, a cosmic Justice League of America battle scene, a twirling Lasso of Truth, and a transparent Invisible Jet!

Starring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and many more favorite DC characters, this momentous pop-up exploration releases just in time for DC Comics’ 75th anniversary. Signed and numbered by Matthew, this stunning special edition also features a cloth slipcase and an exclusive extra pop, making it an absolute must-have for die-hard DC Super Hero fans of all ages!

DC Comics Year by Year
by Daniel Wallace, Dorling Kindersley Publishing Staff

Can’t afford that $200 Taschen tome?  This volume is more accessible (lighter, cheaper, found in more stores) and has just as many pretty pictures.

Six Novels in Woodcuts
by Lynd Ward (Illustrator), Art Spiegelman (Editor)

Archie: Seven Decades of America’s Favorite Teenagers… and Beyond!
by Bob Bolling (Artist), Sam Schwartz (Artist), Dan DeCarlo (Artist), Bob Montana (Artist)

The Boy Commandos by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Volume 1
by Joe Simon, Jack Kirby

The Incal Classic Collection
by Alexandro Jodorowsky and Moebius

75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking
by Paul Levitz

Next Men Premiere Edition, Volume 3
by John Byrne

Starman Omnibus, Volume 5
by David S. Goyer, James Robinson

  • $ 49.99
  • Pub. Date: October 2010
  • Publisher: DC Comics
  • Format: Hardcover , 464pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781401228897
  • ISBN: 1401228895

Complete Little Orphan Annie, Volume 6
by Harold Gray (Artist), Harold Gray

Rip Kirby, Volume 3
by Alex Raymond (Artist), Alex Raymond

King Aroo, Volume 2
by Jack Kent

Jeffrey Jones: A Life in Art
by Jeffrey Joness

Transformers: IDW Collection, Volume 2
by E.J. Su (Artist), Simon Furman, Nick Roche, Don Figueroa (Artist), Nick Roche (Artist)

Li’l Abner, Volume 2
by Al Capp

X-9: Secret Agent Corrigan, Volume 1
by Al Williamson (Artist), Archie Goodwin

Polly and Her Pals: Complete Sunday Comics 1925-1927
by Cliff Sterrett

Squardron Supreme by Mark Gruenwald Ominbus
by Mark Gruenwald, Bob Hall (Artist), Paul Ryan (Artist), Paul Neary (Artist), John Buscema (Artist)

  • $ 74.99
  • Pub. Date: November 2010
  • Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
  • Format: Hardcover, 448pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780785149712
  • ISBN: 0785149716
  • Edition Description: Alex Ross cover [Marvel usually produces two versions of omnibus volumes: one with a new cover (or recycled, as the one above) for the general market; one from the original series, usually digitally recolored, for the Direct Market.]

Icons: The DC Comics & Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee
by Jim Lee

Genius, Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth
by Alex Toth, Dean Mullaney, Bruce Canwell

Sophie Crumb: Evolution of a Crazy Artist
by Sophie Crumb, Aline Kominsky-Crumb (Editor), R. Crumb (Editor)

Xenozoic
by Mark Schultz

Superman vs. Muhammad Ali Facsimile
by Dennis O’Neil, Neal Adams

Thor by J. Michael Straczynski Omnibus
by J. Michael Straczynski, Olivier Coipel (Artist), Marko Djurdjevic (Artist)

Looney Tunes Treasury: Includes Amazing Interactive Treasures from the Warner Bros. Vault!
by Andrew Farago, Ruth Clampett

Fire & Water: Bill Everett, the Sub-Mariner and the Birth of Marvel Comics
by Blake Bell

From Shadow to Light: The Life & Art of Mort Meskin
by Steven Brower

Drawn and Dangerous: Italian Comics of the 1970s and 1980s
by Simone Castaldi

The Best of FoxTrot
by Bill Amend

Doonesbury and the Art of G. B. Trudeau
by Brian Walker

40: A Doonesbury Retrospective
by G. B. Trudeau

DC Universe Illustrated by Neal Adams: The Covers
by Neal Adams

  • $ 39.99
  • Pub. Date: September 2010
  • Publisher: DC Comics
  • Format: Hardcover, 192pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781401221720
  • ISBN: 1401221726

The Complete Peanuts Boxed Set 1975-1978
by Charles M. Schulz, Robert Smigel (Introduction), Alec Baldwin (Introduction)

DC Comics: The 75th Anniversary Poster Book
by Robert Schnakenberg

Bloom County: The Complete Library, Volume 3>
by Berkeley Breathed

Unlovable: The Complete Collection
by Fantagraphics Books

  • $ 39.99
  • Pub. Date: November 2010
  • Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
  • Format: Hardcover , 832pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781606993972
  • ISBN: 1606993976
  • Edition Description: Slipcased edition

Family Circus, Volume 3
by Bil Keane

Norman Pettingill: Backwoods Humorist
by Gary Groth (Editor), R. Crumb (Introduction)

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1 COMMENT

  2. Sometimes, publishers will fulfill (non-returnable) Direct Market orders first, shipping product before the general retailers get it. Of course, support your local comics shop. Not only will you be helping to keep the lights on, but your dollars will stay in the community.

    There have been a few occurrences where a publisher ran into trouble with an overseas printer, and the only copies printed were shipped to comics shops.

    If memory serves, both of these omnibuses were originally scheduled for early 2011, but were pushed forward when Marvel realized that their licensed gift books sold well during the Holidays, but Marvel’s own titles performed badly. Of course, any retailer (or BookScan) would have shown them how well DC’s Absolute editions sell. (Oops! Forgot to list Absoulte Planetary, Volume 2!)