The holiday season has come once again, and it’s time to decide what to buy for the comic fan in your life. Or possibly what to buy for yourselves. Either way, it’s going to come down to the same basic question: what does your friend or loved one like to read? Or what do you like to read?
Even in 2016, comics are still more widely known for their superheroes, although the men and women in capes and tights are just one of the subgenres that exist within it. Marvel and DC have dominated the industry for years with its superhero tales, and to be honest, we’re big fans of that as well. That’s why the superheroes are well represented on this year’s list.
But in more recent years, other mainstream publishers like Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Boom! Studios, and others have been more daring in terms of their subject matter. Now, it’s not unusual to see horror comics like The Walking Dead, or sci-fi titles like Saga burning up the sales charts, especially in collected editions. Of course, manga is also a form of comics, but we’re not covering those particular titles this year.
Related: 2016 Gift Guide | The Best DVD & Blu-ray Box Sets for TV Fans
There are a few things to keep in mind when reading this list: graphic novels are just another name for comics, and comics are collected in various formats. The trade paperback is the most common and the least expensive format. The next step up are the hardcover editions, which can be more expensive. And finally, there are the Omnibus or Absolute editions, which are giant-sized hardcover comics that have huge page counts and even bigger price tags. Omnibuses also happen to be our favorite way to collect classic comics, but your mileage may vary.
We’ve narrowed this year’s selections to hardcovers and trades that were published or re-released this year. As with every online list, this compilation of titles is simply our opinion about the best comics you can buy. But we’re always looking for the next great comic, so if you feel that we’ve left something out, feel free to let us know in the comment section below!
2016 Comics Guide | The Best Graphic Novels for Comic Fans
Editor’s Note: All items subject to availability, all prices subject to change.
Header Photo Credit: DC Comics
2016 Gift Guide | The Best Graphic Novels for Comic Fans
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Absolute Batman: Year One
Price: $108.51 (Buy It Now)
Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli re-envisioned Bruce Wayne’s origin story in the ‘80s in the four-part Batman: Year One storyline. In fact, their tale has proven to be so influential that traces of it were included in Batman Begins two decades later.
Old school comic fans may appreciate that the Absolute Batman: Year One hardcover comes with two books: the collected story with modern coloring and production, as well as a second volume that presents the colors as they were originally published.
Photo: DC Comics
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The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 2
Price: $91.41 (Buy It Now)
The first Spider-Man stories by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko are great, but it was the John Romita Sr. era when the series really took off. Romita was one of the artists from Marvel’s romance era, and he brought some of that lighter touch to his stories with Lee which introduced Mary Jane Watson, and established some of the classic Spider-Man love triangles.
Romita’s art is the big attraction here, but the reprinted tales include more than a few classics, including the first “final” showdown between Spidey and the Green Goblin, the first Kingpin story, and the “Spider-Man No More!” issue. Marvel recently released a new printing of The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 2, but if you want to start at the beginning, the first volume is also available.
Photo: Marvel Comics
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Attack on Titan Anthology
Price: $17.99 (Buy It Now)
Attack on Titan is one of the best-selling manga titles in the world. But Kodansha Comics is trying to reach the wider American comics audience with its Attack on Titan Anthology. Several of the biggest names from Marvel, DC, and independent comic publishers were called upon to create stories set in the Attack on Titan universe, including Scott Snyder, Gail Simone, Michael Avon Oeming, Faith Erin Hicks, Babs Tarr, Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, Evan Dorkin, Paolo Rivera, Phil Jimenez, and Simon Spurrier among others.
Amazingly, the Attack on Titan Anthology hasn’t gotten much attention since it was published in October, but it’s well worth the read if you’re a fan of the creators or the show that inspired them.
Photo: Kodansha Comics
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Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Price: $15.23 (Buy It Now)
If you read comics long enough, you’ll realize that Batman meets everyone. He’s the king of comic book crossovers, and he’s teamed up with heroes from several rival companies. But in James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams II’s Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles miniseries, Bruce Wayne actually bonded with the Turtles while attempting to help them get back home and save their lives.
We’re so used to seeing Batman push other people away from him that it was refreshing to see him become so close to the TMNT as they teamed up against the Shredder, the Penguin, and a deadly assortment of Gotham’s greatest villains.
Photo: DC/IDW
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Dark Night: A True Batman Story
Price: $15.99 (Buy It Now)
This is a Batman story, but not the kind that you’re used to. Instead, it’s the semi-autobiographical story of Paul Dini, one of the famous writers behind the legendary Batman: The Animated Series. Back in the ‘90s, Dini was viciously robbed and beaten. In Dark Night, Dini recounts his story alongside artist Eduardo Risso as Dini’s counterpart in the past sees visions of Batman’s greatest enemies weighing him down while only the Batman’s encouragement keeps him going.
Batman may not be real, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t be an inspiring figure even in a world without superheroes.
Photo: DC Comics
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Doctor Strange Omnibus Volume 1
Price: $60.24 (Buy It Now)
Any old school comic fan can tell you that one of the benefits of Marvel’s movies is that the publisher tends to release giant omnibuses that collect a good chunk of a character’s earliest appearances. The Doctor Strange Omnibus Volume 1 has all of the original Stan Lee and Steve Ditko comics that inspired the recent movie.
Some of these comics are over 60 years old, and they are a bit dated. But Ditko’s stunning visuals are still worth it.
Photo: Marvel Comics
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Fight Club 2 Library Edition
Price: $132.30 (Buy It Now)
When Chuck Palahniuk decided to write a Fight Club sequel, he opted to do it as a comic book with artist Cameron Stewart instead of writing a new novel. It’s hard to argue with the approach, since this may be the closest we come to seeing a Fight Club 2 movie. The story picks up ten years later, as the previously unidentified narrator (now calling himself Sebastian) deals with the return of his alternate personality, Tyler Durden.
This is definitely a pricey way to read the ten issue story. But if you want to read Fight Club 2 as a smaller and less expensive hardcover, you do have that option.
Photo: Dark Horse Comics
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Frank Miller's Sin City: The Hard Goodbye Curator's Collection Limited Edition
Price: $194.12 (Buy It Now)
Before his work became extremely polarizing, Frank Miller was at the top of his game as the writer and creator of his own series, Sin City. This limited edition of Sin City: The Hard Goodbye was actually created from large scans of Miller’s original artwork and published at the same size that it was drawn.
This is more like an archival edition than something used to normally read the series. But if you’ve ever appreciated Miller’s artwork, this is the way to go...if you can afford it.
Photo: Dark Horse Comics
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Goodnight Batcave
Price: $10.98 (Buy It Now)
What do you get when the children’s classic Goodnight Moon meets the Dark Knight? Dave Croatto and artist Tom Richmond let us in on the secret in Goodnight Batcave, a parody adventure that find Batman trying to turn in for a good night’s sleep. But first he’ll have to take down the Joker, and Bane, and Mr. Freeze, and Catwoman, and the Penguin...and it’s gonna be a long, hilarious night.
For the comic fans with children, this is a great gift for the parents and kids.
Photo: DC Comics
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Klaus
Price: $34.99 (Buy It Now)
Imagine if Santa Claus was a superhero...no, superhero doesn't quite cover it. This Santa is a warrior, as envisioned by Grant Morrison and Dan Mora. Together, they gave Klaus a modern day retelling of Santa's origin that even incorporates Krampus into his backstory!
It's just an unexpectedly fun book that seems like the perfect Christmas gift for an unsuspecting reader.
Photo: Boom! Studios
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Mooncop
Price: $17.91 (Buy It Now)
Most of our readers have probably never heard of Mooncop, Tom Gauld’s minimalist comic farce about a lonely law enforcement officers dreary and yet hilarious misadventures on the moon as the lunar colony begins to shut down around him. Mankind made it to the moon, and now humanity doesn’t seem to care what happens there as people leave in droves.
There’s a touch of heartbreak in these pages, but it’s not a bleak story. Mooncop has captured its own unique tone and humor, which made it one of this year’s best graphic novels.
Photo: Drawn & Quarterly
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Ms. Marvel Omnibus Volume 1
Price: $51.99 (Buy It Now)
Not that long ago, Ms. Marvel was a full grown woman who fought crime in what was essentially a one-piece swimsuit. Now, Carol Danvers has gone on to become Captain Marvel, while a new heroine named Kamala Khan has taken up the mantle of Ms. Marvel.
G. Willow Wilson and her collaborators created one of Marvel’s newest breakout heroines in this series. Marvel has been trying to replicate the everyman vibe of Peter Parker for decades, but it never really happened until they unleashed Kamala Khan, a young Muslim girl of Pakistani descent who also happens to be an Inhuman and charmingly ordinary.
It’s rare to see a comic book character become so popular so quickly, but Ms. Marvel earned that distinction. This Omnibus edition features over 21 of Kamala Khan’s first Ms. Marvel stories in one easy package. This is the best way to experience Marvel’s latest sensation before she inevitably gets her own live-action counterpart on TV or in the movies.
Photo: Marvel Comics
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Superman: American Alien
Price: $16.55 (Buy It Now)
Max Landis has a tendency to be outspoken online...and even a bit of a blowhard. But no matter what his reputation, he wrote a very compelling Superman story in American Alien; which chronicled the early years of Clark Kent’s life as he came to terms with who and what he was. Along the way, Landis teamed up with several great artists for one-off issues, including Jock, Francis Manapul, Jae Lee, Joëlle Jones, Nick Dragotta, and more.
It has to be said that this is a better Superman origin than the one that DC gave the Man of Steel in the New 52 reboot. But it doesn’t rely on continuity, it’s simply an enjoyable tale about the last son of Krypton before he became the world’s greatest hero.
Photo: DC Comics
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Terminal City Library Edition
Price: $49.99 (Buy It Now)
Dean Motter and Michael Lark's Terminal City is another comic series that was largely forgotten until Dark Horse Comics reprinted the two miniseries as an oversized Library Edition this fall. Terminal City is a tough book to describe, since there really isn’t much out there like it. Essentially, it takes place in a future as envisioned from the past, or a retro-future, if you prefer.
Motter’s story borrows liberally from noir and comedy films, but Lark’s artwork is truly arresting. This is a gorgeous comic book, and it’s an even more fun to examine the details of each page in this new printing.
Photo: Dark Horse Comics
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The DC Universe By Neil Gaiman Deluxe Edition
Price: $23.42 (Buy It Now)
Before he was a bestselling novelist, Neil Gaiman made his name as the writer of DC’s Sandman series. That comic book has been endlessly reprinted, but some of Gaiman’s lesser known stories have been under the radar for decades. This fall, DC issued a new hardcover version of The DC Universe By Neil Gaiman Deluxe Edition, which features Gaiman’s work on Wednesday Comics, the Green Lantern/Superman miniseries, the “final” Batman story: Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader?” and more.
Along the way, Gaiman teamed up with a murderer’s row of comic art legends, including Andy Kubert, Mark Buckingham, Simon Bisley, Michael Allred, John Totleben, Matt Wagner, Kevin Nowlan and Jim Aparo. That’s not a bad way to leave his mark on that fictional universe, and those stories are all collected here.
Photo: DC Comics
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The Fade Out Deluxe Edition
Price: $33.57 (Buy It Now)
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are a creative team that can practically do no wrong. After wowing us for years with series like Sleeper, Criminal, Incognito, and Fatale, the duo struck again with The Fade Out.
This time, Brubaker and Phillips took readers back to 1948 during the blacklist years in Hollywood, as the murder of a would-be starlet sets off an epic and deadly mystery. The Fade Out is so good that we named it the best comic of 2015. And this is the best way to read the entire series.
Photo: Image
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The Marvel Vault: A Visual History
Price: $39.99 (Buy It Now)
Roy Thomas was one of the earliest architects of the Marvel Universe as we know it. In The Marvel Vault, Thomas teamed up with co-author Peter Sanderson to examine several decades worth of Marvel memorabilia and collectibles featuring Spider-Man, the Hulk, Captain America, and other classic heroes.
This year, Titan Press issued an updated version of The Marvel Vault, which includes new pages and touches upon the success of the Marvel Studios films.
Photo: Titan Press
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The Shadow: The Death of Margo Lane
Price: $24.99 (Buy It Now)
Matt Wagner is one of the all-time great writers and artists within the comic book industry, and The Shadow: The Death of Margo Lane was a rare opportunity of Wagner to show off both skills in the same story. The Shadow is also one of the oldest superhero characters who predates many of his more famous counterparts.
In this particular tale, Wagner strikes at the very heart of the Shadow, as his lover and right-hand woman, Margo Lane is murdered, leaving the Shadow on a trail of vengeance as he attempts to recover from his loss.
Photo: Dynamite Entertainment
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Uncanny X-Men Omnibus Volume 2
Price: $70.57 (Buy It Now)
When Chris Claremont and John Byrne were on their game, Uncanny X-Men was the best superhero book on the market. The Uncanny X-Men Omnibus Volume 2 received a new printing this fall, and it has some of the all-time great X-Men stories, including the Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past, both of which inspired the live-action movies and cartoon series that followed them.
If you want to start at the beginning of Claremont’s run, the first volume is still available here, while you can find the third volume here.
Photo: Marvel Comics
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Wonder Woman: A Celebration of 75 Years
Price: $30.66 (Buy It Now)
The UN may not have much use for Wonder Woman after stripping her of her honorary status this month, but she’s still one of the greatest DC heroines and a true comic icon who is celebrating her 75th anniversary this year.
This collection features some of the very best Wonder Woman stories by her creator, William Moulton Marston, as well as later comics by Denny O’Neil, Mike Sekowsky, George Perez, Darwyn Cooke, Robert Kanigher, Gene Colan, Phil Jimenez, Mike Deodato, Greg Rucka, Gail Simone, Brian Azzarello, and Cliff Chiang.
Photo: DC Comics
