Recently, a comic shop guy explained to me that hernia-inducing, unabridged dictionary-sized, hardcover reprint collections of superhero comics exist because during the holiday season there are people who know a relative loves Spider-Man. This is certainly great for the retailers, but thankfully, there are some collections that do more than fill under-the-Xmas-tree real estate. Here are a few of my recent faves.
The Complete Peanuts 1991-1994 Gift Box Set (Vols. 21-22) by Charles M. Schulz (Fantagraphics, $59.99)
I am genuinely thrilled that this series has reached the 1990s, which I consider one of Charles Schulz’s artistic peaks, with his poignantly shaky line and boldly irreverent storylines invigorating the timeless strip. It proves that Schulz’s brilliant focus was always his cartooning — animation, greeting cards and electric toothbrushes be darned.
Moomin: The Deluxe Anniversary Edition by Tove Jansson (Drawn & Quarterly, $69.95)
This hefty collection of Tove Jansson’s all-ages masterpiece (honoring the late artist’s 100th birthday) features the complete run of a comic strip that visually appeals to children, yet features writing and narratives so satirical, sophisticated and hilarious that it’s too good for just kids. Add in sketches, essays and delicious graphic design, and this is the perfect gift for children up to 100 years old.
Jack Kirby New Gods: Artist’s Edition (IDW, $125)
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IDW’s incredible series of full-sized reproductions of the original art of iconic comic books and strips is an expensive, expansive, amazing project. My favorite is IDW’s 1950s Mad comics volume, but the most important one has to be this collection of the most ambitious series by the “King of Comics.” Personally, I never loved the writing in his “New Gods” series (except for “Mister Miracle,” which has an “Artist’s Edition” forthcoming), but visually his cosmic designs and impactful imagery was never more powerful than in these books
Hip Hop Family Tree Vol. 1-2: 1975-1983 Gift Box Set by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics, $59.99)
Ed Piskor’s quirky, obsessive, delightfully absurd history of early rap reaches near-masterpiece levels because of the artist’s wonderful commitment to aesthetic details. As he covers the 1970s, he re-creates every stylistic element (even the paper stock smacks of 1970s Marvel comics), and as he gets into the 1980s, he’s doing the same. The slipcase and bonus material in this box set follow this impressive tradition.
Rocket Raccoon & Groot: The Complete Collection (Marvel, $29.99)
The “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie brought attention to these ridiculous characters, and this 2013 collection shows just how esoteric a history the monosyllabic tree and rapscallion rodent have enjoyed. Opening with Jack Kirby’s 1960 monster comic debut of Groot and going through the 21st century adventures of the unlikely duo, this is a dizzying survey of the mainstream comics industry’s strengths and weaknesses over the past 50-plus years.
Jake Austen is editor of Roctober magazine and co-author of “Playground: Growing Up in the New York Underground” and “Darkest America: Black Minstrelsy From Slavery to Hip-Hop.”