Hot nerd-on-nerd action since 2008

It’s that time of year.  Black Friday’s in the recent past and Generic Winter Holiday With Gifts is fast approaching.

So, what do you get for the geek (or non-geek) in your life?

The Teen/Young Adult (A.K.A. The CW’s Target Audience): Runaways (Marvel Comics)

I recommend the hardcover collections of Brian K. Vaughan’s run, if only because the art really deserves to be seen oversized and on high-quality paper.  If you’re getting them for a younger child or are hesitant to drop that much money, there are digest-sized collections available.

The Political Junkie (A.K.A. The West Wing Fan): Ex Machina (Wildstorm)

Some might consider this a superhero book, but it’s mostly a political drama told via a series of flashbacks.  The fact that it has a finite run is a bonus for non-comic readers.

The Political Junkie (Plan B): Transmetropolitan (Vertigo)

Transmet works best with people who have a weird combination of cynicism and hope, but I’ve never met someone who didn’t enjoy it.

The Golden Age Superhero/John Cusack Fan: Starman Omnibus Vol. 1 (DC Comics)

James Robinson’s story of a legacy hero (one of the best thing about DC’s characters) is worth every cent.  Go for the omnibus, since the TPB’s are out of print.

The Golden Age superhero Fan (Plan B): The Golden Age (DC Comics)

The Zombie Movie Lover: The Walking Dead (Image Comics)

The series is basically a never-ending zombie movie.  And nobody is safe.  Most of the series is available in trade.

The Comic Movie Fan That Doesn’t Actually Read Comics:

I tried to choose a decent selection from the Big Two (of characters that actually have films…) but I’m sure I’ve overlooked a few.

Astonishing X-Men

Ultimate Spider-Man

Iron Man: Extremis

Superman: Secret Identity

Batman: Year One

Wonder Woman: the Hiketeia (I know she doesn’t have a movie yet, but it’s a damn good book.)

The Lost Fan: Y: The Last Man (Vertigo)

The third Brian K. Vaughan book I’ve plugged here, but it especially works in this case, seeing as Vaughan’s working on the ABC series now.  Vertigo’s released the entire run in TPB and is currently releasing hardcovers.

The Crime/Mystery/Cop Fan: Fell (Image)

Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith’s done-in-one police comic might take some time to get used to for people not used to either creator’s style, but it’s a fantastic piece of work.

The Widescreen Action Movie Fan: The Authority (Wildstorm)

I’m partial to Ellis and Hitch’s initial run, which are available in two TPBs or one Absolute edition.

The Absurd Sense of Humor… Type Person (A.K.A. Greg Didn’t Really Think This One Out): Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. (Marvel)

This is one of those books that I think everyone should read.

The Classic Superhero Fan: Astro City (Wildstorm)

This is the other book that I think works for just about everybody.