by MATTHEW PRICE

From the Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022 edition of The Oklahoman

Comics gift ideas for ‘22

As the holidays near, you might like some suggestions for shopping for the comic fan in your life. Local comic shops would no doubt appreciate your patronage, and many offer gift certificates, as well.

The following are some ideas that may be of interest to a fan of comics or other aspects of geek culture.

Back to the 1990s

Two popular artists of the 1990s have new editions showcasing their work in the era. 

“Todd McFarlane’s Spider-Man Artist’s Edition” features pages scanned from McFarlane’s hand-drawn art, showing them at their original size. 

Meanwhile, “The Uncanny X-Men Trading Cards” book reprints all 105 cards, front and back, from the 1992 X-Men card set by Jim Lee along with additional artwork and interviews. 

More Marvel Heroes

“Fantastic Four: Full Circle” by Alex Ross is the first graphic novel written and illustrated by the noted comics artist of “Marvels” and “Kingdom Come,” which ties back to a Stan Lee-Jack Kirby tale from the 1960s.  

“Marvel Super Heroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book” from paper engineer Matthew Reinhart showcases Spider-Man swinging over rooftops, the X-Men taking out a giant robot Sentinel, and much more Marvel action.

Meanwhile, “Spider-Man: The Spider-Verse Unfolds” explores the multidimensional Spider-Verse as each section, printed on an accordion fold, moves the story forward and into new locales.

Some indie fare

Stories from the beginning and end of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ era might be of interest to more serious TMNT fans. “The Last Ronin” looked at the future of the Turtles, and is collected in hardcover format. 

With “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Compendium Vol. 1,” go back to the very first stories by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird as they craft the origins of the TMNT. 

“Radiant Red” is the latest in the Massive-verse of comic titles from Image Comics, featuring a middle school teacher who is secretly a superpowered thief. The paperback collection is set for Dec. 13 release; if this is a hit with your gift recipient, “Radiant Black” and “Rogue Sun” are among the titles in the same universe.  

Matthew Price, matthew@matthewLprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.