Graphic novels make the best gifts. I mean, who doesn’t love to feel like they are giving a truly great gift, and a gift that might actually have a deeper resonance with the receiver. Graphic novels are special because you can give the right graphic novel to almost anyone. People who self-identify as the “I don’t read” crowd can often be persuaded to pick up a particularly appealing graphic novel. Here are three stellar graphic novels that would make a great gift for the science fiction and fantasy fan in your life. And let’s be honest, you’ll need to sample the goods beforehand to make sure they’re good enough, right?
Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan
Based on a true event, this is the dark story of four lions that escaped the Baghdad Zoo during the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Gorgeous and sad. Does a better combination even exist? The story is infused with a sense of inevitability that has larger implications for the world outside without being polemical.
Doom Patrol, Vol. 1-6 by Grant Morrison
A superhero team of freaks who wage war against villians that somehow manage to be even stranger. Few comic book writers can be considered great writers away from the medium, but Morrison is a certifiable genius. His wonderfully dark, esoteric and emotional take on superhero comics will please fans of Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore and even Kurt Vonnegut.
Demon Knights: Seven Against the Dark by Paul Cornell
An unlikely alliance of heroes and villains join together to defend a town from a siege of demonic forces, in alternate history Medieval Europe. It’s rare to see so many diverse and fleshed-out female protagonists in a mainstream comic, but Demon Knights does it with style. A great book for fans of superheroes, fantasy and those that just love a rousing story.
Shelf Talk 