by Mike Favila, Reporter

I’m really excited by the slate of books that have recently come out or are about to hit the shelves. Some of these are continuations of great runs, while others are brand new for 2012.  These are my picks for the true comic fan in your life.

1. The Boys Definitive Edition Vol. 4

Ok, I have to admit that this isn’t my cheeriest pick, but I couldn’t in good conscience let a gift list for the comic fan go without pushing the newest installment of Garth Ennis’ world destroying epic. If you haven’t read any of it, The Boys is a great deconstruction of the superhero genre. Would the real world be able to take people with way too much power and almost zero accountability? Could we stop them? Major points for the protagonist looking exactly like Simon Pegg. Ennis is more shocking than he’s ever been since Preacher, but in many ways, it’s more affecting. I’d never give The Boys to your 8 year old, but their parents would enjoy it.

2. Fatale Book 1: Death Chases Me

Don’t be confused. This is definitely not your father’s noire.  Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have done stuff together before, but Fatale is a high water mark.  Everybody is familiar with the archetype of the ruinous woman, breaking up friendships, causing men to make bad decisions, talking cryptically, etc.   The twist here? This woman is (so far) immortal and is being hunted by an evil clan, hell bent on extracting her secrets.  On the surface, that doesn’t seem like it would be enough to break out of the mold, but the slow burn pays off in the end.

3. Saga, Vol. 1

If you’re want science fiction that’s really thinking outside the box, Saga is a home run. Brian K Vaughan can turn the standard story (horned boy meets girl with wings, girl turns out to be a soldier for the opposite side, boy and girl create interspecies baby) into something surprisingly relatable and fun. Fiona Staples art is expressive, arty without being a mess, and a great match to Vaughan’s chosen subjects. In the span of a few issues you see a nobleman with a TV head doing naughty things, a babysitter ghost, a bounty hunter with six eyes and … realistic breastfeeding. I loved Y: The Last Man, but Saga is already shaping up to be Vaughan’s real legacy.

4. Superior

If you’re familiar with any of Mark Millar’s work, you’ll know that most of his works are more than a little shocking and not for the faint of heart.  In Superior, he tries something new.  What if you were a disabled young boy and all of a sudden were granted one wish? I would probably have made the same choice: be my favorite superhero.  Unfortunately, nothing comes without a few strings and conditions, and the situation gets way out of hand.  While Superior still has his twisted sense of humor, it presents a more hopefully side of storytelling, not unlike Kirkman’s excellent Invincible.  While part of me wants to be cynical and say that this book sounds like he’s already setting up for a movie, it’s nice to see that Millar has something heartwarming to say.

5. Invincible Iron Man Omnibus, Vol. 2

In Invincible Iron Man, Tony Stark is at his most flawed, hilarious and heroic, often within the same moment. For years, I’d written off Iron Man as a second tier character, alcoholism or not. With this book, Matt Fraction managed to take everything you already knew about the character and still put Stark through the paces.  With very decision and action, ol’ Helmet-head only makes makes you love him more.  Is he still Iron Man without his armor? Will he ever figure things out with Pepper Potts? Can his new company change the world instead of destroy it like his last?  Like any great author, Fraction refuses to give you want you want, but gives you what you need instead.  You can’t ever skip to the end to find the answer, cause even the middle is a revelation.  The last issue of Fraction and Salvador Larocca’s run came out just a few months ago, but these Omnibuses are the best way to relive the action.

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