Whether you’re looking for something to read during the holidays, a special present for a book-loving loved one, or feel like beefing up your gift list last minute, these are the three titles that caught our eye in the lead-up to Christmas.
Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes
If you’re a Discworld fan – especially the type of passionate enthusiast who attends the like of Discworld Day – or you have a Kevin in your life, you may already have a copy of Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes, which released at the end of September. If you don’t, now’s the perfect opportunity to get your hands on the official biography of the beloved and best-selling author, who fused his rich fantasy worlds with sharp satire.
Pratchett died too soon in 2015, at age 66 from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and his in-progress biography was picked up by Rob Wilkins, Pratchett’s former assistant, friend and now head of the author’s literary estate. Written by someone so close to Pratchett, with access to family, friends and colleagues, Wilkins’s account presents an intimate, frank and full-picture look at Sir Terry’s life, as he went from school boy dismissed by his teachers to an OBE knight with a self-forged sword made out of meteorite. Yes, you read that right. Anyway, expect smiles, laughter and tears during this bittersweet 336-page read.
For South Africans, find your purchase options here.
Fantastic Four: Full Circle
As much a striking coffee table art book as a dynamic superhero adventure, Fantastic Four: Full Circle sees acclaimed artist Alex Ross (Marvels, Kingdom Come) pay tribute to the work of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Even if you’re not a Fantastic Four fan, there’s much to appreciate about this deluxe 64-page graphic novel, which marks the first time in his 30 year+ career that Ross handles both art and writing duties.
Building on a story from the 1960s, Full Circle takes Marvel’s First Family on a breathless journey through the trippy Negative Zone. While the comic is short on epic battles, and steeped in Silver Age lore, it’s still very accessible to new readers. Obviously, Ross’s art is the primary draw card, with his signature photo-realistic characters and ultra-detailed line work combined with psychedelic Pop Art colouring. However, Full Circle also does an excellent job of showing the appeal of the Fantastic Four as characters. In Full Circle, they’re far into their hero careers (and over their bickering), and work in perfect unison as much as they deliver playful jibes.
Fantastic Four: Full Circle is notable as the first of the Marvel Arts collaborations between Marvel Comics and Abrams ComicArts. Multiple purchase options (including ebook) are here on the Abrams official site.
Tank Girl Color Classics Trilogy (1988-1995) Boxed Set
If you really want to treat a (grown-up) comics fan this Christmas, look no further than the definitive anthology that is the Tank Girl Color Classics Trilogy (1988-1995) Boxed Set.
While the three freshly-coloured volumes of cult-classic Tank Girl comics – from legendary creators Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett – have been released individually before, this is the first time they are collected in one complete set, housed within a board slip case. Together, the comics deliver almost 400 pages of irreverent action adventure and girl power goodness, along with three exclusive art cards and original new cover art. Now seems like the ideal time to rediscover the punky post-apocalyptic heroine, especially since Tank Girl’s 35th anniversary is coming up next year, in 2023.
Find your recommended purchase options for the boxset here on the Titan Comics website.
