Christmas is right around the corner and the time for buying gifts is running out. If you still have some comic fans on your list I have a top five list of books for the young and young-at-heart.

1) Thor The Mighty Avenger

I love this book! It is beyond wonderful. Roger Langridge’s storytelling combined with Chris Samnee’s art makes for a perfect superhero book. Every page is filled with love and joy. You can definitely tell that Langridge and Samnee love what they do. Thor The Mighty Avenger is an out of continuity book so you don’t have to worry about knowing characters’ histories. There is an over arching story but, for the most part, each issue is a stand alone and easily enjoyed on its own merits. The first trade paperback just came out and it contains the first four issues. It is currently up to issue #7 and unfortunately it is being canceled at issue #8 but at least that means it will be easily possible to collect the entire series of this wonderful comic!

2) The Little Prince

Joann Sfar recently adapted Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s beloved children’s classic and it is fantastic. I love the way Sfar interpreted the story. It is a beautifully packaged hardcover book and at $20 it is worth every penny. It would make a perfect gift for an older child or an adult who remembers reading the story when they were younger. Along these same lines, Jim McCann and Janet Lee‘s Return of the Dapper Men is a fantastic book. Everything about it is wonderful. It is a modern take on the fairy tale genre. The art is beautiful and that story is thought-provoking. Again this could easily appeal to a child or an adult.

3) Tiny Titans

Tiny Titans makes my heart smile. It is geared towards younger kids but anyone can enjoy this comic. It is full of activities and it is also full of DC related jokes. Art Baltazar and Franco do an amazing job on each issue. Each issue is adorably humorous. Most recently they did a Tiny Titans/Little Archie crossover book. Aw Yeah Titans! I would love to wake up Christmas morning and find a few issues tucked into my stocking or a few trades wrapped up under my Christmas tree. If you are looking for other kids superhero books Chris Giarrusso‘s G-Man is an excellent book too. Or if you are looking for a cute and adorable Marvel comic, his Mini Marvels are both cute and adorable.

4) The Muppet Show Comic Book

I am sure you have heard me wax poetic about the Muppet Show Comic Book before but that is because they are that good. I particularly love the Roger Langridge issues but all of them are fun to read. My favorite storylines are Meet The Muppets, On The Road and Treasure of Peg Leg Wilson. The comic book is magically able to capture the feel of the show. It truly is like watching an episode of the show. Kids can giggle at the sight gags and adults can enjoy the word play. It is the perfect gift for any comic book fan or any Muppet fan!

Boom! Studios (who publish the Muppet Show Comic Book) have a wonderful kids’ line. They genuinely put out high-quality books that kids and adults can enjoy. There have recently been a number of titles that have really stood out to me. Cars The Adventures of Tow Mater was an excellent book that was goofy and fun and yet well-written. Tow Mater is my guilty pleasure. I really do adore that tow truck. Also, Darkwing Duck is amazing. It completely captures what was awesome about the cartoon and puts it on the page. The same can be said of Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers even though only one issue is out so far. With the release of Toy Story 3, the Toy Story comic would be a perfect companion gift. I really enjoyed The Mysterious Stranger and The Return of Buzz Lightyear. The current issues (Tales From the Toy Chest) have been great too though.

5) Secret Science Alliance

This is the perfect gift for that precocious child on your list. The book is about three kids who happen to all be secret scientists. They discover that a villain plans to rob a local museum so they attempt to stop him using their brains and their inventions. Secret Science Alliance is a really smart book that any kid interested in science would enjoy.  It might even get them interested in inventing. It will also appeal to Indie comics fans as it is written and drawn by Eleanor Davis and inked by Drew Weing. Davis is well known for her mini comics including The Beast Mother and Bugbear. Weing’s recent book Set to Sea was reviewed on this very site!