Are you shopping for someone who is incredibly hard to shop for? Or maybe someone who has very specific tastes? Or even someone you hate??? Well, we often get requests for comic recommendations from customers in our Seattle comic book store that start with “this is a weird question, but”. So maybe these will help you? Or maybe they won’t but you find some cool comics for your loved ones anyway?
Btw yes, almost all of these are all real requests, although sometimes slightly fictionalized or tweaked to protect the identity of the customer. One of them is fake though. See if you can spot the fake! Engagement!
So without further ado, here are some incredibly specific (real, except for one) graphic novel recommendation requests that we have given in-store!
My daughter likes sad cozy anime. Any ideas?
Why don’t you take a look at…
I Feel Awful, Thanks
by Lara Pickle
It’s about a witch who got her dream job, opening a potion shop in rainy London. Yet she’s still not happy. What could be missing?
Melancholic, yet cozy and pretty and filled with Vibes.
I want violence! The more violent, the better! Stabbing! Shooting! Slicing! BLOOD!!!
Oh boy do we have something for you!
BRZRKR
by Keanu Reeves, et al
What if… Highlander met John Wick?
Written by Keanu Reeves, starring Keanu Reeves, this is Keanu Reeves murdering through time, the comic.
Can you recommend a comic for my selkie wife who left the sea behind when she fell in love with me?
Saddle those seahorses, partner, it’s time for…
The Girl From the Sea
by Molly Knox Ostertag
The love story between Morgan and Keltie (who is not a horse, that’s a kelpie), two girls with secrets that they’ll have to uncover as their relationship matures. (One of those secrets is that they’re gay.)
I want to get my tiny nibling into nerdy stuff at an early age. Got a way I can sneak that into a gift?
(Also: My autistic child has a hyperfixation on weather, can you recommend them a comic book that’s related to weather but not a non-fiction book teaching them about weather since they have a ton of them already, and also not Storm from X-Men because they’re still too young for that much violence?)
Get them while they’re young with
CLOUD PUPPY
by Kelly Leigh Miller
It’s time for Cloud Puppy (who is half cloud and half puppy) to go to her first convention! Join her in her first cosplay adventure while she fangirls over her favorite author!
Women… Tall… Swords… I’m gay and useless… Help…
If you loved Utena, you’ll love
The Marble Queen
by Anna Kopp and Gabrielle Kari
The arranged marriage between a princess and a queen blossoms to love. Extremely sapphic.
Also did we mention swordfights?
What should I get for someone I do not like but still am obligated to give a gift to?
I’m gonna break the blog post format here because this is gonna be a long one.
You should get them the first volume of Saga.
“But wait”, you may ask, “why would I get them literally the best comic series? I literally just told you I don’t like them.”
Here’s the secretly devious plan:
- Buy them Volume 1.
- They finish Volume 1 in one sitting, because who can stop reading Saga?
- Now they need more Saga.
- They spend money on buying 10 more volumes.
- Saga Volumes 2 to 11 are devoured in mere days.
- Now they have to wait for the next issue.
- The wait is long and full of agony. You delight in their suffering.
If you want to be extra evil, get them the new, smaller format printing because then they have to decide between waiting until Image puts out the compact versions for the next volumes or have books that don’t match on their bookshelves.
Of course, this also works for someone you love, but instead of delighting in their agony you can bond over the pain of waiting for more Saga to appear. And maybe get them Volume 2 also?
I hope this article has been of some use to you! Or at least it was entertaining??? If you have your own very specific questions about shopping for a very specific person, come to our store and ask them and we’ll do our best to get you something that works!
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