It’s that time of year again: the time when you’re essentially required to buy people stuff. Some people are easy to choose for because either you share interests or they’ve shared their very specific interests with you, and even if you have no idea what the hell they’re talking about, you can spit the right buzzwords into a search engine or *gasp* talk to an actual human at an actual store and be wrapping gift Yahtzee within the week.

Others are more difficult to buy for because, while you may know they like “comics” or “manga,” you have no idea what kind of comics are their jam, which characters they vibe with, or what volume they’ve reached in a long-running series.

Thus, what I present to you here are either standalone graphic novels or first entries in series that should be easy enough to discover if people have on their virtual or physical shelves, especially if you have an accomplice who can keep secrets. 

Middle Grade

Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse: Effie does not want to live with her aunt. In fairness, there’s a reason said aunt chose not to have children. But when tragedy leaves Effie without anywhere else to turn, her aunt opens the door of the weird, weird house she shares with her weird, weird friend in Brooklyn and lets Effie into their lives.

After a difficult beginning, a wonderful surprise shows the reluctant relatives they have more in common than they thought and opens their lives not only to magic but to the possibility of making a new family.

Content Warnings: mention of parental death

Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee: Lora isn’t sure why all her friends are so desperate to grow up; she’s perfectly happy in a world of play and imagination. And once she’s reunited with Alexa, her one-time imaginary friend and real ghost who who haunts Lora’s house, Lora is content to stay in her old world for as long as possible.

But, eventually, even Lora starts edging toward young adulthood, and as she rediscovers herself and her old crowd, Alexa starts to fade away. Will Lora have to choose between what was and what could be? How can she make that choice? Why can’t she keep both?

Growing up is hard. But as a surprising sage once said, “It gets better.”

Content Warnings: discussion of teenage death due to illness

Doodleville by Chad Sell: Drew loves to draw, and she loves it that her doodles come to life… even though they do, occasionally, cause tiny bits of trouble. (They definitely didn’t realize taking the hat from the painting in the museum was going to cause such a stir. Or that joining up with other students’ drawings was going to… oops.)

Levi – short for Leviathan – is Drew’s coolest creation yet. Until Drew gets upset and Levi starts destroying not only her art but also her friend’s work too. The more upset Drew gets, the worse the damage is, and Drew doesn’t know what to do… until her friends step in to help. It’s only when Drew realizes she doesn’t have to do it all alone that she finds the solution to the problem.

Content Warnings: discussion of anxiety, monster imagery

Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama: Coco has always wanted to be a witch, but in her world, only those born with the ability to do magic are able to cast spells.

Or so she’s always been told.

One day, Coco discovers everything she’s been told is wrong and that anyone, given the right books and tools, can do magic. And she has a book. Things don’t go as expected however, and Coco accidentally turns her mother to stone. Luckily, Master Quifrey is there and makes Coco a promise: if she studies hard at his Atelier, one day, she’ll have the knowledge to free her mother. Coco agrees, and Master Quifrey whisks her away.

But of course, nothing is as simple as it seems. Where would the adventure be if it were that simple?

Content Warnings: temporary loss of parent due to accident, monster imagery

Young Adult

Given by Natsuki Kizu: Uenoyama used to love music. He thinks he still does. The band in which he plays guitar, Akihiko plays drums, and Haruki plays bass sounds good, and they even book gigs once in a while. It’s fine.

Then Mafuyu invades Uenoyama’s nap space in a back stairwell at their high school. The new student is forever clutching a guitar he has no idea how to play, but when he finds out Uenoyama does, he begs the other boy to teach him… and he’s persistent. Uenoyama eventually says yes just to get rid of Mafuyu but, as the two get to know each other, Uenoyama discovers, to his surprise, that not only does he like Mafuyu, but he also likes teaching and is starting to rediscover his passion for music. As they start to spend more time together, Mafuyu starts to tell Uenoyama about his past, about the death of his ex-boyfriend, and why the guitar is so important. Soon, Uenoyama realizes music isn’t the only thing he has a passion for.

And don’t even get me started on Haruki and Akihiko. Sweetie, either cut your hair or tell him. Boys, so dramatic. Gotta love it.

Content Warnings: mention of suicide, discussion of depression

 The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen: Not only is The Magic Fish on the gift guide, it is in the top five of my best books of the year. The art is gorgeous, and the story is rich and complex and sad and sweet and so many other feels.

Tién’s trepidation is palpable, the waves of emotion that carry him along his journey are viscerally real, and the stories he uses when he doesn’t have the right words are both familiar enough to give the reader comfort and novel in a way that will help guide them to paths they haven’t yet considered. That Tién’s journey ends in a place of hope is so important, and that his mother gives him the gift of her understanding and love is so affirming, and is something still rare and precious in an ugly world.

Mature

The Devil is a Part Timer! by Satoshi Wagahara and Akio Hiiragi: This series is a little bit older, so definitely make sure the target of your gifting hasn’t already read it. If they’ve watched the anime, you can still give them the books; the show covered vol. 1-5, so vol. 6-17 will be new content for them.

This is an absolutely goofy manga about Satan and his top general fleeing to Earth after losing a war in the magical realm and discovering that, hey, maybe there’s something to this being human thing. Joined by an increasingly whacky cast of characters, some of them transplants from Ente Isla and other new friends from Japan, the Devil is still determined to conquer the world… of fast food. While Alciel makes sure they don’t go over budget. Again.

Content Warnings: monster imagery, blood, boob jokes, brief nudity

The Way of the Househusband by Kousuke Oona: Once known as the Immortal Dragon, the Yakuza’s most deadly assassin, Tetsu, has retired so he can turn his legendary efforts to a new task: becoming the world’s best househusband. From bento boxes to dust bunnies, sale price cabbage to rice cooker bread to stubborn stains, Tetsu will best any challenger and do it while those who don’t know of his retirement – who either don’t believe it or think he’s dropped his guard – are shooting at him from cars, trying to knife him on the sidewalk, or attempting to recruit him for one last job.

This book is freaking hilarious. I love it, and I hope it goes on forever. And though I don’t think parenting has to be part of every domestic storyline, I desperately need Tetsu and his wife to have a baby so he can be a stay-at-home dad who sews outfits and fights bad guys with one hand while feeding the baby in a carrier with the other.

Content Warnings: blood, mention of violence, mention of murder

Trese Vol. 1: Burder on Balete Drive by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo: This one is a reissue of a Filipino comic that first came out in 2005 with new art and bonus features, including concept sketches, “making of” pages, and world-building information. Amazon and bookshop.org have it listed for release on 12/15, which should be in time for Christmas gifting. (Chanukah is December 10-18 so that may be an IOU situation.)

I have it on good authority that Trese is well worth waiting for and is both a great paranormal crime book and a fantastic primer on Filipino mythology. I for one am very excited for my copy to arrive. Plus, you can say you were cool before the anime drops on Netflix.

Content Warnings: I haven’t read this one yet but monster imagery and violence at minimum

xxxHolic by CLAMP: My Twitter feed went ballistic when the trailer for a Tokyo Babylon 2021 anime dropped a couple weeks ago. As someone who’s come to manga and anime a bit later in life, I wasn’t sure what the hype was about, so I went to the same trusted source who recommended Trese (click link above) and she introduced me to the magic that is CLAMP, a collective, all-female mangaka group that was most active in the 90s. CLAMP was crazy prolific and many of their titles crossed over, so the best thing to do is dive in and wiki where necessary. In a nod to the fact that it’s impossible to read everything at once, the omnibus versions of CLAMP’s oeuvre also have summaries of the other books that appear in the omnibus and short character bios when needed that tell you only as much as absolutely necessary.

I started with xxxHolic because I’m always up for a good “deal with the devil” story, and it’s pretty clear that’s what Watanuki is getting himself into when he agrees to work in Yuko’s shop in exchange for her removing his power to see and interact with spirits. What sort of devil she is continues to be up for interpretation. Personally, I’ve already grown rather fond of her and the entire crew and, as I’m sure you’re aware, I’m a huge fan of mythology-based fantasy so, yes, I for sure live here now.

Content Warnings: monster imagery, blood, nudity, sexual innuendo, violence

The Witch and the Beast by Kousuke Satake: A retelling of Beauty and the Beast wherein the beauty is in control? Where the beast is her weapon of vengeance? Where she’s a snarky brat with a grudge and is going to settle her vendetta no matter how many innocent bystanders are blown away in the process?

Yes, please.

We need more books where women are their perfect, unapologetic, furious selves. Get it, Guideau.

And then there’s Ashaf. Pretanaturally calm. Always collected. Powerful in his own right but leaning perpetually toward restraint. And what’s with the coffin he carries everywhere on his back?

How did these two meet? How did they join forces? How have they not murdered each other yet? Let’s find out, shall we?

Content Warnings: monster imagery, murder, violence, blood, smoking, fire

California Dreamin’: Cass Elliot Before the Mamas and the Papas by Pénélope Bagieu: I love the idea of learning about the life of an artist through a medium that utilizes art to tell her story. Prose is, of course, art in and of itself but a graphic biography, at least in my mind, is a sort of ultimate nod to someone who spent her life making music. (It makes sense in my head.)

My knowledge of Cass Elliot (aka Ellen Cohen) before I grabbed Bagieu’s book was pretty much limited to the fact that she died young, depriving the world of the music she hadn’t yet had the chance to make. I know more now, and it seems even more of a tragedy. She broke a lot of barriers I wasn’t aware were still standing or hadn’t considered, did a lot of things no one else would have been able to do, and, perhaps most importantly, fought mental health battles that one just didn’t speak of to give the world some amazing gifts.

We need more books that are open about mental health struggles. More books that show people they’re not alone. That even those who seem to have everything still struggle and feel alone. That tell us it’s okay to ask for help.

Content Warnings: fatphobia, discussion of suicide, drug use, smoking, discussion of depression, discussion of anxiety

There you have it, friends! Gift away!