AIPT's comics & geeky gifts holiday buyer’s guide
1. 🧠 The Smart Buy (Best Value for Money)Items that deliver the most substance for their cost — thick trades, box sets, digital bundles, or multi-use gear. (Example: an Omnibus Edition, Marvel Unlimited, or a good pair of Bluetooth headphones for audiobook listening.)Dave:The Transformers Compendium Vol. 1 (Order here: $38 on Amazon for 44 issues!)Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 (Order here: 2025 Edition)Alex: Marvel Unlimited ($69/year) & DC Universe ($74.99)X-Men Fatal Attractions Omnibus (Order here: 47% off on Amazon!)2. 🖼️ Shelf Candy (Best Display or Design Piece)Books, collectibles, or art prints that look incredible on a shelf. Could include deluxe hardcovers, vinyl soundtracks, statues, or even minimalist poster series.Dave:The Fantastic Four: First Steps Poster (more info)McFarlane Toys - Marvel Venom 1:6th Scale Collectible with Scene & Comic (Order here: more info)Alex:Jumbo Size Funko SupermanMondo X-Men ‘97 Storm Figure3. 💥 The Hype Pick (What Everyone’s Talking About)This year’s buzziest thing — a trending comic, toy line, show, or crossover event. Great for conversation starters and “must-have” energy.Dave: All the Absolute comics! Absolute Batman (link), Absolute Wonder Woman (link), Absolute Superman (link), Absolute Martian Manhunter (link), Absolute Green Lantern (link). Alex: Ultimate Universe Box Set: 1,000 pages, $84.99, from a cover price of $120. (Order here: Discounted on Amazon)4. 🕹️ The Experience Buy (Immersive or Interactive Purchases)Games, tabletop sets, or hobby kits that offer hours of engagement. Could include LEGO kits, or VR titles — anything that rewards time spent.Dave:The Mortal Coil Shuffle (more info)Arkham Asylum Lego (more info)Alex:Tickets to Emerald City Comic ConRolife book nooks5. 🎁 The Perfect Gift (Universal Crowd-Pleasers)Accessible, fun items that make ideal gifts for fans or newcomers alike — art books, indie trades, collectible card sets, or streaming subscriptions.Dave:JLA Earth 2 Deluxe Edition (more info) Alex Ross Marvel Super Villains Mural 2025 Oversized Wall Calendar (more info)Alex: Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1, gift card to MyComicShop.com6. 🔥 The Deep Cut (For Hardcore Collectors)Rare editions, imports, signed items, or niche merchandise that appeals to completists and superfans. Dave: Jim Aparo's DC Classics Artist's Edition (or any Artist’s Edition for that matter!)Alex: Taschen X-Men edition (more info)7. 🎧 The Rich Friend Buy (Stuff That Most Can’t Afford)Nuff said.Dave: Wolverine: Weapon X statue (more info), or if you really wanna splurge. Alex: X-Men Danger Room and all Stephen King Marvel Omnibus collected.8. 🌀 The Wild CardAnything offbeat, surprising, or delightfully weird — a novelty figure, indie zine, retro collectible, or something you didn’t expect to love but now can’t stop recommending.Dave: The End Times (Info here) and PeePee PooPoo #100,000 (more info)Alex: Any comic from Silver Sprocket, like Of Thunder & Lightning and the Chromatic Fantasy, also, just go to your LCS and look for vintage figures!And that's a wrap on our gift guide. We hope you enjoy the podcast explanations for why we picked them, and we'll be back on our regular scheduled weekly basis a week after next!