Hellboy Winter Special 2019

“The Miser’s Gift”
Story by Mike Mignola
Art by Mark Laszlo
Colors by Dave Stewart

“The Longest Night”
Story by Chris Roberson
Art by Leila del Duca
Colors by Michelle Madsen

“The Beast Of Ingelheim”
Story by Scott Allie
Art by Andrea Mutti
Colors by Lee Loughridge

Letters by Clem Robins
Cover by Mike Mignola with Dave Stewart

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 15, 2020
Cover Price: $3.99

It feels a bit strange, writing a review of Hellboy Winter Special 2019 when it is 72 degrees outside, but that’s Texas for you, make no mistake. Putting the hell in Hellboy, in my opinion. But, be that as it may, this is one amazing one-shot comic. In true Dark Horse fashion, everything is a bit darker and twisted than what most other comic companies produce. And that, my friends, is why I love almost everything they produce!

2019 was an amazing year for comic books and graphic novels, as well as the franchises they spawned. Sequential art is a medium unlike any other and it appeals to a certain type of person. If you happen to be shopping for just such a person, then this list is sure to help you find the perfect gift this holiday season! There are so many choices to be had, though. We have Batman, John Wick, Hulk, Conan, Stranger Things, and even Lucifer from which to pick. Whatever your decision may be, just know that these were lovingly hand picked to be the best we found this past year. Sure, there are a few reissues, but many folks are discovering these titles for the first time anyway. Why should you not be the one to introduce your friends and relatives to some spectacular content?

So please dig into our Holiday Geek Gift Guide 2019: Comic Books and Graphic Novels below for our favorites from this year. We did all the hard work so you don’t have to!

Sons of Chaos
Hardcover | Kindle
Writer: Chris Jaymes
Illustrator: Ale Aragon
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release date: June 2019

I’m a sucker for a good historical novel. Done right, it can drop you into a time period, introduce you to characters you see as dear friends or bitter enemies, and immerse you into historical events in a deeply meaningful way. The graphic novel Sons of Chaos by writer Chris Jaymes (Party of Five, Chicago Hope, Lost) illuminates the harrowing 19th-century events of the Greek War of Independence through the lens of tragic underdog Marcos Botsaris. Game of Thrones meets 300 in this bleak-yet-epic saga portraying the costs of brutal and anything-but-fair conflict with impressively natural pacing. Massive, lustrous pages serve as a backdrop to the grandiose, fantastical, and occasionally wincingly violent artwork illustrated by Ale Aragon (28 Days Later, Deadpool).

The Magicians #1
Created by Lev Grossman
Written by Lilah Sturges
Art by Pius Bak
Colors by Gabriel Cassata
Letters by Mike Fiorentino
Covers by Qistina Khalidah, Alexa Sharpe
Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: November 6, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Lev Grossman made my year when he wrote The Magicians. But he made my millennium when he continued the series and made it a trilogy. Syfy went a step further and turned it into a (not so accurate) television series that is still ongoing. And a few months ago I reviewed The Magicians: Alice’s Story. I therefore felt that I should alert any and all fans of the franchise to The Magicians #1, the first comic in a five-part mini-series.

Storm King Comics was formed in 2012 by Sandy King Carpenter and husband, Horror Master John Carpenter. They’ve been behind majorly successful titles like Asylum 1 – 2 and the annual Tales for a HalloweeNight anthologies. In the last few years they started a new series of monthly anthologies called John Carpenter’s Tales of Science Fiction. Twitch was one of the latest stories in the series and is now available in a paperback trade. Telling the story of an alien signal from outer space that is turning humankind into a collective hive-minded bunch of zombies, Twitch was written by Duane Swierczynski with art by Richard P. Clark and lettering by Janice Chiang. This past weekend at New York Comic-Com at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in midtown Manhattan, I got a chance to sit down with artist Richard P. Clark to talk about Twitch, his creative process, and working for Storm King.