It’s the holiday season, and what better gift to give a comic book enthusiast than comic books? If they are a superhero fan, you could just give them a book from Marvel or DC. However, superheroes are not limited to the Big Two; there are so many other options to choose from. From diverse manga to indie comics and graphic novels, here are some superhero comics to gift your loved ones (or yourself).
[Ed. note: For Part I of our Holiday Gift Guide, click here.]
La Borinqueña
By Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, Emilio Lopéz, Sabrina Cintrón and Juan Fernández
Originally published in 2016, La Borinqueña tells the story of Columbia University student Marisol Rios De La Luz. An environmental science major studying abroad in Puerto Rico, Marisol’s life changes when she discovers a mystical stone that connects her to the Taíno gods of her Puerto Rican ancestors. When a hurricane strikes Puerto Rico, La Borinqueña takes her first steps forward as a hero by helping her people. In addition to being a comic book series, La Borinqueña also has a series of action figures you can purchase from Boss Fight Studio.
EXO: The Legend of Wale Williams
By Roye Okupe
Published in 2015 by YouNeek Studios (and later distributed by Dark Horse), EXO: The Legend of Wale Williams is set in a futuristic version of Okupe’s native Lagos, Nigeria. Wale Williams is a young man living a quiet life in Lagoon City, until his father Dr. Williams’ research falls into the wrong hands. Prime X — a small yet mighty energy source that can power an entire city — becomes the weapon of CREED, an extremist group led by the insidious Oniku.
To stop them, Wale must use the EXO armor, a super suit built by his father, and become the hero his city needs. In addition to this series, EXO is part of a grand fictional universe known as the YouNeek Universe, which features comic books that take place before and after EXO begins. Some of these comics include Malika: Warrior Queen and Iyanu: Child of Wonder, the latter of which is slated to become an animated series on Cartoon Network and Max.
Buy EXO: The Legend of Wale Williams Vol. 1 here.
Henshin
By Bon Idle
Published by Saturday AM in 2023, this comic is perfect for fans of Kamen Rider. It follows gay journalism student Alex, who finds himself in a world of costumed heroes, evil kaiju and shady corporations as he starts on a mission to unveil the truth about what destroyed his city nine years ago.
The Pride Omnibus
By Joe Glass, Cem Iroz, Hector Barros, Jacopo Camagni and Ryan Cody
Published in 2021, this omnibus collects Vols. 1 and 2 of the series and the self-contained stories known as The Pride Adventures. In The Pride, FabMan is sick of being seen as a joke. Tired of the LGBTQ+ community being seen as inferior to straight heroes, he thinks it’s about damn time he did something about it. Bringing together some of the world’s greatest LGBTQ+ superheroes, The Pride is born to protect the world and fight prejudice, misrepresentation and injustice — not to mention a pesky supervillain or two.
The Pride Adventures brings a whole host of extra, self-contained stories and adventures starring the heroes of The Pride. See the team members face down crazed shooters, invasions and even a 60-foot-tall drag queen! Featuring a slew of incredible artistic talent, plus stories from writers Mike Garley, Sina Grace and PJ Montgomery. Follow the LGBTQ+ heroes into whole new stories and meet even more characters in the world of The Pride.
24/7 Magical Maiden Mimi
By Mira Ong Chua
Lonely, unpopular middle schooler Milo has a secret: He’s actually Magical Maiden Mimi, the plucky heroine who protects the city from cuddly yet vicious aliens that threaten the peace.
When a magical slip-up leaks his identity to the public, Milo finds himself with the fame and admiration he’s always dreamed of. But embracing his new popularity might push him away from the things that matter the most.
This might be my favorite comic book of 2024. I bought this comic during Pride Month, and I’d been looking forward to it since it was first announced last year. It ended up comforting me when I’d been feeling not genderqueer enough. Milo’s journey of self-acceptance was beautiful, especially how it was depicted through the black-and-white artwork, character designs and dialogue. One line in particular stayed with me: “But even if nobody else likes me, even if they all want me to be someone else, as long as just one person believes in me, I’m not alone.” Buy the comic book on the creator’s shop.
When We Transform: A Superhero Tale of Transition (issue #0)
By Tomi Trembath, Gabriel Fassina, Carlos Amorim and Amal Desai
Created by Tomi Trembath and Jia’son Bryant and successfully funded via Kickstarter, this ongoing project is partly inspired inspired by Tomi’s journey as a trans woman and the subgenres of Japanese tokusatsu (live action superheroes such as Power Rangers and Ultraman) and magical girls (such as Sailor Moon).
It tells the origin story of Dana, a trans woman and superhero who makes an unexpected return after being presumed dead following an incident with the superhero team The Light Patrol. It uses time travel to tell the story in a nonlinear way that enhances Dana’s story by contrasting her past in the ’90s with her unexpected future. It also teases more to come for Dana, since When We Transform is expected to continue in 2025 as a webcomic. Download issue #0 on the Kickstarter.
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Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
