The 5 best comics to give at Christmas
There it is, it's coming... That tragic moment when you look carefully in the mirror and ask yourself "but what am I giving this year for Christmas?" . Don't worry, there's still time to think about it, but if you really like some help, here's a suggestion that might be right for you. Why not donate a comic? Among this year's new Italian and international titles, here are 5 of the best comics to give at Christmas
The best comics to give at Christmas
Billie's last days of light Scott Tennessee Horses Building Stories Light and Cosmos Moby DickBillie Scott's Last Days of Light
comics for Christmas
Published this year in Italy by Feltrinelli Comics, Billie Scott's Last Days of Light is a young adult graphic novel written and illustrated by Zoe Thorogood. The protagonist is Billie Scott, an extremely reserved artist who constantly spends his time in her bedroom. Her drawings are hers, her passion, and she may soon be exhibiting her work at a prestigious gallery. To find inspiration, she struggles to get out of her comfort zone and her room, but a tragic event gradually causes her to lose her sight. She will have to look for another way to find that longed-for inspiration.
Zoe Thorogood's comic tries to make the same sensations of the protagonist live on the skin of the reader, placing him in front of the sad possibility of losing a part essentially involved in his passions. With a definitely distinctive trait, Billie Scott's The Last Days of Light is a sweet work, an invitation to determination and to never stop in the face of difficulties, even the most invasive and unexpected ones.
You can buy Gli last days of light by Billie Scott on Amazon
Tennessee Horses
comics for Christmas
Presented for the first time at Lucca Comics and Games, Tennessee Horses by Giada Duino and Giulia Pex is a short Italian graphic novel with a dreamy atmosphere, from Edizioni BD.
The story revolves around just four characters. Adria is a young student who, between a marine biology lesson and a terminus relationship with the musician Mat, tries to put her pieces together to write new pages of her life. At the same time, we witness the casual encounter between Roberto and Tommaso while they are walking their dogs; a decisive moment for an unexpected relationship.
With a current language, often very concise, The Tennessee Horses envelops the reader with its pastel colors and its harmonious tables, which often focus on the most intimate daily details , on those rituals that have always accompanied each of us, especially during the pandemic. Attention to small things is combined with a depth of themes, as if the work of Duino and Pex were a large mirror in which to reflect.
You can buy The Tennessee Horses on Amazon
Building Stories
comics for Christmas
Building Stories by Chris Ware , published in Italy by Cononino Press , is among the perfect comics for Christmas . A cardboard box contains 14 comics of various types and formats, from the hardcover volume to the poster, from the tabloid newspaper strip to the comic book.
This masterpiece tells the story of everyday life with the rhythms and breaths of literature using cartoon graphics. It tells the story of a woman, from childhood to adulthood, weaving a complex network of relationships between the protagonist and the other characters. The great peculiarity of a work like Building Stories is its method of use, as well as the great metaphorical value it possesses. To use the words of Chris Ware himself in our exclusive interview at Lucca Comics and Games 2022:
“I wanted to write a book that had no beginning or end, that was enjoyed by the reader as people meet, i.e. not knowing their life story. When you meet a person you start to put together the pieces that are their life, what is often told to you even over the years. This is the same process by which we know the world and understand people. There is no reading order for Building Stories, you can start reading it from any point that piques your attention or interest. “
You can buy Building Stories on Amazon
Light and Cosmos
comics for Christmas
Another novelty this year is Light and Cosmos by Isaak Friedl and Yi Yang. A graphic novel "with a manga soul" published in Italy by Saldapress. The solitary Cosmo possesses a particular power, that of being able to see the burdens of others, whether they are human beings or animals. In fact, these are always accompanied by a shadow, like a parasite that represents their dark side. Luce, with an absolutely non-random name, is Cosmo's new colleague and is the only living being who does not possess any shadow. Something, however, is about to change.
Halfway between the supernatural and romance, Light and Cosmos, with mature tones, manages to perfectly portray the real anxieties of human beings. Friedl and Yang's is also a strong hymn to determination and positivity. Everything in this work is highly allegorical, starting with the numerous representations of light and shadow that combine with an aesthetic that we could define as city pop. An exciting and pleasant comic, whose only flaw is that it is too short.
You can buy Light and Cosmos on Amazon
Moby Dick – The White Whale
comics for Christmas
For all lovers of the classics, among the best comics to give at Christmas, an exceptional gift cannot be missing. Moby Dick – The white whale returns with NPE Editions. Created for the first time in 1975 on the screenplay by Massimo Liorni , it returns with drawings by Franco Caprioli , an illustrator now in his most mature phase.
The transposition of the original story by Henry Melville is not, as we know, a mere hunting for the white whale, Captain Ahab's obsession, but also a journey into the unknown and towards the hope of redeeming himself at any moment. Caprioli's plates have a masterful trait to say the least, capable of giving an unprecedented light and interpretation.
You can buy Moby Dick – The white whale on Amazon
