Best gifts for comic book fans this Christmas

Buying presents for comic book fans can be quite the challenge. This goes double if you’re not in tune with their particular brand of geekery. While it’s much easier to buy gifts for comic book fans than it used to be, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe absolutely dominating cinemas for years now. There's also all kinds of other comics getting film adaptations, meaning high street stores are being stuffed to the gills with merch. We’re a picky bunch and sometimes too many options can be worse than none.

Well don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve gathered up some fantastic gifts for the comic nerds in your life and they’re here for your perusal. It’s not an exhaustive list, of course, but a sampling of the merchandise on offer that should give you plenty of ideas. For more comic gift ideas, take a look at our new reader guides for DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Alternatively, check out our holiday gift hub for all of your festive buying needs!

• Thor’s Hammer bottle opener
• Wonder Woman chopping board
• Marvel Iron Man briefcase screwdriver set
• Banpresto Demon Slayer Tanjiro figure
• Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
• McFarlane DC Multiverse Batman action figure
• Hawkeye - My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction and David Aja
• Periodic Table of Marvel t-shirt

Thor’s Hammer bottle opener

Bottle openers. Really handy, usually pretty boring though. That’s not the case with this Mjolnir (that’s Thor’s hammer, for those not paying attention to Norse mythology and/or popular Marvel movies) keyring. Looks cool, very practical and also part of Zavvi’s 3 gifts for £20 promotion, which could be a great chance to get a whole swathe of gift buying done at once. Just remember the classic inscription, laid upon the hammer by Odin himself, “Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall crack open a cold one with the boys.”

Get Thor’s Hammer bottle opener from Zavvi

Wonder Woman chopping board

These aren’t all food and beverage related gifts, we promise, but we couldn’t help including this gorgeous Wonder Woman chopping board. The design is stylish and fairly low-key (not Loki, please see previous entry) so perfect for the comic book nerd in your life who likes to make subtle comic book references through their homeware. It’s made of reinforced glass, which is great, because unlike some materials, they’re not horrible germ factories.

Get Wonder Woman chopping board from Zavvi

Banpresto Demon Slayer Tanjiro figure

The world of comics extends far beyond the Big Two of Marvel and DC, which is something often forgotten, despite manga in particular being immensely popular. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba has been one of the breakout titles of recent years, with the books flying off the shelves and the anime adaptation doing the numbers on screens big and small. This super cute, pocket sized figure of series protagonist Tanjiro will make an adorable addition to any fan’s collection and at the time of writing it’s on sale too!

Get Banpresto Demon Slayer Tanjiro figure from Zavvi

Marvel Iron Man briefcase screwdriver set

Here’s something for the budding billionaire playboy engineer superhero in your life. Or just that friend or relative who keeps borrowing your tools and never returning them. This fancy red and silver briefcase may not turn into the Mark V Iron Man armour, but it does contain a precision screwdriver set including seven double-ended blades and an easy-grip metal handle.

Get Marvel Iron Man briefcase screwdriver set from Zavvi

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

They might like comics, but do they get them? Like, really, really get them? If you’re not sure that they do, give them a little push into true comics enlightenment with Understanding Comics, the classic guide to the medium by Scott McCloud. Endorsed by a list of comics luminaries longer than Mr Fantastic’s arms, this is an absolutely essential read for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of the art and craft of making comics. The only read downside to picking this up will be resisting the urge to read it yourself first. Better get it wrapped up quickly!

Get Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud from Amazon UK and Amazon US

McFarlane DC Multiverse Batman action figure

Action figures are a great gift for comic fans of all ages, whether they are for collection, display or even actually playing with as intended. Obviously there are hundreds to choose from, at a dizzying array of scales and price points, but our pick is this iconic Batman from Batman: The Animated Series. Everyone loves a bit of Bats and this Bruce Timm-designed version from the 90s TV show is still THE Batman for millions of fans. Look at that jaw, look at those shoulders. Pure Bat-perfection.

Get McFarlane DC Multiverse Batman action figure from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Hawkeye - My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction and David Aja

As this is a list of comic gifts, I should probably include at least one actual comic on here. Buying comics as gifts can be a real toughie. Not many people have an encyclopaedic knowledge of what their friends and family have read, even if they’re big comic fans themselves. You might think picking up, say, a Superman book for a big Superman fan might be the way to go, but there’s a good chance they’ve read it already.

Choosing something that has received a recent adaptation can be a good way to navigate this particular minefield. Easy to drop into conversation without setting off a big “I’m gonna buy you this for Christmas” alarm, and really good for casual fans who have most of their knowledge from movies and TV. While not a direct adaptation, the current Disney+ Hawkeye show owes a huge debt to this excellent Matt Fraction/David Aja book, not least the stunning visual style used for the credits and is a perfect gift for anyone wanting to know a little more about one of the few Avengers not to get their own MCU movie.

Get Hawkeye - My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction and David Aja from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Periodic Table of Marvel t-shirt

You can’t really go wrong with a t-shirt and this Periodic Table of Marvel design is available in a huge range of colours, as well as child and adult sizes. It’s a fun way of classifying a whole load of Marvel characters and is bright and colourful without just being some comic art splashed onto a shirt. You should probably advise the recipient not to wear it for any chemistry exams, just in case someone gets the wrong idea! Need something more suitable for the chilly weather? That’s no problem at all, you can get the design on a bunch of other items, like hoodies and sweatshirts too.

Get Periodic Table of Marvel t-shirt from Amazon UK and Amazon US

We hope our gift guide for comic book fans helped narrow down some gift ideas for you and if you're still looking for alternative gifts, such as other collectibles, board games and video games, be sure to check out our Jelly Deals gift guide. You can also soar on over to our Twitter page to find even more deals and gift ideas.