Comics holiday gift guide: Comics fans may have a very batty Christmas

Comics fans could have a very Batty Christmas with the cool Bat-themed gifts available this year.

Inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol,” the hardcover graphic novel “Batman: Noel” ($22.99) features different interpretations of the Dark Knight from various eras. Different cast members from “Batman” take on roles from “A Christmas Carol,” including Robin, Superman, Catwoman and the Joker.

The story is written and drawn by Lee Bermejo, who drew the hit “Joker” original graphic novel in 2008.
For fans who want something more interactive, the “Arkham City” video game ($59.99 for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3; $49.99 for Windows PC; $99.99 collector’s edition) features Batman battling foes in a large slum now used to house the criminally insane. The game is written by Paul Dini, who also wrote the tie-in graphic novel ($22.99).

To fully immerse yourself in the game, check out the cool Batarang Controller for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ($49.99).

For fans who want to dig deep into Batman lore, Mathew K. Manning’s “The Batman Files” ($100) begins with Bruce Wayne’s childhood and continues along a timeline of events, with significant scrapbook-type information included.

One of the best Batman arcs of recent years has been released in hardcover in time for holiday shopping. Scott Snyder’s entire “Detective Comics” run is collected in the “Black Mirror” hardcover ($29.99) from DC Comics.

In “The Black Mirror,” the new Batman, Dick Grayson, is put to the test as a series of brutal murders puts him up against one of Gotham City’s oldest evils.

A second story, “Hungry City,” is also collected in the hardcover, in which the corpse of a killer whale is found in an upscale Gotham City bank, sparking a deadly new mystery.

The collection, with stories from “Detective Comics” Nos. 871-881, is a candidate for best Batman tale of the current decade.

If you aren’t a Bat-fan, don’t feel like the holidays are passing you by. Here are some other suggestions for comic fans:

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