5 Comic Trade Paperbacks that are the Perfect Gift for the Holidays

It is that time of year friends. The time when 1) gifts need to be bought, 2) kids are home from school, 3) we have a few days at home (see #2), and 4) your local comic book shop has sales. A savvy comic book shopper can wrap all this up with a bow in one step: Trade Paperbacks! These collections of comics are perfect gifts, particularly for the under-20s on your list. Portable, colorful, long enough to be a full story, but short enough that it isn’t an all day read. They’re engaging for younger readers and can even be read to/read along with materials. For older teens, they can introduce a new favorite character and introduce some diversity of media into their lives. So what’s good this year?

Mega Princess Writer: Kelly Thompson/ Artist: Brianne Drouhard / Kaboom! Age range: 5+

This 5-issue gem from staff favorite writer Kelly Thompson is a cute mystery, featuring Princess Max who’s looking for her baby brother. On her quest, she gains a goth fairy godmother (naturally) and a magical steed who gives her nothing but lip. She makes friends with a variety of mythical creatures and is reminded that sometimes listening to your parents is the best idea. Along the way she learns all of the usual Princess lessons along with one more: you don’t ever have to be just one thing. You can be *everything*. This one is perfect for when you can’t face one more Disney Princess story but your small one won’t tolerate anything else. DC SuperHero Girls Writer: Shea Fontana/ Artist: Yancey Laba…