It's not always easy to buy gifts for manga readers, because they probably have all the volumes of their favorite series.  As the market expands, though, publishers are coming up with unusual titles, diving deep into the history of the medium to bring out classic works, and offering extras such as art books, anime guides, and boxed sets.  Here's a look at some of what’s coming this holiday season.

Giga Town: A Guide to Manga Iconography, by Fumiyo Kouno, is a perfect pick for old and new manga readers alike.  Each page includes a description of a common manga symbol or convention alongside a four-panel manga demonstrating its use.  The characters are all animals from a historical Japanese scroll, brought to life by Kouno's lively, brushy line, which itself evokes classic Japanese ink drawings.  The book is published by Udon Entertainment. (Rated 13+, September 3, $12.99)

X-Men: The Manga: Remastered, Vol. 1, is the first volume of a direct adaptation of the 1992 X-Men animated series that was originally published in Japan (see "VIZ Announcements").  In the late 1990s, VIZ Media published it as a monthly comic. The new edition is two hefty volumes, the first weighing in at 512 pages, with a 6" x 9" trim size and a new translation. (Teen Plus, November 12, $25.00)

Spider-Man: Octo-Girl, Vol. 1, by Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court, the second Marvel Manga coming from VIZ Media this fall, puts the evil villain Doctor Octopus in the body of a Japanese middle school girl for a story with a uniquely manga twist.  Furuhashi and Court are the creative team behind the spinoff manga My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, so expect plenty of action alongside the cuteness. (Rated Teen Plus, October 8, $11.99)

Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated. A Magic: The Gathering Manga, Vol. 1 kicks off a nostalgic new series, set in 1999, about two teens who are constantly competing about everything but become friends when they start playing Magic: The Gathering (see "VIZ Licenses ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Manga"). (Rated Teen Plus, October 8, $14.99)

Ashita No Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, Vol. 1, by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba, is the first volume of a long-awaited classic that has never been published in English before (see "Exclusive: Kodansha Licenses Classic Boxing Manga").  The story of a young drifter’s hardscrabble rise through the world of boxing, from prison to title fights, captured the imagination of a wide swath of Japanese readers, from blue-collar workers to leftist radicals.  Kodansha Comics is releasing the manga in eight oversized hardcover volumes.  The series does not have an age rating. (Not rated, December 24, $59.95)

Neo Faust is seminal manga creator Osamu Tezuka’s adaptation of the German legend about a man who sells his soul to the devil; in inimitable Tezuka fashion, the protagonist is the Einstein-like Professor Ichinoseki.  Ablaze is publishing the entire story in a single 416-page paperback volume, one of four Tezuka titles they are publishing this year (see "Four Osamu Tezuka Manga Coming to English for the First Time"). (Rated 16+, November 26, $19.99)

For the Horror Fan
H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu is the latest of Gou Tanabe’s adaptations of Lovecraft’s classic horror tales (see "‘The Call of Cthulhu’"), and as with the previous books, Dark Horse is giving it the deluxe treatment, with eight color pages and a tip-in title page printed in silver ink. This 290-page paperback is rated 14+ (Dark Horse Comics, October 16, $19.99).  For super Lovecraft fans, pair it with the deluxe hardcover edition of Tanabe’s adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness, released earlier this year. (Rated 14+, July 10, $49.99)

Dark Horse is also publishing a different sort of Lovecraft manga, for those who like some humor with their horror.  Cthulhu Cat is a single volume about a teen who adopts a cat with tentacles instead of whiskers and soon finds his house overrun by the Old Gods, their worshipers, and more. Manga-ka Pandania has a knack for blending cats with creepy creatures in full-color 4-panel gag manga that show bemused humans dealing with supernatural felines. (Rated 12+, November 6, $14.99).

UFO Mushroom Invasion, by Shirakawa Marina, is the second classic horror manga from Smudge, a new imprint that focuses on Japanese pulp (see "Smudge Announces New Horror/Sci-Fi Manga").  The story of an alien invasion that scatters parasitic spores over the earth, and the government bungling that makes the situation even worse, is a short and intense read, and this volume includes an essay by "weirdologist" Udagawa Takeo that puts the manga in its historical context. (Rated 16+, September 17, $19.95)

VIZ Media published Junji Ito’s latest short story collection, Alley, in July, and they have something different queued up for the fall: Uncanny: The Origins of Fear, a hardcover prose book that blends the horror master’s memoir with notes on craftsmanship and writing as well as a behind-the-scenes look at manga publishing. (Rated Teen Plus, October 15, $28.00)

Boxed Sets, Artbooks, and Other Extras
Spy x Family: The Official Anime Guide—Mission Report: 220409-0625 is a companion to the first 12 episodes of the anime, with storyboards, sketches, and interviews with the creators about how they built up the characters and the world of the series.  Like the manga, this book is published by VIZ Media. (Teen Plus, August 27, $17.99)

My Dress-Up Darling Official Anime Fanbook collects promo art, commentaries on each episode, and behind-the-scenes interviews, as well as a special message from Shinichi Fukuda, creator of the series the anime is based on. Both the manga and the anime guide are published by Square Enix. (Rated Mature, September 24, $24.99)

The advent of the holidays means that VIZ Media is busting out the boxed sets. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Complete Box Set collects all 11 volumes of Akira Himekawa’s manga adaptation of the game of the same name, together with a double-sided poster. (Rated Teen, September 24, $129.99)

Vampire Knight Complete Box Set, another VIZ Media production, collects all 19 volumes of Matsuri Hino’s high school melodrama (two earlier box sets only collected half the series each) along with the Day Class planner and an exclusive art book. (Rated Teen Plus, October 22, $229.99)

Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun: Second Stall is the second bathroom-themed box set for Yen Press’s best-selling series (see "Manga Pick Hits – April 2023").  Designed to look like bathroom stalls, this one is blue and holds Vols. 11-20 of the best-selling series. (Rated Teen, October 15, $100.00).

[Oshi No Ko]1st Illustration Collection: Glare x Sparkle collects [Oshi no Ko] artist Mengo Yokoyari’s illustrations of Japanese showbiz luminaries, including full-color finished pieces, sketches, commentary, and a discussion with [Oshi no Ko] writer Aka Akasaka.  Yen Press is formatting it as a 7" x 10" paperback. (Rated 16+, November 19, $30.00)

My Happy Marriage Art Book is a companion to the Square Enix manga, with over 80 illustrations by series artist Rito Kohsaka, Kohsaka’s commentary on the series art, and exclusive short stories by writer Akumi Agitogi in a deluxe, 8" x 11" hardcover. (Not rated, December 23, $27.99)

Pokémon: The Complete Pokémon Pocket Guide Box Set bundles two volumes covering over 890 Pokémon, with character descriptions and stats for Abilities, Moves, and Evolution, because you have to know 'em all to catch 'em all.  VIZ Media has released similar box sets over the years, but this one is the most up to date. (Rated All Ages, September 24, $28.99)

My Neighbor Totoro Film Comic: All-in-One Edition and Kiki’s Delivery Service Film Comic: All-in-One Edition bring Hayao Miyazaki’s classic movies to the printed page, literally, with art taken directly from the films.  VIZ Media originally released each of these stories as four paperback volumes in the mid-20000s and now they have compiled them into a single-volume hardcovers.  My Neighbor Totoro was released on August 27 and Kiki’s Delivery Service is scheduled for October 22; both are rated All Ages and priced at $30.00.

For more great suggestions for gifts merchandising this holiday season, click here.