Here’s a quick look at some of the items that appeared (in bold and highlighted) on my 2009 Christmas Wish List. I hope that my loved ones can get over the alleged stigma of stepping foot inside a comic book store, and bring me some Christmas joy:



Saga Of Swamp Thing: Book One

I’ll admit it, I totally missed Swamp Thing the first time around. At some point in the early 90s, I picked up a handful of issues and really dug it and have since read a smattering of the Moore issues. This collection gives me a chance to make amends. I’m not normally one to go for hardcovers, but it may be worth it for this stuff. It’s also Christmas, so it will hopefully be paid for with someone else’s money.



Strange Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 1

OMG! I really need this book. I am so thrilled that Ditko stuff from the 50s will be collected. I tried to collect original issues but they’ve become so expensive, that I had to give up. If this was the only thing that showed up under the tree this year, I’d be a happy boy!



Showcase Presents: Bat Lash

As I may have complained about from time to time, my household income has been ‘flat to falling’ in recent years and household expenses have skyrocketed. I’ve sold off a good sized chunk of my collection, including all of my issues of Bat Lash. This volume help fill the void created when I uploaded those auctions onto eBay. It is great stuff that I enjoy revisiting every few years. As I understand, they missed a few Bat Lash appearances/back-ups from the 70s, and that’s a shame.



The Extraordinary Works Of Alan Moore: Indispensable Edition

I've read a lot of Alan Moore, but aside from reading ‘Watching the Watchmen’, I’ve never actually read anything about Alan Moore. I figure this is a good place to start. I find comic book bios to be pretty hit and miss, but I have heard some good word of mouth on this one, so let’s hope Santa can whip up a copy for me.



Jeff Lemire Original Artwork

Specifically, I’d love a page from the Ghost Stories chapter of the Essex County Trilogy. Lemire drew some terrific pages featuring post-WW2 Toronto, including some with the streetcar I take to work everyday. This is a pipe dream, as they’ve been on my ‘wish list’ for a while now. Hopefully, when my life gets a bit more liquid, some of these are still on the market.

The Classic Comics Corner is shutting its doors for the holidays, folks – so I will see you all in the New Year. Stop by my blog for my comic talk: Seduction of the Indifferent