Holiday Gift Guide: Original Pages of Comics Art!

Publisher: Varies

Price: Varies

Comics readers can be notoriously hard to shop for, considering that we're already in the store every week buying the stuff we like. There's a great way around that, though: Give the comics readers on your list a piece of the comics that they already love with a page of Original Comic Book Art! Conventions are a great place to pick up page, but thanks to the Internet, you don't have to wait for the next con to roll around to get a good deal. Look on eBay, your favorite artist's website, or hit up a dealer like Cadence Comic Art, which handles the original pages for a pretty impressive roster that includes Tom Fowler, Declan Shalvey, Chris Burnham, Becky Cloonan, and more.

Keep in mind, though, that there's no standard price. Original pages vary in price from artist to artist and even page to page, depending on who's on it. The Tom Fowler original above from Deadpool Team-Up #888, for instance, commands a hefty $350, as it features a rare cameo from Chris Sims and nerdcore MC Adam Warrock. Meanwhile, this Chris Burnham piece from Batman Incorporated of Batman preparing to beat the heck out of an elderly luchador in a wheelchair with his electro-knuckles...

...will set you back a cool $800.

If those are a little out of your price range, don't be afraid to shop around. You can find great deals everywhere, even at your favorite webcomics. Dr. McNinja creator Chris Hastings, for instance, has a great list of originals he has for sale that are priced to move. This page, for instance -- which he describes as "King Radical launches his dirtbike into a wizard's face" is only $85.

One more thing to remember: If you see a piece you want, be prepared to move quickly. Original Art is, after all, one of a kind -- and that's what makes it such a great gift.