Baraka_Guru

Hey, another "introduce me to comics" thread! But this one's a bit different.

I have a quick request: I'm going to be seeing my nephew tomorrow, and I need to get him a birthday gift. He just turned 14.

He's normally into video games, and has been known to read a book or two, though the latter he seems to have lost a bit of interest. He's pretty smart for his age, though he's a bit underdeveloped in terms of maturity. He has always had a strong sense of humour that impresses me for his age.

When he visited me last summer, he was completely flabbergasted if not a bit overwhelmed by the Silver Snail, a famous comic and gaming shop in downtown Toronto. He really liked the figurines and the idea of comics, but of course it's easy to like everything in there, as one can always dream.

I'm sure he's into all the superhero movies and things, and I know there is a world of comics out there, but what would be some of the prime "gateway" comics out there for someone like him? I'm sure we could always just get him a Batman or Spiderman omnibus or something, but I thought I'd throw this out there to your comic buffs. Maybe superhero isn't the best place to start at his age. I dunno.

What's going to blow away a kid like him? Gimme what you got.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot