Top 5 Comic Book-Related Merchandise

Nothing screams out "I'm a comic book geek, dammit!" than comic book-related merchandise. Like the Superman shirts and sandos you always give your nephews for Christmas or the Batman lunchbox that made you the envy of your friends in kinder…you don't need to say a word to let the world know you've got the comic book bug real bad. But which comic book-related merchandise shout it the loudest? Which of them rank as the best of the bunch? And with the holidays rolling around, which would make great gifts for your geeky friends? I ranked them now so you won’t have to!

5. POSTERS

There’s a reason why I’m not an interior decorator, because my answer to ‘what would make a great focal point for a room?’ would always be ‘a poster of the Goddamn Batman’. Posters these days are pretty hip, with comic book companies routinely pumping out high-quality lithographs, glicees or what have you of your favorite comic book characters. Whether it’s a shot of every Avenger known to comicdom, or simply a pin up of a half-naked Witchblade drawn by Ale Garza, you can bet a comic book fan has at least one plastered on a wall, marking his territory like no other.

4. ACTION FIGURES

Action figures are a staple of comic book merchandise, and for good reason. They look amazing, they’re collectible, and they allow you to act out your most awesome (and often sickest) comic book fantasies. These days, toy lines like Marvel Legends and DC Direct's assortment of figure lines have been putting out the most sought after action figures around, and it just keeps getting better. Want to stage a different ending to Civil War? Or do you just want to see Batman punch out Galactus? It’s all in your hands now.

3. BUSTS/STATUES

It’s comic books coming into the realm of fine art. Busts and statues of your favorite comic book characters are big-ticket items, made popular by companies like Bowen Designs due to their amazing sculpts and attention to detail. Amass a ton of these and you can make your house into your own comic book Louvre! Minus the boring paintings and naked men of course (at least, until a Dr. Manhattan statue rolls around!).

2. CLOTHES

The myth of geeks not having much fashion sense is being busted as we speak, but it wouldn't hurt to wear your love for comic books on your sleeve (or on your chest or back)! Clothes let you show you're a fan of comic books by wearing it wherever you go, like T-shirts emblazoned with the Superman or Batman logo, or shirts printed with your favorite comic character. Clothes like these make you stand out from the crowd (or blend in one, if you're in a comic convention!)

1. PROPS/REPLICAS

It could possibly be the Holy Grail of comic book geekery, to which every other comic-related merchandise is compared. They're full-scale comic book replicas and props, and they've given a whole new dimension to comic books. It's insane what sorts of things companies like DC Direct or Windlass Studios have made a real world equivalent of: the Key to Hell from Sandman, Thor's hammer Mjolnir, a Green Lantern Power Battery (perfect for use with your very own power ring!)...there's even a goddamn Infinity Gauntlet for when you want to exercise your godly prerogative to annihilate the universe to impress your girlfriend! Forget conversation piece, these companies have now made it possible for you to go out with a power ring on your left hand and an uru hammer on your right, and battle your best friend for the last potato chip!

Those are the top 5 comic book-related merchandise as ranked by yours truly, and they make our little hobby a tad more awesome just by existing!

If you want to know more about the chotchkes I just wrote, just click on the links I so generously provided. If you agree or disagree with the list, let's talk about it by leaving a comment below. Now to pray for somebody to give me one of these for Christmas...