What’s that? Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s another edition of Comics Relief! Your regular Jimmy Olsen, Eric Diaz, has come down with a nasty bout of the Amazo Virus, so I’ll be filling in for you this evening. In today’s dispatch from the depths of comic-dom, we have the latest on Shonen Jump manga box sets, your first look at 10 new Convergence mini-series, our holiday gift guide, and much more.

Black Friday

One of the biggest shopping days of the year is right around the corner, so I have assembled a holiday gift guide full of ideas on what to buy for the comic book lover in your life. [Nerdist]

Bleach/Naruto

Believe it! Just in case you didn’t have enough Shonen Jump goodness in your life, Viz Media is gearing up to release volume 2 box sets of both Bleach and Naruto, which will drop in summer 2015, retailing for $214.99 and $174.99 respectively. Each box set will contain “20 or more individual manga volumes”, as well as bonuses like mini-comics and special edition posters. And just in case the excruciating number of Naruto cosplays you see at conventions wasn’t a big enough indicator, Viz will make the volume 1 box sets of both titles available again in January 2015. The Bleach set contains the first 21 volumes of the series, and the Naruto set contains 27 volumes, so start canceling your engagements now because you’re going to need all the free time you can get.

Star Wars

While we may be eagerly awaiting our first glimpse at the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens this week, Marvel is gearing up to bring back the galaxy far, far away into the comics fold. Star Wars #1, written by Jason Aaron and illustrated by John Cassaday, marks the first time since 1986 that Marvel has published a Star Wars comic. For the last two decades, the license had been under the stewardship of Dark Horse Comics. To celebrate the return of the Star Wars license to the House of Ideas, Marvel has announced a series of launch parties in January 2015. For participating retailers, Marvel will supply Star Wars #1 invitational postcards, promotional pins, Skottie Young lithographs, and a John Tyler Christopher sketch party variant. Participating retailers have until December 8 to opt in, so start haranguing your local comic book shop now if you want this sweet, sweet swag.

Convergence

How many Earths is too many Earths? Well, if you’re DC Comics, you can never have enough, which is why they’re gearing up for Convergence, a massive two-month crossover event from across their mammoth multiverse. The event, which launches in April 2015 in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of the seminal Crisis on Infinite Earths, will feature a core storyline as well as 40 mini-series books that will spiral off of the main books. We have your first look at 10 of them. [Nerdist]

Batman vs. Darth Vader

BATMAN. WITH. A. FREAKIN. LIGHTSABER. Need I say more? Okay, okay, I will anyway — on the latest episode of Machinima’s Super Power Beat Down, Batman infiltrates the Death Star to rescue Superman and winds up going head to head against Darth Vader in a battle for the ages. Directed by Aaron Shoenke and starring Kevin Porter as Batman, the short’s outcome was decided by a fan vote. You’ll just have to watch it though to find out who wins…

Abbadon

The Kings of Kickstarter, Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, are back with yet another crowdfunded graphic novel project, a new horror western called Abbadon. Fans of their Jonah Hex series will naturally take delight in the gritty, 72-page book that will deliver a grim, grisly tale of murder and mayhem in the Old West geared toward mature audiences. Based on a screenplay by Spencer Marstiller and featuring the art of Fabrizio Fiorentino and Alessia Nocera, Abbadon is “set in the late 1880s American West” in the eponymous city of Abaddon, and follows legendary lawman Marshall Wes Garrett who comes to town to investigate a series of brutal murders in the same style as a serial killer Garrett supposedly killed. If you’re interested in making this book a reality, you have 20 days to throw your money at the screen. [Kickstarter]

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