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Holy Moses, I can’t believe Christmas Eve is five days away!
If you’re like me, you’re nowhere near ready to give gifts to anybody, and you’re starting to perspire like Wilson Fisk in a hot sauna.
Luckily, there’s never been a better time to be buying for a geek. We are living in the midst of a merchandising bonanza, where high-quality neat-o stuff is made for both kids and adults. But with this overflowing sleigh of goods, how do you know what’s good and what’s not?
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Below, the Heat Vision guide to panic-staving geek gift giving:
For those who travel across space and time:
With Doctor Who‘s popularity and awareness at an all-time high, the BBC has rolled out a slew of Who products. Tardis pajamas, a Dalek beanie or a Tardis night light are cool, but the neatest is an actual working universal remote in the form of the sonic screwdriver used by the tenth Doctor (David Tennant). Tennant loaned out his screen-used prop for the making of this remote, which goes for $109.99 at BBCAmericaShop.com, BBCCanadaShop.com and ThinkGeek.com.
For those traveling to Middle Earth:
Interest in The Hobbit should be back this Christmas thanks to the great movie. (I don’t care what the naysayers say.) Among the ornaments and action figures, Heat Vision’s favorite item is Hobbit feet slippers from Bioworld. Kinda big, with faux hair and even toenails, these will keep you warm as you travel there and back again, even it it’s just around the house. (I dare you to wear them when you go to see Desolation of Smaug!) $24.99
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For those who love fluffy things:
You want to give the DC-lover you know something unique, right? Well, in one of the more interesting things you’ll see this season, there’s a Batman and Superman version of the Uglydolls. Two in the Uglydoll line get a superhero makeover, with Babo becoming Superman and Ice Bat appropriately becoming Batman. $20 each.
For those who give a sheet:
If you’ve ever wanted to sleep with Spider-Man, now you can. Pottery Barn has Spider-Man bed sheets, pillow cases and duvets designed from the classic ’60s style comics. Technically this is under Pottery Barn Kids, but my Spidey sense says that’s baloney since there’s a queen size. (And if the significant other gives you grief and says “Hell no!,” whatever man. It’s Christmas, for Peter Parker’s sake! Indulge with a high thread count.) Prices range from around $16.50 to $119.
For those who like to read comics:
Comixology.com has been on the forefront of the digital comics movement, and this year, for the first time, they’re offering gift cards. Go to the site and you can customize the who, the how much, and even the when (so you can get the gift now and have it delivered any day you want).
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For those who like to build:
Lego has some amazing sets that can be for both kids and adults. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is the newest (The Lake-town Chase and Escape from Mirkwood Spiders look like fun, but I can’t believe we still don’t have a dragon for sale) but to me, Lego really shines with its Star Wars sets.
And if you really want to think outside the box, I’ve got three words: The Lone Ranger. Some of those sets are pretty dope.
For those who like to watch…
…Doctor Who
There’s always one Blu-ray collection that becomes the creme de la creme of the season, and this year it’s Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Limited Edition Gift Set.
Seasons 1-4 have never before been available on Blu-ray, so their remastered appearance alone makes this noteworthy. Plus, there’s the Tenth Doctor specials. There’s also the Eleventh Doctor universal remote control sonic screwdriver, and some art cards and a comic. It.s a 29-disc set, clocking in at 4815 minutes of content. (Come back in the spring and tell us how it went for you.) $349.98
…All things X-Men
X-Men: Adamantium Collection ($129.99) comes in two parts. First, there’s the Blu-ray set, which includes all the X-movies so far: X-Men, X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: First Class and The Wolverine (plus one 55 minute-long documentary). Then there’s the cool factor: Wolvie’s fist with his claws unsheathed. The claw is made of out of a plastic mold, the fist is leather and the grate supporting it is metal. Don’t go into it thinking you’re getting a replica since that’s a totally different price range.
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It’s a perfect time to get this bad boy. We’re coming off of The Wolverine and looking forward to Days of Future Past, and we know that Apocalypse is coming after that. And Fox can deflect shots of crass opportunism with this set by saying it’s included an empty slot for Days of Future Past when that eventually comes out on Blu-ray.
Happy Holidays!
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