Good comic/manga reccomedations for my friend?

As its christmas soon, Im looking for a present for a very good friend of mine who loves US comics and Japanese Manga. I know very little about this kind of thing but I want to buy him something he’ll really like for chirstmas, maybe something he hasn’t seen before. I know he really likes Cerebus The Aardvark and other similar American graphic art. He’s also into Japanese stuff from Studio Gibli, amongst many others.
Im sorry if this isn’t much of an insight in his tastes, but as I say, I really don’t know much about this at all and Im afriad I just get lost when he starts euolgising about what he likes, but do I wanna get him a cool present this year.
Going from that, can anyone reccomend any new cutting edge graphic novels or movies that I could get him? Ill make surruptitious enquires before I buy anything to make sure he hasnt already got it.
I do live in England and I don’t really know how easy it is to find this stuff over here, but there isn’t much you can’t find online these days.
Thanks.