Geoff Johns has forgotten more about comic book history and its characters than most people will ever know as is evident in “Be Good for Goodness Sake.”

Johns dips deep into Santa’s sack for this tale worthy of wrapping for under the Tanenbaum traveling back to the Golden Age. It culminates with a seasonal slugfest and, later, softened with spiked eggnog. Reminiscing leads to a rebirth and an end for a self-imposed exile.

Scooby and the gang can’t catch a break learning ghost catching doesn’t break for Christmas.

Shaggy is none too subtle with his wish list for the 1998 holidays. About the only thing that can deter Mr. Rogers from his quest is the ghost of that season’s most anticipated video game. The meddling kids and their dog manage to make merry despite the interruption and show some compassion in “The Ghosts of Christmas Presents.”

Bruce Wayne threatens to kill Batman to bury past ghosts for a present truth he can’t reconcile. All this with a backdrop trimmed in tinsel and other trappings of Christmas.

Helena Wayne, aka the Huntress, guests from Earth Two wishing to spend the holidays with Uncle Bruce.

As the mystery deepens the Dark Knight musters his detective skills to deduce if a long-time friend or his father is to be trusted.

The centerpiece of DC’s 2008 holiday card, Batgirl and Supergirl exchange gifts. Artwork by Matt Haley.

Peter David authors “You Better Watch Out” and that’s all you need to know to pull this out of the back issue bins.

This is one of my favorite Spider-Man Christmas stories focusing more on Peter than Spidey as the title was originally designed to do. Just a step behind, poor Mr. Parker teeters on the periphery of the holidays until bottoming out sharing a Coke Classic with his costume.

When a department store Santa tries to burgle his shapely neighbors’ apartment Spidey saves Christmas Eve and the man of the hour saves Christmas by bagging the bad guy and ensuring Peter is at his aunt’s for Christmas breakfast.

From across the pond, the Masters of the Universe display some Christmas cheer. Artist unknown (let us know).

DC proudly proclaimed its present to readers for December 1972:  Shazam!

The awkward moment comes with the blurb, “Watch out Superman! Here comes the original Captain Marvel.”

Captain Marvel, aka Shazam, first appeared in Whiz Comics issue two cover dated February 1940. Throughout much of that decade Billy Batson’s alter ego outsold even the mighty Superman. DC took notice of the sales figures and filed a copyright infringement suit against publisher Fawcett alleging its character was too similar to Superman. The suit was finally settled in 1953 when the company promised to cease publication of all Captain Marvel titles as well as to never publish the character again.

DC finally licensed the character in 1972 and brought him into the DC universe. Shazam never regained the popularity he enjoyed in the 1940s and has kicked around in various self-titled incarnations and been a team player with the Justice Society and Justice League at times.

Mark Evanier scripts the second, and last, of Garfield’s Christmas stories.

“Elf Esteem” showcases Odie’s good heart as Garfield attempts to help the wayward little person in his quest to right a wrong. Everyone is smiling by the end with Santa rewarding the good deeds.

The second story, “Nermal and the Three Bears,” puts a new spin on an old fairy tale.

Garfield 32 rounds out the holidays with Christmas pin-ups of the Arbuckle household and a couple newspaper strips reprinted for good measure.

Super Friends (2008) 22

Santa isn’t the only one who gets letters for Christmas.

A wheelchair bound little girl is visited by the Super Friends for Christmas Eve and learns handicaps are mainly those of the mind.

“All I Want for Christmas” is a touching story, but the best wishes given for those suffering hard times in 2009 really hit home for me. That year was hard on my son and me, but with the help of good friends and family the end of the first decade of the new millennium dawned bright as the curtain rang down on the year.

Let this be well wishes to everyone, especially my cousins and their children who lost a dear one the beginning of December. It may not get easier, but it does get better.

The cover says Christmas, but the interior reads like a Twilight Zone anthology intermixed with late ‘80s video game and Now Comics merchandise ads.

Looking for Santa? Don’t call these guys.