Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1989) 79

Even Batman has his Rosebud.

If that reference is too obscure, Google it or watch Citizen Kane.

Batman and Christmas are synonymous for me. Stockings trimmed in faux fur stuffed with Lifesavers, Crayola crayons and rolled up 100 pagers. Batman was featured in all. From his self-titled book to Detective Comics, World’s Finest and Brave and the Bold.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 79

And, those wonderful Limited Collector’s Editions.

With the success of Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) movie lightning struck twice. After lying as dormant as Adam West and Burt Ward’s careers following the 1966 Batman television series, the term Batmania was dusted off.

Trading cards, breakfast cereal, apparel, anything and everything that could sport a Bat emblem did.

DC Comics chose that time to release the first new Batman title since 1940 with Legends of the Dark Knight. The title followed the soon-to-be standard five-issue story arc with one-and-dones dribbled between. It was hit or miss. When it did hit, the stories were good.

“Favorite Things” was a one shot dated January 1996.

In it Bruce Wayne finds his house burglarized. The deeper violation is with what the robbers stole. Over the course of the next couple days Batman terrorizes the underworld in an attempt to retrieve his lost treasure.

Not the best Batman holiday issue, but not the worst. Usually these books can be found in dollar bins making it worth the price of admission.