Regular and most variant covers promote a Christmas theme, but Mars Attacks the Holidays levels its sites on Halloween, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving as well as Christmas.

Mars Attacks the Holidays (Cover A)

Mars Attacks the Holidays (Cover B)

Mars Attacks the Holidays (Cover C)

Mars Attacks the Holidays (Cover D)

Mars Attacks the Holidays (Cover RE)

Fred Hembeck handles Halloween with a 1950s teen party akin to the same era’s drive-in B movie.

Bill Morrison and Tone Rodriguiez piggyback on Orson Wells’ War of the Worlds broadcast. Veterans dating back to the War Between the States celebrate the first Armistice Day by whupping up on the landing party routing a full-scale invasion.

American culture is roasted in a battle of Michael Bay excesses when Thanksgiving is attacked.

Christmas rings down the curtain on both the book and year with post-apocalyptic survivors recreating a Christmas Eve from 1914 when No Man’s Land served as a multi-national pitch for one evening of peace before the bloodshed was renewed.

Batman and Plastic Man team to save Gotham’s Christmas traditions.

Gotham City is in the throes of a “buttlegging” operation during the holidays with illegal cigarettes flooding the streets. But when fir trees begin disappearing from street corners, stores, nurseries and, finally, the beloved Lacy’s Department Store display at Gotham Plaza the mayor has had enough.

Down-on-his-luck Plastic Man lends a hand in tracking the thieves to the warmer climes of Conch Key, Fla., where Big Jake Doyle is throwing a holiday shindig to eliminate his “buttlegging” competition. For some reason the gangster likes the idea of stealing all the pines from Gotham City to use as his decorations.

Of course the Dark Knight and slippery shamus foil the plan and return the treasured tree to Gotham Plaza by Christmas Eve.

Gotta admit it’s funny to see Batman tooling around town in his Super Friend’s-inspired convertible with the snow flying.

Sugar and Spike “Help Out Santa,” are “Babysat by Santa,” and experience “Twas the Night Before Something” as well as “Spike Becomes a Superman for a Day.”

The holidays continue to befuddle the bothersome duo as well as confound me that no one ever called Child Protective Services on either’s parents. In the first story Sugar and Spike “break” Santa. To make amends they don the red suit and accidently collect $80 for the Xmas fund for Underprivileged Children.

Next he toddlers attempt to pacify a department store Santa whom they believe may toss them in the “brook” if they misbehave.

Then Sugar mistakes an accident for Spike’s super strength.

Finally the tykes surprise their parents with Christmas.

Tossed in for good measure are a few one-page gags, “Pint-Size Pin-Ups,” and Christmas cards that can be fashioned for friends.

Robbie Reyes’ little brother, Gabe, is chided for his continued belief in Santa Claus. Those same bullies become believers when the Yang to Kris Kringle’s Yin, Krampus, kidnaps them for supper.

Reyes was tapped as the new Ghost Rider in 2014, then introduced into the Marvel cinematic universe as a recurring character in the fourth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., played by Gabriel Luna.

The new Spirit of Vengeance hails from East Los Angeles and spins around town in a 1969 Dodge Charger rather than the familiar motorcycle. Reyes became Ghost Rider after stealing Calvin Zabo’s, aka Mr. Hyde, car and being gunned down by mercenaries attempting to pilfer the potion Zabo uses to become Hyde.

The usual Gang of Idiots celebrated the 1987 Christmas season in satirical style with three offerings: “Christmas Carols for the Dysfunctional Family” by Frank Jacobs and Tom Bunk; “Fearless Predictions for 1998” by Desmond Devlin and artist Paul Coker and the “Office Christmas Party Mistletoe Agreement” from writer Barry Liebmann and Marshall Vandruff.

IDW provided readers with a weekly four-color advent calendar leading to the big day in December 2015.

Offerings included the previously reviewed Transformers and My Little Pony Holiday specials as well as The X-Files and Jem Holiday specials and the first of three Mickey and Donald’s Christmas Parade books.

Cover priced at $5.99 readers received 66 pages of holiday happiness featuring three stories, “The Blight Before Christmas,” “Christmas Clubbing” and “The Sinister Space Santa.” Uncle Scrooge, Donald and nephews further provide Yuletide yucks in one-page vignettes “Meter Your Maker” and “High Tech Herbert.”

It’s a bloody Bacchanalia when a department store Santa is possessed by Animus, “a level 9 demon,” for Christmas 2006.

If you’re looking for some homey Christmas Eve reading by the hearth, to paraphrase Ben Kenobi, “this isn’t the issue you’re looking for.” Blood stains the worn and gritty floors powdered with cinders tramped in by Christmas consumers with torture the currency.

Blade’s story is interrupted with peeks at his past to understand how best to death the present day danger. It doesn’t end well.

E. Nelson Bridwell and Len Wein serve up a holiday comic book worthy of Curt Swan’s Superman.

Toyman tackles Christmas consumerism by unleashing his nefarious toys on a public panting to pile presents under the tree. Superman teams with his North Pole neighbor, enlisting Santa’s elves and his faithful flying reindeer, to halt Toyman’s plans.

The confrontation leads to a Noel knockdown, drag ‘em out fight between The Man of Steel and renegade toys. The outcome is never in doubt as Santa swings the Yuletide of battle leaving Superman wondering if it was all a dream…only to find a gift of presents past.

With 2017 history it’s time to be thankful DC remembered fans with a stocking stuffer holiday special.

The tales make up a worthy Tannenbaum tome as Jeff Limire bookends the seasonal sandwich of stories with Bibbo championing Superman and his deeds throughout the year to a doubting Clark Kent with John Constantine tossing in his two pence worth.

The meat of the book belongs to Sgt. Rock, the Atomic Knights, Flash (both Barry and Wally), Green Arrow and Black Canary, Deathstroke, Swamp Thing and Wonder Woman. Denny O’Neil returns for a haunting Batman yarn that warms no hearts.

“The Silent Night of the Batman” is the encore. Reprinted from Batman 218, “The Silent Night…” was the 1960s decade closer for Caped Crusader. Easily the best story of the book and has oft been reprinted capturing hearts again in the Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus, Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams (Vol. 2), Batman: The Joker’s Revenge trade paperback, Christmas With the Super Heroes (1988), Limited Collector’s Edition C-43 and Showcase Presents Batman trade paperback (Vol. 5).

Not the best for a good year, but a good way to start a new one.

Superman may have been one of the original pop-culture phenoms. Following his first appearance in Action Comics issue one his fandom grew exponentially with his likeness featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and The Adventures of Superman radio program both offered in 1940.

By 1942 Action Comics, Superman and Superman Quarterly were reportedly selling 1.5 million issues a month. The following year Superman hit the big screen in animated form courtesy of Fleischer Studios.

It’s no surprise the Man of Steel would be sought after for further promotional roles following the 1940 volume one of Superman’s Christmas Adventure. As with the first go round Superman’s Christmas Adventure volume two was a give-away for department stores and other companies.