Mysterious Secrets have Sugar and Spike worried their parents are mad at each other.

Sugar is dropped at Spike’s house while her parents do some last-minute shopping. She shares her concerns about the strange goings on at both homes.

The suspicions mount and the tots decide to hide presents so Spike’s parents will conspire to solve the mystery and not be mad at each other. As fate – and creator Sheldon Mayer – would have it, the garbage men are collecting trash.

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Finding the presents, they assume they are rewarded for their services throughout the year as mail men and delivery men are.

The two sprites help solve the misunderstanding, but are relegated to a corner for their misdeeds.

Nanty Minerva’s Adventure with Santa Claus is another misunderstanding on both sides. She can’t understand why she scares Spike and Spike can’t understand why she doesn’t like him.

A Santa suit pulls both sides together in an unexpected way.

Foot Trouble has no Christmas spirit, but does question the choices we make.

Christmas Eve Battle shows there is justice in childrens’ worlds after all.

Another holiday offering from Mr. Mayer and his childish charges.

The Looney Tunes revamp with DC offered its first of several seasonal outtings with issue 10.

Bugs and Daffy are struggling chimney sweeps in How the Wabbit Saved Christmas. Elmer is just struggling with his Christmas spirit. To buoy Fudd’s flagging festiveness, the duo decorates the fretting homeowners’ abode. That ends in disaster with demolition bringing Santa down.

To save Christmas – and give the story’s title credence – Bugs dons the red union suit and Daffy the red reindeer nose. Their travels take them to Tasmania, Paris and Mexico for special gifts before returning home.

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The story has a happy ending for all but the Jolly One himself.

Sylvester’s is Trapped Up in the spirit of snooping in the second yuletide offering.

Bugs tortures Elmer in an untitled final funny of the book. Daffy has a walk-on guest appearance.

Readers were also treated to ‘A Carrot Christmas.’ This counting exercise helps Bugs learn how many carrots were left under his tree.

Tweety’s Twee Twimming Tips is a word search for items normally adorning the annual Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas from the denizens of the Looney Tunes universe – even if the big day is seven months off.

Marvel Digital Holiday Special (2008)

Marvel offered the Marvel Digital Holiday Special as an exclusive to their online subscription service Dec. 17, 2008.

In the first story, the X-Men herald the holidays and service with ‘If the Fates Allow.’ Storm, Wolverine, Iceman, Angel, Beast Cyclops, Colossus, etc. celebrate with a bittersweet loss of Kitty Pryde for the first Christmas without their youngest member.

‘Last Christmas’ is a prelude to Secret Invasion.

‘Werewolf by Eve’ is a one-page slapstick story of the Russell home.

Finally, the jolly, fat one borrows the Infinity Gauntlet in ‘Santa Claus vs. The Illuminati.’ The results are not good.

Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited was launched Nov. 13, 2007 with over 25,000 issues at the ready for fanboys.

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Peter finally finds the Christmas spirit in himself while looking for the perfect gift.

The hapless hero finds himself without the holiday cheer. He doesn’t know why. He started early and found the right gifts for the right people. Maybe it’s the bounty a recently returned Norman Osborn has offered for Spider-Man’s head. Or, the hard year and Mary Jane have had.

Fellow journalist Billy Walters surprises Peter with an unexpected gift. One for which Peter has no reciprocal present for. Soul searching – and his red and blue union suit – bring the answer.

Hydro Man also makes an appearance in this issue, but doesn’t add to the storyline.

Not a bad story for a time when Marvel was going through so much turmoil. I only recently stumbled across this by accident.

Merry Christmas from the merry Marvel team and the Spider-Man family.

First, thanks to Jeff for not only bringing this issue to my attention, but adding it to my stocking stuffers from him for Christmas 2018.

Batgirl 18 is a serviceable issue. Other than it makes me feel old. Barb and two friends attend a Christmas party and Harley Quinn crashes.

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The story makes me feel old in the fact I can’t see me at a mixer like that anymore. I wouldn’t begin to know how to dress, mingle or stay awake as late as it probably would have gone without interference.

This is not the Batgirl I grew up with. That incarnation was created by Julius Schwartz, Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino; concept by William Dozer. She appeared in Detective Comics (1939) issue 359.

I also enjoyed Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown as Batgirl.

When DC unveiled the New 52 and Barbara Gordon was back complete with working limbs, I was thrilled. Gail Simone took the returned Batgirl through her paces for 34 issues and did an excellent job.

Barbara then received new writers and relocated to Burnside, a ward of Gotham City. More importantly she took on a new persona. Batgirl was now posting selfies and working personal media like a Kardashian.

Having never negotiated a Facebook page and only tweeted a year for an organization I belong to, I felt old.

On the precipice of 54 – as of this writing – social media is the tool of the devil to me. Too much drama. Too many egos asking to be stroked. I’m sure it has its merits, but not to me.

Oh, and Batgirl 18? A good read if you can’t remember when telephones hung on the wall and cartoons came only on Saturday mornings.

Our heroes make merry while Santa lies sick for the cover of Comic Cavalcade number 25. Again, the cover date is Feb.-March 1947, but the comic book appeared in December 1946.

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The interior is business as usual with the only hint of Christmas on the front.

Wonder Woman headlines the book in ‘Hatred of Badra.’

Next up is a short entitled ‘The Talking Dog.’

Green Lantern is on ‘The Roof of the World‘ with Sky Pirate. GL experiences acrophobia after the villain disguises himself as a psychologist and hypnotizes the hero.

Hop Harrigan appears in ‘The Mystery of Airport Inn‘ and Cotton-Top Katie takes a turn before Black Canary. The siren of song stars in ‘Tune of Terror.’

Flash battles an animated idol unleashed by Kiua, the Mayan goddess.

This Feb.-March 1947 cover-dated comic book was actually released the preceding December. Hence, Green Lantern, Flash and Wonder Woman’s wave of their hands to silhouetted-Santa and hoist sacks full of goodies.

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As with previous issues, Comic Cavalcade issue 19 is Christmasy in cover only. Of the seven interior stories, none deal with the holiday.

Wonder Woman’s ‘The Battle for Eternal Youth’ has the Amazon protecting her sister’s secret of immortality.

Flash races against time in a story of about the same name.

Foney Fairy Tales spells the heroes with some slap stick.

Mr. Nobody is featured in ‘The End.’

Hop Harrigan stars in ‘The Fog-Shrouded Demon’ and Cotton-Top Katie in ‘The Ball Game of the Year.’

Finally, Doiby Dickles makes a bet with Green Lantern-alter ego Alan Scott the cab driver can keep his calm while taxing folk around the city for a day.

It’s ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ in the new DC Universe during week 33 of 52.

Various DC notables, Alfred Pennyworth, Nightwing, Batwoman, Lex Luthor etc. are in evidence as Christmas approaches. To keep the storyline intact and provide context for the season, all are seen participating in holiday activities. Maybe the most notable is Nightwing’s presentation of an official Batarang to Batgirl. The symbolism is not lost on the latest Gotham siren as she is ushered into the Bat Family.

Luthor even finds the Christmas spirit as he gives Infinity, Inc. new cars leaving no trope unturned.

52 was a weekly comic penned by Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Mark Waid and Greg Rucka explaining the missing year after DC’s second crisis Infinite Crisis. The series was followed by Countdown to Final Crisis.

A piece of Jingle Belle’s past seeks revenge in the 2018 installment of Paul Dini’s Christmas-time creation.

The day after Christmas dawns like a hangover for some. Those handmade gifts discarded as unwanted find their way in with ripped paper and bows never to be seen again. Though crafted with love and patience, they are cast away in favor of bright and shiny creations bearing foreign trademarks.

Jingle finds she isn’t the only one who has presents of Christmas past return. Homemade gifts find a home with Little Jingle who raises an army of renegade toys. Her intention is nothing less than subjugation of Santa’s work shop and empire.

Another holiday romp with the dysfunctional Claus family at the busiest time of year.

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Merry Christmas and déjà vu from Jeff and me at Four Color Holiday Comics.

If your memory stretches back long enough, you may remember this cover and review from last Dec. 25. This issue, cover dated February, 2009, is the same book, issue 115, published in 2007. The exception being the cover is now red rather than white.

Inside are the same two stories and Yeti tutorial: “It’s a Wonderful Fright” and Santa’s Evil Elves.”

Hope the holiday was as entertaining and enjoyable as this issue. Keep coming back for more in 2020. There are still a lotta four-color holiday stories to be re-told.