Marvel’s Giant Superhero Holiday Grab Bag hit newsstands Nov. 25, 1975 on the heels of DC’s Limited Edition (C-43) Christmas With the Super-Heroes.

This second tabloid-sized special featured a collection of already told tales from the Bullpen’s fertile imagination. Having mined the few holiday stories the House of Ideas had floating around the previous year, this second book proved more Christmas in cover and theme than interior stories.

Marvel Treasury Edition 8 (1975)

Nick Fury opens the book with “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” taken from Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. issue 10 published in 1969. Nick’s night with surprise guest Laura is interrupted by a call to save the free world from the Hate Monger. Any seasonal spirit is forgotten as Fury does his best 007 impression to foil world domination. He’s rewarded for his efforts with his blond bombshell waiting for him at his apartment to watch the sun rise on Christmas morning.

There’s as much holiday spirt in the story “Spider-Man Goes Mad!” as there is in the name. Pulled from Amazing Spider-Man issue 24, the reprint marks the first time the story saw print since it was originally published.

“Jingle Bombs” uses a snowy backdrop and a few Christmas decorations to give the impression of the holidays for Luke Cage.

An abbreviated reprint of Incredible Hulk 147 is next. Entitled “Heaven is a Very Small Place,” the Hulk believes in a mirage where even he is accepted.

Dr. Strange battles Nightmare on New Year’s Eve in “Eternity, Eternity” reprinted from Dr. Strange 180.

Riding high on the speculator market soon to go bust – the company would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy a year later – Marvel released its 1995 Holiday Special trade paperback.

Flagship character Spider-Man carried the book with three stories beginning with A Spider-Man Christmas Carol. The Web Head saves a hospital ward full of sick children with a little help from Daily Bugle Publisher J. Jonah Jameson.

A Miracle a Few Blocks down from 34th Street showcases the X-Men in the oft reprinted Christmas tale outing Santa as the world’s most powerful mutant.

Spider-Man returns in another seasonal fan favorite, Down and Out in Forest Hills. The story is miss-billed as Star Of the Show that appears later in the book.

Marvel Holiday Special 1995 TPB

Down and Out features Peter and Mary Jane as they are ousted from their condominium on Christmas Eve. Uncle Ben is the Ghost of Christmas Past who provides wisdom in Peter’s decision to return to his roots. The story originally appeared in Amazing Spider-Man 314.

Zounds of Silence is a textless tale featuring Wolverine – of sorts – in an imaginative dream of consumerism during the holidays.

Hopes and Fears sees the return of Spider-Man in a test of faith against Mephisto.

Free Will is lifted from Peter David’s run on The Incredible Hulk. Banner Hulk questions the holidays and choices.

Star of the Show finally appears as a one-page, textless story with the jolly, fat one making a guest appearance.

The Punisher is shoehorned into the book with customary bullets flying and body count in The Spirit of the Season.

Finally, The Big X-Mas Black Out brings Spidey back for an encore appearance as he dukes it out with Electro using Rockefeller Square as a backdrop.

Slap an $8.95 price tag on the title and Marvel made itself and readers a little merrier in ’95.

A one-shot of mistaken identity, revenge and redemption in a short 33 pages.

Everybody loves Halloween. Well, almost everybody. For instance, not Spider-Man. Spider-Man and semi-sober friends caring for their very drunk friends.

An amusing story as told by Bill Hader and Seth Meyers. Yes, that Seth Meyers: comedian, writer, political commentator, actor and TV host.

And, yes, that Bill Hader. Both are Saturday Night Alumni.

Kevin Maguire handled penciling chores. Yes, that Kevin Maguire. His resume is too long to list here, but, trust me, if you aren’t familiar with the artist, take time to get acquainted.

Anyway, back to the story already in progress…

In New York City it’s hard to swing a dead cat without hitting a super hero. Or villain. Halloween multiplies the meta population as the citizens emulate favorites. Normally not a problem, but this Halloween eve is plagued by at least one too many Spider-Men.

Rather than give too much away, go pick up a copy and enjoy some holiday hijinks Spidey style.

Spider-Man: The Short Halloween one-shot (2009)

Spider-Man: The Short Halloween hardcover (2009)

DC Comic’s latest tome of terror compliments the undressing trees, bite in the air and darkness that descends earlier.

The Swamp Thing Halloween Horror features 100 pages of retold Halloween stories culled from previous specials and stand-alone ongoing series. Mostly. The first story is an original from scribe Brian Azzarello and penciler Greg Capullo entitled “Hollow.” This Halloween there are more to fear than just snakes and alligators.

Dan Didio’s “The Pumpkin Sinister” is the first of three stories lifted from The DC Infinite Halloween Special (2007).  Blue Devil and Enchantress become honorary members of the Peanut’s gang in the homage to Linus’ obsession with the Great Pumpkin.

Swamp Thing Halloween Horror

The second of the lifts from the 2007 special is “Taert Ro Kcirt.” Paul Dini turns more than the letters around with Zatana. A happy Halloween is spoiled for trick or treaters causing the mistress of magic to reverse roles.

“Strange Cargo” is the final retread from 2007. Poison Ivy spins a yarn of Superman v. Zombies.

“The Ballad of Jonathan Crane” is a reboot of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with the Scarecrow playing himself – or, his alter ego. This one was pulled from the DC Halloween Special (2008).

Aquaman and Etrigan the Demon form an unlikely alliance in “Night Gods.” Together they tackle a Cthulhu clone and his army of darkness called forth from those claimed by the sea throughout the millennia. The story originally appeared in The Brave and the Bold (2007).

Batman (1940) 237 is an October favorite appearing in other specials. In the late 1960s and early 1970s Rutherford, VT, was a destination for comic book creators and fans during Halloween. Eventually the annual parade became peppered with floats and costumes representing both Marvel and DC’s stable of colorful heroes and villains. “Night of the Reaper” immortalizes some of the magic as a backdrop for murder and the Holocaust remembered.

Finally, Swamp Thing returns in this reprint from House of Secrets 92 featuring his muck-covered origin.

The special is an exclusive offered through Wal-Mart as part of the department store’s team up with DC.

At a 192 pages this digest weighs in at one big read.

Most of the book consists of Christmas stories, but not all, so be warned.

Included are:

• “The Visit” – A gold button makes Archie wonder if his dream was real or not.
• “Tree Trouble” -Mr. Lodge, Archie and Veronica go back to nature for a Christmas tree.
• “The List Price” – Veronica receives the gift of Christmas from Betty.
• “One Last Gift” – Archie’s dad learns giving comes from the heart.
• “Wisecracker” – Christmas is a time of affection and confection for Archie and Betty.
• “Merry Merchant” – Pops finds Santa has no head for business.
• “Never too Late” – A donation saves Christmas for Archie.
• “Christmas Miss” – The Lodges realize the Christmas spirit.
• “Santa’s Cause” – The Riverdale gang learn there really is a Santa Claus.

C’mon, what red-blooded American male wouldn’t wanna live in Riverdale? Plenty of beautiful women, cheap food and grown-ups who rarely interfere with your personal life. And, this has been going on since 1941.

Okay, it’s a little different now. After the new millennium entered its teens things began to change and Archie Publications diversified with more relevant material. In 2013 Afterlife with Archie joined the zombie apocalypse conga line. A year later the company would delve deeper into the horror genre with The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Jughead the Hunger in 2017.

Still, for almost 70 halcyon years Riverdale was an oasis of teenage dreams in American culture.

And, they weren’t afraid to celebrate Christmas.

A graphic retelling of redemption spun with zombies.

While short on carnage there are some genuinely creepy imaginations plotted between writer James McCann and pencilers David Baldeon and Jeremy Treece. The wording is as eloquent as a Victorian dance step.

Marvel Holiday Special 2011 TPB

The early days of the Christmas Treasury Editions and their skimpy Santa’s bag of holiday stories were long past when Marvel published this volume.

Each of the offerings is a reprint beginning with “Have Yourself a Sandman Little Christmas” from Marvel Team-Up 1 followed by “Demon” from Uncanny X-Men 143. The remainder of the book pulls from either the 2004 and 2005 Marvel Holiday Specials.

Of course the first two stories are a glimpse of Merry Marvel of old, but the newer offerings provide a look at how far the House of Ideas has come.

Christmas With the Super-Heroes (C-43)

DC followed its Christmas With the Superheroes 1974 edition with a second stocking stuffer the following season.

Included was maybe DC’s first Christmas special: Superman’s Christmas Adventure cover dated 1940 as well as probably the most cited Batman holiday tale Silent Night of the Batman from Batman 219; a classic Wonder Woman story socking it to the Nazis; a Joe Simon/Jack Kirby collaboration on Sandman and maybe my introduction to the House of Mystery with Night Prowler.

This is another stocking stuffer and the second of my Christmas comic books. Most of what I remember is probably conjecture based on the repetition of my childhood Christmas mornings, but I know I pulled this from my stocking Christmas morning 1975 as America readied itself for the Bicentennial, Watergate began to fade from memory and Saturday Night Live took hold on television and the American landscape.

If I actually took note of any of the above, it was probably the prevalence red, white and blue merchandise that paled beside the four-color holiday treasure I would read over and over.

It would be nice to go back in time and review those moments. Some, maybe most, would be remembered far more fondly than they actually were, but to relive a moment most consider so trivial at the time that proved so profound for the simple fact it has become a cherished memory would be worth almost anything.

Christmas With the Super-Heroes (1988)

Christmas With the Super Heroes (1988) was my reintroduction to Christmas with comic books.

Even though I was recently married, I had reconciled with my first love, comic books. Seeing this John Byrne cover on a spin rack just made the return all the sweeter.

I had never completely forsaken comic books. They were always there, ready to take me back as I bought an issue of Spider-Man or X-Men to see where they had gone. When I’d left the fold – or told myself I had – I was more of a Marvel zombie. Coming back, I continued my Marvel purchasing, but this book reminded me how much I enjoyed those who I’d first pledged allegiance with when I was still in single digits. It would take A Death in the Family and Sandman to really bring me back to the DC fold.

But, this brought back memories.

Featured was Batman 219, The Silent Night of The Batman, also reprinted in Christmas With the Super Heroes (C-43) in 1975. The Teen Titan’s Swingin’ Christmas Carol from Teen Titans (vol. 1) 13 appeared again, having already been reprinted in the original Christmas With the Super Heroes (C-34) in 1974 and Christmas With the Super Heroes Best of DC 22 in 1982.

The other offerings I wasn’t as familiar with, though the selection was excellent. They included Twas the Fright Before Christmas from DC Comics Presents 67, DC Special Series 21 with the Legion of Super Heroes and The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus from Justice League of America (vol. 1) 110.

To cap off this perfect storm of holiday stories was a personal note from Editor Mark Waid.  He has since lamented taking the space to tell a personal tale (see Back Issue 85), yet I found it very touching. Waid tells how he couldn’t afford to go home one year for Christmas so he strung Christmas lights on a spin rack and dug out Christmas comic books from his massive collection to help tide him over the season.

Christmas With the Super-Heroes (22)

Here was one that caught me by surprise.

Getting out of comic books when I did, I was not around for most of the DC digest format. The smaller reprints offered a lot more value, 100 pages for $.95, but also more eyestrain. Still they were fun oddities.

As with the original Christmas With the Superheroes (C-34), The Teen Titan’s Swingin’ Christmas Carol appeared, almost as ubiquities as It’s a Wonderful Life during the holiday season. It would appear yet again in the 1988 special of the same name.

Another that would be rehashed in 1988 is The Man Who Murdered Santa Clause from Justice League 110.

Those not previously exploited include Christmas Peril and Merry Christmas, both from his self-titled Batman book; Robin’s White Christmas from Batman Family 4 and The Seal Men’s War on Santa Claus, featuring Sandman, from Cancelled Comic Cavalcade 2.