Happy Halloween from Four Color Holidays.

More importantly, happy Halloween from Batman, Zatanna, Cain and Able and the House of Mystery.

Batman enlists the aid of Zatanna to help in the mystery of the transformed Cain.

Not all is as it seems and Zatanna must call in the clairvoyant cavalry to save the eve.

Batman The Brave and the Bold 12

Batman: The Brave and the Bold premiered Nov. 14, 2008 on Cartoon Network. It marked the first cartoon since Batman the Animated Series. Rather than follow the critically acclaimed series in a similar vein, B&B chose a more tongue-in-cheek approach.

Each episode teamed Batman with A- and B-list characters from the DC Universe. Everyone from Adam Strange to Vicki Vale.

Brave and the Bold was cancelled after three seasons in 2011. The next series returned Batman to a more serious tone.

B&B was resurrected one last time in 2018 with the straight-to-video BluRay release of Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Though it never reached the heights its predecessor achieved, the 2010 DCU Halloween special made a respectable showing.

It followed more of a supernatural Brave and the Bold or DC Comics Presents format. Batman and Robin co-star with I…Vampire, Flash and Frankenstein team together, Wonder Woman meets Deadman, the Teen Titans side with Klarion the Witch Boy and Superman is aided by the Demon.

DCU Halloween Special 2010

The Scarecrow is on the other side of his fear toxin in “Trick for the Scarecrow.”

Damian Wayne sides with Batman to take on a legion of vampires.

Flash and Frankenstein work together to stop a killer in “Time or Your Life.”

“A Night to Remember” gives Deadman a chance to experience some of his past life courtesy of Wonder Woman.

Teen Titans team with Klarion, the Witch Boy, in “Medusa Non Grata.”

The Demon helps Superman in “Fears of Steel.”

Again, not on par with the previous year, but still worth the time.

Unlikely book emcee Bizzaro Superman proved to be a very officious host for the 2009 special. His “Unhappy Halloween” story arc bracketed the remaining 12 tales of terror.

“Halloween the Guy Way” takes a deeper and more disturbing look at the Guy Gardner’s past. An ass of astronomical proportions at times, the story reveals a life paved with disappointments and degradation. It’s actually a very good story about a man who isn’t very nice.

DC Universe Halloween Special ‘09

The Creeper stars in a one-page throw away that can be skipped.

“Seeing is Believing” resurrects the vampire myth with the Outsiders starring as the Van Helsings.

Absent from the Outsiders in the tale that came before, Batman takes center stage for “Trick and Defeat.” The Killer Moth returns to rob Wayne Manor. Unmasking the heroes proves a surprising turn of events.

Damian Wayne is the Robin in the next story, “Cavity Search.” Kinda wish this one was longer. It has the makings of a good psychological thriller. Damion earns a spot at home with this one.

Red Robin’s “Our Father’s Sins” is a bit sappy for the holiday.

“Lady Down the Lane” stars Ravager. Her reputation precedes her.

The rest of the book finishes strong. Anabolic steroid strong.

“Mirror Games” is another that wouldn’t have suffered from a higher page count. Kid Flash, Mirror Master and a group of teenage girls take on the myth of Bloody Mary. Writer Joe Harris knows his stuff.

Beast Boy has a quick gag page in “Never Too Old.” He shares the spotlight with Cyborg.

Wonder Woman is spooked by reality television and the gentler gender of the Teen Titans in “Haunted or Hoax?”

Maybe not a word associated with Halloween, cute is the best term to describe “To the Finish Line.” Superman and Flash race one more time.

“My Turn to be Scary” is a fun read. The cliché ending makes the reader wonder if they would be disappointed with or without it.

Overall, Halloween 2009 was represented in a grand manor. Maybe the best of all Halloween specials.

Cover dated Oct. 31, 2012, the title says it all: “Halloween.”

On patrol Halloween night, Batman learns his son, Damian, has never experienced trick or treat. Like a scene from the 1966 Batman television series, Damian is not allowed to eat his collected candy until after supper.

Batman Li’L Gotham (2012) 1

In a show of compassion, Batman foots the bill for his rogue’s gallery’s dinner while the Gotham Police wait for them outside.

This all-ages funny book is just that, a fun book. The artwork is classic watercolor, mixing enough dark with light to temper the story’s mood.

Damian Wayne, aka Robin, is still being worked into the DC Universe at this point. Grant Morrison’s introduction of the character in Batman 655 left many readers unsympathetic. As time and writers passed Damian became more of an accepted son of Batman even co-starring in Super Sons with Superman’s progeny.

A great Christmas cover with no holiday spirit inside. With the exception of “The Story of Christopher Columbus.”

Columbus Day celebrates its namesake’s arrival in the Americas. Observance of the holiday varies from area to area. It shares itself with Yorktown Victory Day in Virginia and Puerto Rico Friendship Day on the Virgin Islands.

Comic Cavalcade (1942) 9

Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and the Flash are the mystery men and woman of the book with Hop Harrigan keeping the skies safe from Nazi menaces.

Mermaids are the villains in Wonder Woman’s story “The Subsea Pirates.”

Doiby Dickles becomes the damsel in distress for Green Lantern in “A Tale of a City.”

The Flash is featured in “The Tale of the Winged Horse.” An invitation is extended to join the liar’s circle.

Without a doubt, the oddest story is “Filipinos are People.” The “yarn” is “devoted to furthering understanding among the peoples of the world.”

Also included are some one and dones from Mutt and Jeff.

Comic Cavalcade (1942) 12

Masks upon masks upon masks for the Fall 1945 issue of Comic Cavalcade.

As was the model for the title, the cover featured a seasonal event, but the interior proved its own beast.

Wonder Woman was featured in “Rebellion on Paradise Island.” Rival Dalma is jealous of her Amazon sister. She attempts a coup to assume control of the island.

“A Race Against Time” has Green Lantern and Doiby Dickles attempting to foil a murder during a six-day bicycle race.

The Flash is “Painting the Town” with “nitwit” inventors on the loose.

Mainstay Hap Harrigan must stop Professor Robomb from killing him in “The Adventure of the Million-Dollar Parcel!”

Also included in the 80-page giant are “A Medal for Mervyn!” and “Johnny Everyman.” Mutt and Jeff tag along for some shorts, too.

Do you really need an excuse to have a beer? If so, today is your day. Today is National Drink Beer Day.

Not a Hallmark holiday by any stretch of the imagination, National Drink Beer Day, needless to say, is unofficial. Beer’s origins are murky as well. There is some proof beer was first crafted in what is now Iran in the fifth century B.C.

Later it spread throughout Europe by Roman soldiers and later still through its production in monasteries.

Hellblazer (1988) 42

To celebrate National Drink Beer Day, Four Color Holidays presents Hellblazer 42. Spoiler: if you’ve never read the title, at least Garth Ennis’ run, stop reading this now. Drop your beer and get the hardcovers, trades or floppies. Then you can crack your cold one.

Ennis steered John Constantine through issues 41 to 83. All are good, but the first story arc is the best.

In it Constantine discovers he has lung cancer. He sets about seeking a cure through sorcery. In the second chapter of the tale he finds himself in Ireland sharing a very special drink with an old friend. I won’t spoil the rest.

Wikipedia describes Hellblazer as a “contemporary horror comic book series.” A simple answer that falls short of properly appreciating how Ennis handled his chronicling chores. The book has shown sparks of brilliance before and since, but never shone as brightly as it did during those brief years.

Cheers.

National Cheeseburger Day is certainly not one of the Federal or State holidays. It is perennially celebrated Sept. 18, offering an excuse to chow down on a greasy burger topped with cheese and favorite condiments.

Action Comics (1938) 454

German immigrants brought the hamburger to America. Hamburg steak was a popular dish among lower-class Germans. Later it was placed between two slices of bread becoming a sandwich. It was properly introduced to the American public at the 1904 World’s Fair and became the darling of the nation.

Cheese was added sometime later, possibly between the 1920s and 1930s to Americanize the sandwich. No one has legitimately laid claim to creating the cheeseburger, but the bacon cheeseburger can be credited to Dale Mulder in his A&W Restaurant in 1963.

While Action Comics issue 454 does not celebrate National Cheeseburger Day, the cover does commemorate the holiday well enough. Though a bit over represented, the scene does appear inside the book.

Superman’s fast food gobble is a bid to maintain his metabolism after Toyman finds a way to deprive the Action Ace of the power-giving sun light. The man of steel finally figures out a solution and “Superman’s Energy-Crisis” is wrapped up with enough room for the Atom to close out the book in “The Campus That Swallowed Itself.” The title is longer than the actual story.

It’s hard for those outside the fold to understand the kinship we fans feel toward these two-dimensional, fictional creations.

But, it exists.

At times it’s almost tangible.

Especially for one who predates many of us. Who has survived – and thrived – after a congressional castigation, network neutering and public pandering. Who is an American institution.

This is why we have National Batman Day.

I can’t remember the first Batman story I read. There have been so many. So many adventures and years since that first one.

Detective Comics (1937) 27

All I know is I was introduced to a character draped in the dark of night, eyes veiled behind white slits hiding windows to hell. That was the Batman Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams/Irv Novick were resurrecting in the early 1970s.

It was a good time to be a Batman fan. He was allowed to return to the shadows, but readers weren’t too removed from the day and twilight that came before.

Reruns of the 1966 psychedelic series were still airing in the afternoons. Adam West and Burt Ward were live-action heroes for half an hour.

Then the fad faded.

It was time to go back to Batman’s roots. As mentioned above, this about when I came into the picture.

The 1970s settled and the ‘80s dawned. A relative newcomer to the field not only redefined Batman, but knighted him in ebon. Frank Miller created two seminal works that examined both ends of the spectrum. The Dark Knight Returns came first. It looked at the end of days for the Caped Crusader.

Batman:  Year One stepped back to look at his beginnings.

As the decade ended so did Jason Todd’s career as Robin. Tim Burton took Batman to Hollywood.

The 1990s were not as adventurous. Instead the franchise was mined for the fanboys’ dollars. Gimmicky covers and story arcs designed to have readers buying multiple issues were the norm.

Where Batman shown again was on the small screen. Bruce Timm crafted a new look out of the old with a timeless backdrop in Batman the Animated Series. It would spin off The New Batman Adventures and Batman Beyond along with two feature films. The first was given a theater release in Mask of the Phantasm. The second was direct-to-video, Batman & Mr. Freeze:  Subzero.

The comic book industry rebounded from the 1990s speculators and continues to thrive both on and off the page.

The Batman legacy is strong as ever. His celluloid career continues and Detective Comics just celebrated its 1,000 issue. A fine compliment to the Caped Crusader’s 80th birthday.

Batman has evolved and revolved with the times. His image has been tweaked and tarnished at times, but overall it remains as timeless as his mission to avenge his parents’ deaths.

Grant Morrison hit most of the comic book industry’s sensitive spots during his run as Doom Patrol scribe. Each issue of his tenure, 19 through 64, was a satirical statement.

The Beard Hunter is a tale Arnold Drake, Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani could never have envisioned when they first created “The World’s Strangest Heroes.” The story does meet the criteria for observing today’s National Beard Lover’s Day.

Doom Patrol (1987) 45

Doom Patrol (1987) 45 isn’t exactly a love letter to those with facial hair, but more of a statement against the facially follically challenged. The Beard Hunter treads a dark trail of comedic fare. As with the series itself, this issue is a fresh, kaleidoscopic look at a team no one knew what to do with.

When Doom Patrol first appeared in the pages of My Greatest Adventure issue 80, the characters were an off-beat bunch often likened to Marvel Comics’ The X-Men.

The team was revised and revived in post-crisis DC by Paul Kupperberg and Steve Lightle. Morrison was part of the late 1980s British Invasion that revamped the comic book market.

Doom Patrol limped through several incarnations over the years after Morrison’s departure. Most recently they were featured in a live-action series on DC Universe’s streaming service.