DC saved the best for last. The DC Universe Holiday Bash III is the final installment of Christmas specials before Y2K featuring seven stories running a gamut of characters.

Superman and Batman headline the book in “World’s Finest Christmas.” Writer Karl Kesel expounds on the toy collecting trend of the day. The Captain Action knock-off featured is Toyman’s revenge for a believed slight. Batman brings a bittersweet tale to conclusion with an act of kindness.

“The Joker’s Twelve Days of Christmas” mangles the holiday staple in a murderous take off.

DC Universe Holiday Bash III (1998)

Wonder Woman returns to her newfound fold for Christmas to be accused of foregoing her heritage and beliefs in “Heathen Ways.”

Chuck Dixon proves why he was the Bat Family scribe for so long with “Alone for the Holidays.” Robin finds himself part of an extended family so he’s never really alone – especially at Christmas time.

Prison is not the place to be for Christmas as Shrapnel discovers. His short-term vacation from the Slab brings Christmas “Home for the Holidays.”

Bat Lash has “An Eye for Detail” saving a frontier family from a dastardly land deal.

Finally, Impulse creator Mark Waid pens, with Devin Grayson, “No, Bart, There is No Santa Claus.” Bart Allen’s naivety and impulsive nature send him around the world as Santa’s helper.

The package is wrapped by a two-page spread as imagined by Sergio Aragones.

DC would take a break from Christmas specials for the next several years allowing the individual writers to pen any holiday tales in their respective titles.

Looney Tunes 73

This was a first-run story that was later reprinted in Looney Tunes issue 193. Like any Bugs Bunny cartoon, the re-run is still welcome.

Bugs and Daffy find themselves lost at the North Pole after the inevitable wrong turn. An ever helpful Santa takes the wayward wanderers in for warmth and a tour of the factory. Daffy sees dollar signs and plays Jimmy Hoffa to the elves. While his attempts to unionize the indigenous help is well received by the elves, Santa and Bugs take umbrage.

In usual Bugs Bunny fashion, the rascally rabbit is able to defuse the situation.

Daffy then attempts to atone for his actions only to worsen the situation. Santa and Rudolph are knocked cold and the un-merry mallard is recruited to help pull the sleigh. Bugs dons the dress reds and plays Santa.

Guest appearances include Wile E. Coyote who is on the receiving end of a faux road runner that leads to dental problems. Sylvester the cat and Tweety Bird re-enact their “Snow Business” animated short.

Finally the duo alight on the roof of DC’s corporate headquarters in time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

DC Universe Holiday Bash II (1997)

This sappy sampling from the DC stable is a cross section of the season. Included are stories of Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa. Writer Dick Grayson shoehorns in some Buddhism as well amidst the other celebrations and commercialism.

“The Present” showcases the – then – new team of Green Lantern and Green Arrow. Last minute shoppers are taken hostage by a young man confusing tender caring with legal tender.

Batman is the silent guardian of hope in “The House of Peace,” though a young boy saves faith.

Ty Templeton handles creative chores in “Present Tense.” Santa lays siege to Darkseid’s domain to conduct Christmas business.

Black Lightening handles a gang’s blood feud in “Twas the Night Before Kwanzaa.”

Santa isn’t the only one watching who knows what recipients really need. Superman receives an early and much needed present in “The Gift.”

“I Left My Heart at the Justice Society Canteen” is Howard Chaykin’s love letter to Golden Age comic book creators.

Sgt. Rock is visited by the ghosts of wars past, present and future in “A Christmas Carol.” The vision is as shocking as it is undeniable.

The New Year nears with Nightwing and Oracle. “The Old Lane” is a touching tale of youth past and problems present.

Finally, Rich Burchett offers an ornaments page reminiscent of the original Christmas With the Superheroes Limited Collectors editions of 25 years earlier.

Originally the Joker’s moll for a one off on Batman: the Animated Series, Harley Quinn has exploded in the pop consciousness in the past five years.

No one knew the impact the character would have when she first appeared on B:tAS in 1992. It was – to the month – another year before her first appearance in comic book form, Batman Adventures 12 where she shared the cover with Batgirl and Poison Ivy for “Batgirl Day One.”

Harley wouldn’t receive her own series until 2000 in her self-titled comic book running 38 issues.

By 2014 she was poised for her meteoric rise that had been a slow avalanche at first. Her second series was one of DC’s New 52 titles with a holiday special following that December.

The first of three stories, “Bad Toy,” allows Harley to revert to her psychologist origins to repair a little girl’s and her father’s relationship.

“Get Yer Cheer Outta My Ear” is a short romp in madness caused by a holiday bug and cured by Santa and sweets.

“Killer Time” rings in the New Year with a grey hair as Harley tries to halt Tyme (read the story).

Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palimotti pen the three tales with various artists giving life to the written word. Darwyn Cooke pencils and inks the final story.

Batman 239

Still one of the best Batman Christmas stories ever written Silent Night, Deadly Night is courtesy of Denny O’Neil with a cover from Neal Adams and interior art by Irv Novick.

O’Neil was responsible for putting a little reality back in the world of Gotham. After comic books were neutered by the Comics Code Authority, Batman limped through the 1950s solving crimes with backdrops of oversized everyday items, fighting aliens (not the green card kind) and enjoying a revival of sorts via his questionable celebrity garnered from his weekly twice prime-time appearance in “living color.”

As dusk was allowed to settle on Batman again, the full nightfall was just outside the Batcave as, most notably, O’Neil, Adams and Novick moved the Caped Crusader into the shadows.

Issue 239 is the first Christmas issue for Batman in decades and he makes full use of the holiday stopping a down-on-his-luck uncle from making the worst mistake of his life.

Fans were treated to a flashback in Batman’s career with a reprint of issue 15, The Loneliest Men in the World, which has already been discussed on the web site.

For many Christmas is not the happiest time of the year as the incomparable Alex Ross depicts in what could be one of the saddest illustrations of Batman I’ve ever seen.
The only thing that could make this scene sorrier is if Ross had used the Detroit-era Justice League.

Looking In

DC offered a varied selection of characters and situations for the 2010 Christmas special.

DCU Holiday Special (2010)

Featured characters include Anthro, Jonah Hex, Green Lantern, Superman, The Spectre and Legion of Super Heroes.

The stories stem from tolerance of holiday celebrations outside the standard Anglo-American, Judeo-Christian beliefs.

As a whole, the tales seem born as much from the transition DC was preparing for with Flashpoint that led to the New 52, while America was transitioning with a president still finding his footing.

The issue’s tagline read, “Six tales spanning, space, time and today’s top talent.” A little overreaching, but a worthwhile effort for $4.99. There have been better and there were worse.

Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams began their much acclaimed collaboration with the Green Lantern/Green Arrow Hard Traveling Heroes saga with issue 76.

When Lantern sides with the law Arrow derides his fellow hero for not considering justice in the equation. Arrow launches into a searing soliloquy causing Lantern to question his actions.

As Arrow stands on his soapbox, he honors the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr., by reminding all listening, “On the streets of Memphis a good black man died…” referring to the Noble Peace Prize awardee for his efforts in Civil Rights. The image of King and Robert Kennedy are engraved in the background of the panel during the statement.

The comic book began an 11-issue run over the next year in which Lantern, Hal Jorden and Arrow, Oliver Queen cross America confronting the issues of the day.

Brave and the Bold (1955) 148

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 32

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.