Superman (1987) 165

Ripped from today’s headlines Superman 165 is a prophetic tale questioning leadership at the highest levels.

Dramatic? Maybe. Festive? Yes.

Comic book giants Ed McGuinness, Humberto Ramos, Rob Liefeld, Mike Wieringo, Art Adams, Ian Churchill and Joe Madureire tag team as Jeph Loeb III follows Superman while he consults fellow Justice Leaguers about the election of Lex Luther to the Oval Office.
Almost 20 years later the American public is asking many of the same questions Superman puts to his colleagues regarding an unpopular head of state.

Lest we lose track of what this site is about, Superman 165 also gives you an opportunity to see what the Man of Steel believes his friends want/need for Christmas saving the best for last as he and Lois take time for themselves.

It’s their first Christmas and one of confusion as the toublesome tykes attempt to make sense of the season.

Presents grow “up” from the floor of the closet, snow grows “down” from the sky. The toddlers tackle the turmoil only to find the true meaning of the Christmas by giving it away.

Captain Atom (1987) 13

Buyer beware:  the cover is far more festive than the issue.

If a first-time reader as I am/was, the soliloquy synopsis from the primaries does little to prep for the story. Or entertain for that matter.

The issue finally picks up when 1980s greed brings about arson on an old tenement building inhabited by squatters and homeless. Captain Atom saves the day in true Christmas fashion and is celebrated while a death causes ruminations for the antagonist.

Not the best of what’s out there, but still an attempt to bring the season into the DC Universe.

Superboy isn’t alone in the super powers department for Christmas 1990. Magic, cable television and fevered dreams bring Smallville a “Christmas Wish,” from writer John Moore, art by the incomparable Curt Swan and inks by Ty Templeton.

Merry Christmas from one of the final Superman-family works by the artist who defined the Man of Steel for three decades. Swan died in 1996 at the age of 91 after completing art chores on Alan Moore’s non-canonical “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?”

Scooby-Doo (1997) 67

When Ebenezer Scrooge is forewarned of ghosts to come, who’s he gonna call? That’s right: Mystery Inc.

A brief investigation of the bedroom where Scrooge was confronted reveals smudges on the floor leaving the gang to believe the threat was not a dream.  With the stage set, Shaggy and Scooby are volunteered to pose as Scrooge for the night. As promised the CEO and President of Scrooge Inc. Accounting, Tax Preparation and Loans is visited by three ghosts.

What the plan doesn’t anticipate are Fred, Velma, Daphne and Scrooge all locked in the closet they plan to spring their trap from.

We’ll leave the unmasking to the tale’s reader.

In addition to the haunting holiday yarn the book leads with a 10-year anniversary return to the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan Olympic fiasco only with ghosts and different skaters. And no real violence. So, maybe not an anniversary tale, but one reminiscent.

Pinky and the Brain Christmas Special

Yes, Brain, there is a Santa Claus.

Pinky and the Brian attempt to do what they do every night, but world domination isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Especially during the holiday season.

Brain’s latest scheme is to infiltrate Santa’s headquarters, reprogram processors for 1995’s seasonal hot toy robot and, all together now, “…take over the world.”

As with all best laid plans of mice and men Brain winds up bruised and battered and a little wiser in the ways of the world as he and Pinky trudge home to regroup for another plan to take over the world.

For the 1975 Christmas season DC gave us “Robin’s Very White Christmas” in Batman Family 4. This was a time when Dick Grayson was still Robin adventuring on his own and attending Hudson U.

Really nothing special, but a nice piece of nostalgia with Robin sporting his old green speedos in a winter storm attempting to foil a renegade Santa and his evil “elves” all the while trying to make it home in time for Christmas.

Batman and Robin finally join Santa Claus on the cover for the 1944 issue.

“A Christmas Peril,” simply put, are the Dynamic Duo working as ghosts of Christmas present to show young Scranton Loring the error of his ways while combating evil uncles wishing to take control of his fortune.

The Batplane cum Christmas sleigh returns.

It’s the second year of America’s involvement in WWII, it’s Christmas time and Batman and Robin are on the business end of a Browning M1917.

Check.

While America’s bravest are dying overseas Batman and Robin seek out who they believe to be “the loneliest men in Gotham” and spread the Christmas cheer. All the while their efforts continue to be foiled by a local crime chieftain and crew until the literal Spirit of Christmas saves the day.

DC House of Horror (2017)

Beyond the $9.99 price tag DC House of Horror fails to live up to its name.

Even with Keith Giffen plotting stories for Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Two-Face, Green Arrow, the Justice League, Harley Quinn and Shazam the book never delivers. The closest to creepy it comes are with the Two-Face and the Justice League tales. The rest seem to be more head scratchers that have the reader wishing for the half hour back they invested in the book.

Kudos to DC for remembering us at Halloween time, but time and money are better spent on something like the Giffen plotted and JM DeMatteis scripted Scooby Apocalypse: Scooby and Mystery Inc. meet Resident Evil. Woot woot.