Batman and Robin Adventures 3

Paul Dini takes the new title for a holiday spin early on with the Riddler playing the Grinch who tries to steal Christmas from the well-to-do of Gotham by crashing an exclusive Christmas Eve festival at the Peregrinator Club.

When Batman the Animated Series first aired no one realized it would become, arguably, the best Dark Knight cartoon with only Brave and the Bold challenging the series. Later it would incorporate the Boy Wonder toward the end of the original run and later offer an even younger version with The New Batman Adventures.

With each incarnation the comic book would mirror its televised counterpart. The Batman and Robin Adventures are the four-color feature of The New Batman Adventures.

Lobo’s Paramilitary Christmas Special

It’s doubtful Lobo’s Paramilitary Christmas Special is gonna replace ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a fun read.

A very fun read.

Keith Giffen provided the inspiration to a reimaged Justice League after Crisis on Infinite Earths with an irreverent blend of behind-the-scenes at Saturday Night and Three Stooges slapstick that captured my attention and heart. It was only fitting he take the secular side of the most holy of holidays and rape the time honored tradition of Santa Claus by posting a price on his head.

No spoilers here, but the only red and green in this issue are the bloody trail to the North Pole and money readers happily plunked down for this issue.

Buy it, Fanboy!

‘Mazing Man Special 2

Okay, I don’t get it. Maybe I need to read more of the series, but just picking up the Winter Special does nothing for me. Yes, there is a festive and snowy cover to catch the eye, but readers first have to traverse four stories to get to Christmas Open House.

It’s a catchy little tale that were it a song, you’d probably find your foot tapping absently while the chorus became an earworm. Yet, as I stated above, I know nothing about the characters.

After a quick read through on Wikipedia maybe I should take more interest. Frank The Dark Knight Returns Miller is such a fan he even contributed a cover to help the series. Although noted as highly acclaimed there is no annotation for the citation.

Maybe the biggest catch with me is Denton Fox, a writer for BC Comics, who looks like a beagle. That harkens back to Angel and the Ape (look it up) for me. Maybe I should give this title a closer look.

DC Rebirth Holiday Special

DC overshadowed Marvel for 2016 when it came to Christmas specials.

Again, it’s hard to keep up with so many issues and changes as DC has survived three crises, the New 52 and now a “rebirth.” One was the return of Supeman’s son which I haven’t seen since the days of the 100-page spectaculars of the 1970s.

Damian has been around for several years. I hafta admit I was not a fan when Grant Morrison first introduced him, but have grown fond of the boy since the New 52. So, when DC gave them a touching team up with their super fathers, I didn’t have a problem.

My favorite of the whole book was the Batman-Detective Chimp team up.

Detective Chimp is my DC’s Howard the Duck; I love the character. Other than a brief resurgence of the 2007 crisis, Bobo has been an underused character. So, it was very satisfying to see him return. The rapport between him and Alfred is priceless.
My second favorite story would hafta be the Flash. Not only is there a return of his Rogues Gallery, but it’s a heartfelt bedtime story.

This is the best DC holiday special in years. Even at $10. I’ve read it cover-to-cover twice and have no complaints.

Elvira’s Haunted Holidays House of Mystery Special

Elvira’s Haunted Holidays House of Mystery Special is something I stumbled over several years ago. Even if I wasn’t a collector of Christmas comic books, this would’ve been a must have.

This book hails from a time when MTV still showed videos, mullets were (almost) still in fashion and horror movies abounded – much like Elvira’s cleavage.

Reading these stories is like borrowing Bob Burn’s time machine; the reader is catapulted back to 1986 with stories designed as O’Henrys to the times, touching on the materialism of the era as well as the fear of nuclear holocaust as prophesied by the Reagan Administration.

While dated, these are still fun stories seasoned with the wordily-titled Oh, What Fun To Sing A Slaying Song Tonight that could have jumped from the pages of EC’s stable of horror titles.

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.

Limited Collector’s Edition C-34

They say you never forget your first. That’s true – at least with Christmas comic books.

If my memory isn’t playing tricks on me, Christmas With the Super Heroes was peeking seductively from behind the white faux fur of my stocking top, dressed in a wanton fushia-pink and sporting a low-cut wreath hinting at what lay within.

These were the days of only the best toy line ever made, Mego’s World’s Greatest Super-Heroes. Eight-inches of plastic driven by pure imagination.

In addition to this over-sized representation of holiday cheer and muscles, 1974 was probably the first Christmas I received a Mego World’s Greatest Super Hero:  Batman.

Christmas 1974 as a two-fer

Two of my all-time favorite holiday stories appear in this issue: Silent Night, Deadly Night, reprinted from Batman 239 in the 52-page giant and The Teen Titan’s Swingin’ Christmas Carol, reprinted from Teen Titans (vol. 1) 13; both of which I would later pick up in their original form.

Also collected are Christmastown U.S.A. from Action Comics 117, Billy Batson’s X-Mas from Captain Marvel Adventures 58 and The $500,000 Doll Caper starring Angel and the Ape.

I would note this was my first exposure to Angel and the Ape. Gotta admit, the idea of a gumshoe gorilla moonlighting as a comic book artist intrigued me. Especially when teamed with a bombshell blond who doubles as detective and model in the O’Day and Simeon Detective Agency.

Anyway, in addition to the reprints the editorial staff tossed in extras like a calendar for 1975, Christmas cards, what super villains have to say about Christmas and other assorted goofiness.