As a long-time horror fan and one who still appreciates the Universal fore-fathers, Young Monsters in Love promised a tantalizing twist to the 2018 Valentine’s Day.

Kelley Jones’ depiction of Swamp Thing planting a big, wet one on the Frankenstein monster’s bride while the cobbled creation looks on, set the mood.

This 80-page anthology is a mixed bag. Ten stories ranging from tale tellers James Robinson to Paul Dini with art by the aforementioned Mr. Jones, Guiseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, Stephanie Hans, Javier Fernandez, Mirko Colak, Nic Klein, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Razer Irving, John McCrea and Guillem March.

Young Monsters in Love

Jones is the perfect choice to render the opening Man-Bat story, worthy of a read. Skip the Frankenstein monster’s tale for Solomon Grundy’s as Superman passes along some words of wisdom to Superboy.

Too bad Raven’s – of Teen Titans – story isn’t more like Edgar Poe’s.

Dini does Deadman – gotta love alliteration – proud keeping Boston Brand from spinning in his grave.

Swamp Thing is represented by Russell and Frazer with a flowery tale. Pun intended.

The book is rounded out with some mediocre stories. Maybe the most memorable is the Mallah and Brain taboo romance.

The torrid torch the two carry deals with their dissimilar species, but same sex attraction.

Like the allure of any solicitation, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Don’t take my opinion, try it for yourself.

DC beat Marvel to the holiday punch with the first of the Christmas specials beginning in 1974.

The Marvel Treasury Special was released Nov. 26 of that year on the heels of DC’s Limited Collector’s Edition (C-34) that hit newsstands Nov. 7.

Whereas DC had decades of material to draw from, Marvel had a little over 10-years worth of stories to plumb.

Naturally “Have Yourself a Sandman Little Christmas!” led the list.

It was a reprint from Marvel Team-Up issue one starring Spider-Man and the Human Torch battling Sandman. A sappy story that brought out the season in both heroes who allowed Sandman to visit his mother on Christmas Eve.  The good deed does not go unpunished leading both heroes to a continuation of the story in issue two.

The remainder of the book is what the title promised:  a grab-bag.

Marvel Treasury Special (1974)

In “Mortal Combat with…Sub-Mariner” is reprinted from Daredevil issue seven. Namor makes land fall to seek out Matt Murdock to serve as his lawyer. The sea prince wishes to sue the surface world for its exploitation of the other three quarters of the Earth.  Murdock’s alter ego is called upon when he refuses to take the case.

Black Widow stars in the next story taken from Amazing Adventures (1970) issue five. An unremarkable story. Maybe the most noteworthy of the book is Neal Adam’s assumption of penciling chores on the Inhuman’s story.

Fantastic Four issues 25 and 26, a two-part tale, finish out the book. The Thing and Hulk go toe-to-toe in issue 25 with the Avengers guest starring in the second part.

Far from the holiday specials to come in the 1990s, but at least setting a precedence for the company.

Coming on the heels of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the Alvin and His Pals Merry Christmas with Clyde Crashcup and Leonard offered 84 pages of solace.

Alvin and His Pals in Merry Christmas with Clyde Crashcup and Leonardo (1963)

Alvin, Theodore and Simon had reached celebrity a mere five years after their creation. Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., had initially created the animated, anthropomorphized-woodland creatures for a novelty album. Their success branched over into cartoons and other media.

Clyde Crashcup was created to compliment the Chipmunks on The Alvin Show. Crashcup would invent things that already existed. Leonardo was his silent – literally – partner.

Crashcup and aid would spell Alvin and his friends throughout the Christmas special. He and Leonardo even opened the book with “Clyde Crashcup Invents Snow.” The duo would tag-team with the Chipmunks for the remainder of the book alternating stories. The difference being Crashcup and Leonardo wove a related tale with each of their stories until they would finally meet up with Santa.

Alvin, Simon and Theodore appeared in vignettes either Christmas or winter related.

Also interspersed throughout are one-page prose stories and challenges for readers.

Not bad for a quarter.

The eternal teens of Riverdale celebrate another Christmas with four stories for the 2018 season.

Archie Christmas Spectacular (2018) 1

Archie and Jughead embark on an entrepreneurial endeavor in the lead tale, “One Person’s Trash.” The boys find money can be made in repurposing garbage pail finds. It comes to naught when an uninvited partner crashes the party.

“All Aboard” is a story about wish fulfillment that ends with the adage, “be careful what you wish for.”

Santa’s daughter returns to Riverdale in “The Last Noelle.” Santa isn’t pleased, but Mrs. Claus understands the solitude of living at the North Pole.

Finally, “Jingles’ Jangled” has the impish elf as an unwelcome house guest when his powers are remanded by a jealous acquaintance. Jughead finds Jingles’ hidden talents tasty and is sorry to see him leave.

Hard to believe there are still stories to be told about Archie and crew after 77 years, but the kids live on.

Here’s one that slipped past me last Christmas.

At first glance, not much to write home about. “Pete & Miles in Off Duty,” is no Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Only the best incarnation of all the silver screen Spider-Mans by the way. No, “Pete & Miles in Off Duty” is, well, not sure how to describe it.

Confusing?

In a way.

Lifeless?

Yeah, you could say that.

In short it’s just not good.

Now, “Nuts and Bots” is a different story. Literally. Squirrel Girl and Doc Doom. C’mon. That’s a match up. Not a heavy weight title bout, but still way more entertaining than midget wrestling.

Finally, Squirrel Girl is getting a little respect. She deserves it. Her own title and some guest appearances. Good stuff.

What I haven’t mentioned about the holiday special is the Deadpool framing sequence. Deadpool is our emcee for the show. In a Saturday Night Live or old Muppet Show twist, Deadpool is brought forward from behind-the-scenes allowing Squirrel Girl to interact with him.

The two go toe-to-toe, not with fisticuffs or weapons, but in a far more deadly verbal one-on-one.

Finally, “Holi-La-La-Days” continues to make amends for a slow start. Deadpool steps out of the framing sequence to help move the story to a satisfying conclusion with Hawkeye playing detective.

A worthy addition to anyone’s holiday collection.

Possibly the final Christmas issue of the series, issue 183 hit spin racks and newsstands for the 1978 holiday season.

The title was a numbered continuation of the Dennis the Menace Giant series that ran from 1955 to 1970 when this, the Bonus Magazine Series, began with issue 76. This incarnation continued through the late 1970s to issue 194.

Each October Fawcett rolled out another Christmas issue. By 1978 Hank Ketchum’s creation was focusing on anti-smoking PSAs as featured in the lead story:  “Santa’s Flaws.”

The remainder of the book served as a tub thumper for UNICEF. “He’s a Card,” “Dennis and Joye” (really spelled that way) and “Kid Stuff” all promoted Polish physician Ludwik Rajchman’s brain child.

UNICEF was created in 1946 to provide emergency food and healthcare to nations ravaged by World War II. In 1950 UNICEF extended its mission profile to include long-term needs of children and women in developing countries. In 1953 it became a permanent part of the United Nations System.

In 1965 UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

(Image scans by Heritage Auctions.)

Rip Hunter, Time Master, plays storyteller to a group of post-apocalyptic survivors sometime in the mid-21st century who are bent on eating their guest.

DC’s Nuclear Winter Special

Of the 10 “cataclysmic carols,” Flash, Super Girl, Firestorm and Green Arrow top the list.

Hunter stalls for time, waiting for his time sphere to recharge, by relating stories starring the stable of DC characters. This year’s special is hit or miss in wringing emotion from readers.

As stated above, Flash’s “Once and Future,” Super Girl’s “Last Daughters,” Firestorm’s “Last Christmas” and Green Arrow’s “Super Birds of Christmas past, Present and Future” are the headliners.

“Last Christmas” may be the best of that group. Paul Dini is the writer, so no surprise there.

The remainder of the book is taken up by Damion Wayne having assumed the mantle of Batman in “Warmth.”
Superman’s “Memory Hearth” by Steve Orlando is forgettable.

“Where Light Cannot Reach” capitalizes on Aquaman and his silver screen blockbuster that has already taken China by storm.

Surprise guest Kamandi stars in “Northern Lights.”

Finally, Catwoman appears in “Nine Lives.”

Not as memorable as the DC Rebirth Holiday Special. Just nice to see DC continues to offer Christmas comics each year.

Four Color Comics (1942) 525 (aka Santa Claus Funnies 9)

Dell’s Santa Claus Funnies, circa 1953, is a classic example of Christmas Comic books.

Cover to cover, the book is filled with silly short stories featuring funny animals and visitors from the North Pole. Imagine a comic book with no ads. None. Just four color frolic.

“Santa Claus and the Cuckoo Bird” open as a no-named feathered friend from the south attempts to meet the Jolly One himself. With some inside help, the little cuckoo is able to hold court with Santa and explain his wish. The bird wants to provide a service to Santa and disprove the misconception all cuckoos are dumb.

“The Kindly Cobbler” proves good deeds not only go unpunished, but they are rewarded.

“Cottontail Christmas” offers a solution to welcoming to Santa in one page.

Only one spirit haunts “The End of the Christmas Ghost.” Humphrey the mouse seeks shelter from the winter storm. During his visit he’s able to save Sir George the ghost from his years of intangibility.

Not the Christmas comic book I’m used to, but it was nice to turn back time and remember when Christmas seemed to much simpler and less commercial.

As America packed away its bicentennial banners and fervor, Marvel began packaging its third, and final, Holiday Grab-Bag. And, that’s what it was, a holiday-less hodge podge of reprints pulled from Avengers (1963) issue 58, Daredevil (1964) number 86, Marvel Team-Up 6 and Tales to Astonish (1959) 93.

Roger Stern was a lowly assistant editor in charge of choosing reprint material for Marvel’s stable of twice-told-tale books. He was tasked to fill the last of the holiday specials with suitable material. Having already used what little was available the previous two years, Stern was faced with a daunting task.

Marvel Treasury Edition 13

As Stern told Back Issue magazine, issue 85, Christmas in the Bronze Age, from 2015; he pulled the most tear jerking stories he could find to fill the book. Choices made, he found the book was still 10 pages short. Stern approached Editor Archie Goodwin who freed money for what Stern termed a “framing sequence” for the stories.

Fanboys were given the Giant Superhero Holiday Grab-Bag Nov. 16, 1976, complete with a Gil Kane/Joe Sinnott cover featuring the Marvel mainstays. Stern penned the opening story, “Tis the Season,” showcasing the super heroes playing in the snow. Reprints included “…As Those Who Will Not See!” with Spider-Man and the Thing, “Even an Android Can Cry” featuring the Avengers, Hulk and Silver Surfer shared “He Who Strikes the Silver Surfer” and “Once Upon a Time – The Ox!” showcasing Daredevil and Black Widow.

This was the final Marvel holiday special until the 1990s. By then the House of Ideas would have a better catalog to choose from, even tossing in original material.

For me, nothing will ever beat the original specials from the 1970s. They were the perfect size to lie stomach down on the floor and marvel – pun intended – at the craftsmanship of those earlier Marvel Age stories.

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.