Christmas 2019 would not be complete without IDW’s Disney holiday offering from afar.

The fifth installment brought something new with Topolino – or Mikey Mouse – 3239, originally printed in 2017. The opening tale, ‘Mickey Mouse and the Lost Toy,’ is a which-way story. Our titular hero loses his gift for Minnie. Mickey’s fate is determined by the choices made by readers. Most don’t end well.

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This is followed by a one-page funny called ‘Christmas in Mouseton.’ Mickey falls victim to an expanding waistline. This from Topolino issue 3083, circa 2014.

‘Christmas in the Money Bin’ is another one-page excursion, this time with Uncle Scrooge. Technology helps Duckburg’s most prominent citizen with his electric bill, but does little to enlighten the town. This is reprinted from issue 3083, too.

Skipping forward to 2016 and issue 3187, readers are welcomed by ‘Uncle Scrooge and the Christmas Contest.’

Scrooge sets his sites on the season’s hottest toy in hopes of closing a business deal. His holiday lesson is individuality is a valuable trait.

‘Christmas at the Farm,’ with Donald and Mickey, is another one-page affair. Mickey’s memory is longer than Donald’s in this retelling from Topolino 3083.

Peg Leg Pete gets top billing in ‘Christmas Spirit.’ One kind act can offer far reaching benefits, especially during the holidays. This from Topolino 3187, 2016.

The book finishes with two one-page funnies.

‘Christmas in Duckburg,’ with Donald and nephews, jumps the calendar by several months.

‘Christmas at Grandma Duck’s’ is another Donald vehicle featuring Uncle Scrooge.

The first of the last two was originally published in Topolino 3239, 2017 and Topolino 3135, 2015.

Give the duck his due – and his day – National Donald Duck Day has dawned.

Donald made his debut in the animated ‘The Wise Little Hen’ in 1934. It wasn’t until 1937 the ill-tempered fowl first appeared in four color. This was in an Italian comic book. Donald did not make it to the English-speaking world until a year later with England’s Fleetway publication.

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Not until 1942 did Western Publishing take over chronicling chores. One of the first stories was ‘Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold’ by Bob Karp. Other illustrators would follow including Jack Hannah and the man who became most associated with Donald and the duck, Carl Barks.

From Barks flowed most of the duck lore used today.

Donald has flourished over the years, appearing on television, in movies and every other media available. He continues to appear in four color as well as co-starring on the new incarnation of Duck Tales airing on Disney.

National Donald Duck Day is an annual event celebrated June 9 to commemorate his screen debut. Since then, Donald has been in more films than any other Disney character.

His national day began in 1984 in honor of Donald’s 50^th birthday.

‘Santa Claus is a Killer!’

Robin Snyder and Sarah Gregory phoned this one in and stayed home for the holidays.

Work beckons daddy Denny, leaving mommy Margaret and daughter home alone. It just so happens a madman has escaped from a local asylum and is sporting a Santa suit. A literary shell game ends with an arrest, a surprise and salutation from the real man of the North Pole.

Horror veteran Ernie Colon provides the proper atmosphere with pencil and pen.

The opening salvo is the only holiday offering for this issue. Three more shorts, ‘The Bride is Aglow,’ ‘The Strange Guide’ and ‘Trollbridge’ close out the book.

Unexpected is a continuation of National Periodical’s Tales of the Unexpected running until issue 222 in 1982.

It was brought back as an eight-issue mini in 2006.

Unexpected began as a sci-fi title before giving up spaceships for ghosts. It became part of DC’s stable of horror-anthology titles that closed out the 1960s and ran till the early 1980s.

Today is a day to commemorate something most of us do not care to participate in: National Running Day.

To recognize this unofficial-holiday we choose Flash. Not just any Flash, but the Flash who heralded in the Silver Age. The Flash who helped usher out the Bronze Age. The Flash who sped across two-and-a-half decades with a roster of villains who coined the phrase “Rogues Gallery.”

This is the Barry Allen Flash.

Barry Allen was introduced in Showcase issue 4, the brainchild of Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino. After Hiroshima and the world became measured in half life, the masked men of the Golden Age became after thoughts. Only Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman survived cancellation.

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Mr. Allen became a test subject to see if the reading public were ready for mystery men again.

They were and Silver Age counterparts to their Golden Age predecessors debuted in Showcase before jumping to their own books.

Next, Flash would open the DCU to a multitude of universes via his cosmic treadmill. In Flash 123, Barry Allen brought not only the Golden Age of DC back, but mapped a path to other Earths.

His legs would carry him through personal and universal(s) crisis only to return courtesy of Geoff Johns and a loophole.

Barry Allen continues to speed through the DC imprint and has earned his own television series as well as co-starring on the Silver Screen.

It may seem counterproductive to sit down and reacquaint yourself with the Scarlet Speedster on a day of running, but, in my opinion, it’s a better option than tying on some running shoes and hitting the pavement

…for dancing in the streets.

At least, that’s how Martha and the Vandellas finished the line.

DC appropriated the lyric, finishing it with…”for DC comics.”

According to the ad, they’ve got “all the action this summer with hot titles like New Teen Titans…Superman…Hawkman…Booster Gold…Swamp Thing.”

All for nine dollars a subscription. No deals for buying more than one.

This offer was available about the time David Bowie and Mick Jagger charted with their duet of ‘Dancing in the Streets’ shortly after Live Aid. Series like Hex and Adventures of the Outsiders were short lived as the DCU headed into its first crisis.

Though summer isn’t a holiday, the last day of school always seemed like one. So, no matter who sang your favorite version of Marvin Gaye, William Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter’s chart topper, enjoy the warm weather and take some time to relax.

‘Dancing in the Streets’ was also covered by the Mamas & the Papas, Van Halen, Grateful Dead and Black Oak Arkansas.

National Autonomous Vehicle Day is a time to observe the future of freedom behind the wheel.

To commemorate the (non) holiday, let’s take a look at the ultimate car. Forget Back to the Future’s Delorean, KITT and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we’re talking Batmobile.

The Batmobile has been part of the Bat lore since Batman’s first appearance in Detective Comics issue 27. Granted, then it was a plain, red roadster with no gadgetry, but Batman had a means of conveyance.

Since its humble beginnings, the Batmobile has blossomed into a modern marvel. Slowly at first, but with vigor as the notion grew.

It wasn’t until Batman issue five, Spring of 1941, the Batmobile was given its trademark bat head on the front grill. It was about that same time it was christened as the Batmobile.

The car continued to evolve and by the 1966 live-action series, the Batmobile was already an icon. George Barris’ handiwork for the screen-used vehicle only immortalized the car.

Since then the Batmobile has continued to evolve in both comic book, television, movies and video games.

While National Autonomous Vehicle Day celebrates travel to come, we also remember what has gone before, “Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed.”

‘The Bachelor Party!’

Not a name you’d associate with a Christmas issue. It is what you get, courtesy of Scott Lobdell and Tom Morgan for the 1991 season.

It’s Christmas Eve and snowing. It’s also a night for bachelor and bachelorette parties.

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The boys decide to down their pints at Corky’s Tavern. The girls choose a rowdier atmosphere at Cloisters, a male strip club run by former foil Pink Pearl.

The Christmas spirit comes from the guys who stop a robbery and show mercy on a suffering soul. The girls wind up in jail.

If you were a regular reader, this might be a fun story. Not on par with Incredible Hulk 417, but still a quirky excuse for some peace on Earth.

I am not a regular reader.

So, this issue is confusing and with little charm beyond what is perceived.

Alpha Flight is an early X-Men spin off. The team’s first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men (1963) 120.

Volume one ran from 1983 to 1994. It was relaunched with new characters in 1997. The team and title were revamped once again in 2004 with the All New, All Different Alpha Flight. In 2007 it became Omega Flight and, in 2011, became Alpha Flight again in volume four.

Two stories for the “Immortal GI” this issue.

The first, No God in St. Just, is more racially driven. The Unknown Soldier must convince African-American soldiers to kill Nazis.

Christmas Dinner is Janus Mitchell and Tenny Henson’s holiday offering. The title says it all.

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The Unknown Soldier takes his name from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, VA. The character was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert, debuting in Our Army at War 168.

It would be another four years before he would receive his own book, Star Spangled War Stories in 1970. Starting with issue 151 and running through issue 204 when the book was retitled The Unknown Solider. The comic would last until October 1982 ending with issue 268.

The Unknown Soldier would return in 1988 with a 12-issue maxi-series as done by Jim Owsley and Phil Gascoine. He reupped in 1997 with Garth Ennis calling the shots and earned a final – as of this writing – appearance as a back up to G.I. Combat in 2012.

Mysterious Secrets have Sugar and Spike worried their parents are mad at each other.

Sugar is dropped at Spike’s house while her parents do some last-minute shopping. She shares her concerns about the strange goings on at both homes.

The suspicions mount and the tots decide to hide presents so Spike’s parents will conspire to solve the mystery and not be mad at each other. As fate – and creator Sheldon Mayer – would have it, the garbage men are collecting trash.

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Finding the presents, they assume they are rewarded for their services throughout the year as mail men and delivery men are.

The two sprites help solve the misunderstanding, but are relegated to a corner for their misdeeds.

Nanty Minerva’s Adventure with Santa Claus is another misunderstanding on both sides. She can’t understand why she scares Spike and Spike can’t understand why she doesn’t like him.

A Santa suit pulls both sides together in an unexpected way.

Foot Trouble has no Christmas spirit, but does question the choices we make.

Christmas Eve Battle shows there is justice in childrens’ worlds after all.

Another holiday offering from Mr. Mayer and his childish charges.

The Looney Tunes revamp with DC offered its first of several seasonal outtings with issue 10.

Bugs and Daffy are struggling chimney sweeps in How the Wabbit Saved Christmas. Elmer is just struggling with his Christmas spirit. To buoy Fudd’s flagging festiveness, the duo decorates the fretting homeowners’ abode. That ends in disaster with demolition bringing Santa down.

To save Christmas – and give the story’s title credence – Bugs dons the red union suit and Daffy the red reindeer nose. Their travels take them to Tasmania, Paris and Mexico for special gifts before returning home.

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The story has a happy ending for all but the Jolly One himself.

Sylvester’s is Trapped Up in the spirit of snooping in the second yuletide offering.

Bugs tortures Elmer in an untitled final funny of the book. Daffy has a walk-on guest appearance.

Readers were also treated to ‘A Carrot Christmas.’ This counting exercise helps Bugs learn how many carrots were left under his tree.

Tweety’s Twee Twimming Tips is a word search for items normally adorning the annual Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas from the denizens of the Looney Tunes universe – even if the big day is seven months off.