April is the best time of year to observe bats, as they begin to wake from hibernation. To honor the only mammal capable of true and sustained flight, today has been set aside as International Bat Appreciation Day.

Detective Comics (1937) 400

Using Batman to represent the comic book industry would have been too easy. Instead, we’re looking at Robert Kirkland “Kirk” Langstrom, aka Man-Bat.

His first appearance was in Detective Comics 400. Neal Adams, Frank Robbins and Julius Schwartz are credited with his creation.

Langstrom is a zoologist specializing in the study of bats. A misguided test of his formula to develop sonar in humans turned the scientist into Man-Bat. Batman is able to develop a cure and restore him to his natural form.

The play as been acted out over and over. At times, Langstrom has even enlisted others including his wife, Francine Langstrom.

DC felt comfortable enough with the character to give him his own short-lived series in 1975. It lasted two issues.

Man-Bat has been part of the DCU in all its incarnations; still flying after the crises and reboots. He has also appeared in various animated versions of DC. He was featured in the first episode of Batman: the Animated Series that aired in 1992.

As a journeyman villain, Man-Bat serves his purpose; as a comic book anti-hero he’s an interesting diversion until one of Batman’s A-list foes finds a way out of Arkham.

Showcase 79 is the bridge we’ll use to travel to National Dolphin Day today.

Jay Scott Pike created the waterborne waif in 1968 for Showcase comics in issue 79. Not until 1986 in Secret Origins (1986) 50, did her origin appear. According to Steve Bove and Richard Bruning, Dolphin was swept from a cruise ship deck at a very young age. Her subsequent survival is courtesy of aliens who abduct and experiment on her. She is transformed into an aquatic being with webbed fingers and toes, gills and white hair.

Showcase (1956) 79

In addition, Dolphin is granted superhuman strength allowing her to adapt to the pressures of the deep. Her aging process is also slowed.

Dolphin escaped her captivity and is later domesticated by a crew of an oceanology ship. They are the ones who dub her Dolphin.

Over time she has been integrated with the DC Universe, most notably with Animal Man (1988) during Grant Morrison’s run on the title.

National Dolphin Day is listed as part of the American Veterinary Medical Association Pet Health Awareness Events. Those wishing to acknowledge the day on social media may do so:  #NationalDolphinDay.

Pre-crisis Earth-C provides our Easter comic book for 2020 with Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew.

This one has it all. Roy Thomas penned everything from seig heiling, anthropopmorphized-talking animal Nazis to an Indiana Jones knock off.

With a title like The Secret of Easter Bunny Island, this is an easy choice for pastel-colored holiday. But, these alien artifacts aren’t the pleasant surprise finds scattered about the yard. These Easter eggs are more akin to Starro and universal domination.

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A harmless oversight brings about rampage on a city-wide scale.

The book closes just in time for a continuation – tune in April 4, 2021 for the finale – as President Mallard Fillmore signals the beginning of the annual Easter Egg hunt on the White House lawn.

The good Captain and crew made their debut in a 16-page tryout in The New Teen Titans (1980) 16. A short-lived series was delivered from ’82 to 1983 featuring 20 issues.

Six-issues were on deck when the original series was cancelled. These became three double-sized issues, Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! The Oz-Wonderland War #1-3.

Captain Carrot and others would return after the crisis in Teen Titans (2003) 30 and 31 in ‘Whatever Happened to Captain Carrot?’ They were reunited once again for Countdown to Final Crisis in a cross-over titled Captain Carrot and the Final Ark mini-series.

Zoo Crew faithful were further rewarded with an appearance on the Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special with a funeral for Captain Carrot.

A fast and easy way to catch up on the Captain’s exploits would be the 2014 Showcase Presents edition collecting all 20-original issues.

Happy Easter from Four Color Holidays.

Batteries Not Included is a Vision-centric story as he follows leads to his past.

Most of the seasonal spirit stems from Wanda Maximoff. Her apostle, Holly, is taught what midwinter and Christmas mean to witches.

The second Vision and Scarlet Witch mini is made up of 12 issues, beginning in 1985. Steve Englehart weaves a story allowing Wanda to become pregnant through magical means. The book is fairly self-contained and the children are discarded shortly after.

The series would have repercussions in the Marvel Universe years later in the mutant mini House of M. Scarlet Witch would suffer a mental breakdown from the loss of her children and try to resurrect them.

Vision and Scarlet Witch were wed in Giant-Size Avengers number four. Bill Mantlo and Rick Leonardi penned and penciled the duo’s first mini released in 1982.

Bet ya didn’t know there was a National Beer Day.

Well, there is. National Beer Day is a perennially celebrated non-holiday to honor the Cullen-Harrison Act, which made beer legal even before Prohibition ended December 1933.

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If you’re so inclined, crack a cold one and enjoy the following synopsis for ‘Time Runs Like Sand,’ as maudlin a sounding title as the story that follows.

Sandman, aka Flint Marko, has not had a good day. A good month for that matter. Well, a good coupla years. Not since he and Hydro-Man, aka Morris “Morrie” Bench, merged to form Mud-Thing in Amazing Spider-Man 217.

A little radiation goes a long way and the two are able to disassociate their molecules. Each go their separate ways, Marko’s path leading to a local watering hole. The bartender recognizes his patron and contacts the Fantastic Four. As fate would have it, Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, answers.

Figuring the worst that can happen is he’ll get a cold beer out of the visit, Ben hops on his skycycle.

Rather than fight, the two former combatants share a few beers. Marko recalls his past and how it led him to his life of crime.

Kinda of a soap opera of an issue, but, deep down, aren’t they all?

Marvel Digital Holiday Special (2008)

Marvel offered the Marvel Digital Holiday Special as an exclusive to their online subscription service Dec. 17, 2008.

In the first story, the X-Men herald the holidays and service with ‘If the Fates Allow.’ Storm, Wolverine, Iceman, Angel, Beast Cyclops, Colossus, etc. celebrate with a bittersweet loss of Kitty Pryde for the first Christmas without their youngest member.

‘Last Christmas’ is a prelude to Secret Invasion.

‘Werewolf by Eve’ is a one-page slapstick story of the Russell home.

Finally, the jolly, fat one borrows the Infinity Gauntlet in ‘Santa Claus vs. The Illuminati.’ The results are not good.

Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited was launched Nov. 13, 2007 with over 25,000 issues at the ready for fanboys.

April Fools from Jeff and I at Four Color Holidays with the help of Grant Morrison and Dave McKean. This disturbing salutation above is from the duo’s Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth published in 1989. This marks Morrison’s first work on any Batman title. He would later take over writing chores on a regular basis. The book is the best-selling, original graphic novel with sales topping 600,000.

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Guest host Abel frames a Christmas sequence around three tales of (1970’s) terror.

Readers were treated to ‘Elevator to Oblivion’ first. Twins battle for organs when one learns his are failing.

‘Last Train to Eternity’ is the second story followed by the cover-touted ‘Mikey’s Friend.’

Mikey is an orphan with a pet demon. Their final-family stop is a perfect match.

Cain was one of the trinity of storytellers including Cain and Eve through the first 10 issues. Destiny of the Endless fame, became the soul host, though he would be spelled by guests.

Secrets of Haunted House ran 14 issues, 1975-78, before becoming a casualty of the DC Implosion. The title was reinstated in 1979 running till 1982.

As March departs, let’s usher in Zebediah Killgrave to commemorate Epilepsy Awareness Day, or Purple Day.

Epilepsy Awareness Day is also known as Purple Day. Cassidy Megan of Nova Scotia, Canada, created Purple Day as a way to educate the public on the condition. The World Health Organization reports nearly 50-million people worldwide live with epilepsy. It is not known how it occurs, though it is non-contagious. While treatable, medical treatment is not available in all parts of the world.

For more information, log onto the Epilepsy Foundation site.

Killgrave is The Purple Man, introduced in Daredevil 4.

The second-tier villain was one who waited in the wings until the right writer came to his rescue. Brian Michael Bendis helped himself to Killgrave for Alias. The storyline matured Purple Man enough for modern-day audiences. Enough so it became part of the short-lived Netflix story of Jessica Jones where David Tennant portrayed him.

Killgrave produces a pheromone allowing him to control others.

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Peter finally finds the Christmas spirit in himself while looking for the perfect gift.

The hapless hero finds himself without the holiday cheer. He doesn’t know why. He started early and found the right gifts for the right people. Maybe it’s the bounty a recently returned Norman Osborn has offered for Spider-Man’s head. Or, the hard year and Mary Jane have had.

Fellow journalist Billy Walters surprises Peter with an unexpected gift. One for which Peter has no reciprocal present for. Soul searching – and his red and blue union suit – bring the answer.

Hydro Man also makes an appearance in this issue, but doesn’t add to the storyline.

Not a bad story for a time when Marvel was going through so much turmoil. I only recently stumbled across this by accident.

Merry Christmas from the merry Marvel team and the Spider-Man family.