Wal-Mart and DC have coupled again to produce the super-store exclusive World’s Greatest Super-Heroes Holiday Special 100-page Comic Giant.

World’s Greatest Super-Heroes Holiday Special

As with its October counterpart, this volume kicks off the holiday season with an original story, this time featuring The Flash. Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth provide a 12-page tale told in fast fashion featuring a multitude of the Sultan of Speed’s rogue’s gallery. “Twas the Riot Before Christmas” allows the reader to ease into the book and mood.

“Metropolis Mailbag” is a re-telling from Superman (1987) issue 64. The story has all the trappings of a hackneyed holiday story, but Dan Jurgens gives readers some Christmas magic by making it work – on all levels.

“All I Want for Christmas” is pulled from the DCU Infinite Holiday special (2007). Supergirl learns Christmas spirit sometimes just means forgiveness.

“Good Boy” is the second of the real gems in this volume. Originally written and published in Batman (2016) annual one, Alfred proves even the world’s greatest detective can sometimes be blind.

Hanukah is represented in “Light in the Dark.” Batwoman finds traditions are what we make them. With a little help with from friends. This was first published in the DC Rebirth Holiday Special.

Still a marquee name, Harley Quinn’s 2015 Christmas special was ransacked for “Killin’ Time,” a New Year’s Eve nod.

Finally, “The Epiphany” showcases the Green Lantern Corps.

For all Wal-Mart’s faults, at least the company knows how to usher in a Merry Christmas. Even if they aren’t allowed to say it.

Larry Hama is not Steve Gerber.

But, who is?

Hama dusted off the little-used mallard for the 1997 Christmas special visiting all the holiday tropes. Still, there’s something missing. An intangible Gerber always provided through his skewed view on life.

Howard the Duck Holiday Special (1997)

Overall it’s a good take on Howard living in “a world he never made.” The speech-challenged avenger of non-public domain video material is in evidence. Complete with an over-sized firearm mocking the multitude of vengeance-hungry anti-heroes compensating with armories that would put all but the hardiest in hernia wards.

Next are the young and avarice seeking Santa’s lap and goody bag.

Hydra represents the corrupt corporations offering cookie-cutter solutions for the holiday season.

Toss in a couple sexy sirens to help with the carnage and the 1990s are encapsulated.

Really, The Howard the Duck Holiday Special is worth picking up. It’s just hard to read someone else handling creative chores with a character so singly associated with his creator.

Various birds (and a particular bat) grace the cover of digital-only Batman Li’l Gotham (2012) #2, later available in print as part of Batman Li’l Gotham (2013) #1.

The Justice League breaks Thanksgiving bread with the Justice Society in JSA (1999) #54.

Even Batman has his Rosebud.

If that reference is too obscure, Google it or watch Citizen Kane.

Batman and Christmas are synonymous for me. Stockings trimmed in faux fur stuffed with Lifesavers, Crayola crayons and rolled up 100 pagers. Batman was featured in all. From his self-titled book to Detective Comics, World’s Finest and Brave and the Bold.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 79

And, those wonderful Limited Collector’s Editions.

With the success of Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) movie lightning struck twice. After lying as dormant as Adam West and Burt Ward’s careers following the 1966 Batman television series, the term Batmania was dusted off.

Trading cards, breakfast cereal, apparel, anything and everything that could sport a Bat emblem did.

DC Comics chose that time to release the first new Batman title since 1940 with Legends of the Dark Knight. The title followed the soon-to-be standard five-issue story arc with one-and-dones dribbled between. It was hit or miss. When it did hit, the stories were good.

“Favorite Things” was a one shot dated January 1996.

In it Bruce Wayne finds his house burglarized. The deeper violation is with what the robbers stole. Over the course of the next couple days Batman terrorizes the underworld in an attempt to retrieve his lost treasure.

Not the best Batman holiday issue, but not the worst. Usually these books can be found in dollar bins making it worth the price of admission.

To honor the gang who gave us Halloween every Saturday morning for more than two decades, let’s take a look at 2016’s Scooby-Doo! Team-Up 19.

Scooby-Doo! Team-Up 19

Zatanna has more than just a presentation of prestidigitation in mind when she invites Mystery Inc. to her show. Her father, Zatara, has gone missing – again. With no leads of her own, the spellbinding siren seeks aid from Scooby and the gang.

One clue leads to another as they find Zatara isn’t the only mystical mystery. Assorted accoutrements from around the conjuring community are missing.

When both sides of the wizarding world prove blameless they decide to look in plain sight to solve the mystery.

With the 50th anniversary of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! just around the corner, it is only fitting to close out October and Halloween with Joe Ruby and Ken Spear’s creation.

Originally the franchise was to be called House of Mystery. It was later changed to Mysteries Five focusing on five teenagers with a bongo-playing dog named Too Much. The characters were overhauled again, this time as doppelgangers to The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

Eventually the show was refined to what we know – and love – today as Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc.

Hope you and yours have a very happy and haunting Halloween.

Cheer up, Batman.

Artwork by The-Blackcat.