Millennials will never know a time when information and entertainment weren’t only as far away as their phone.

For us, the children of the 1970s, we had imagination. Suspending belief we moved from panel to panel between the pages of 20- to 50-cent adventure books of wonder where men and women dressed in colorful outfits, flew and busted the jaws of evil doers.

Christmas With the Super Heroes (1977)

Power Records gave voice to those images.

During the 1970s Power Records snapped up licenses from both Marvel and DC comic companies. Stories were sold on 45 RPM singles accompanying a 20-page book reprinting whatever issue or issues were translated to the record. Eventually these were repackaged on LPs to wring every bit of coinage from fanboys.

With no official title we’ll call this offering Christmas With the Super-Heroes. The LP featured “three exciting stories with Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman,” released in 1977 and running 44 minutes.

Superman’s adventure was entitled “Light Up the Tree, Mr. President.” Unless the Man of Steel can stop him, the president will launch missiles when he lights the National Tree.

Wonder Woman became a “Prisoner of Christmas Island” with Santa Claus taken prisoner by Broomhilda.

Batman and Robin solved the “Christmas Carol Caper” through song and slug fests with the likes of Rudy “Rudolph the Red Nosed Hitman” Snow and Sammy the South Side Santa.

DC Special Series 21

A shining star leads Jonah Hex, Batman, the crew from the House of Mystery, Sgt. Rock and Superboy and the Legion of Super Heroes through five holiday-themed stories.

This issue is probably most notable for showcasing Frank Miller’s first Batman work: Santa Claus: Wanted Dead or Alive! The story is penned by Denny O’Neil.

House of Mystery features three, two-page stories told by Cain, the three Witches from The Witching Hour and Destiny from Secrets of Haunted House.

Jonah Hex shows a softer side to his crusty bounty hunter persona in The Fawn and the Star.

Sgt. Rock and Easy Co. fight their way through Italy with the Top Kick even offering an anti-smoking PSA.

Finally Superboy visits with his friends in Star Light, Star Bright…Farthest Star I See Tonight. The Boy of Steel and select Legionaries embark on a journey to find the legendary star of Bethlehem.

The previous year Mark Waid brought us a collection of his favorite holiday stories. In 1989 he returned with a gift wrapped bundle of original tales featuring some of DC’s best known characters as depicted by some of comic book’s best known talent.

It’s hard to pick the best of the bunch, but for me it would probably be the Batman story, “And in the Depths,” written by Dave Gibbons and illustrated by Gray Morrow. For 10 pages readers traverse the life of Batman to the death of Robin.

Christmas With the Super Heroes (1989)

When I was growing up the old Batman stories were reprinted in various forms from the Batman Signet paperbacks to Limited Collector Editions and backup stories in the 100 pagers of the early to mid-1970s. I read ‘em all. Or, as many as I could get my hands on.

I get very nostalgic this time of year for those old tales before Frank Miller Dark Knighted Batman, back when the colors popped and the villains were as goofy as their criminal hijinks.

The second strongest of the lot is a team up with the Barry Allen and Hal Jordan Flash and Green Lantern, respectively, when the JLA’s first satellite headquarters orbited an exact 22,300 miles above Earth.

Flash and Green Lantern, who was a back up in Flash’s comic book for a while, prove Santa Claus does exist – in all of us.

Superman, Wonder Woman, Dead Man and Enemy Ace flesh out the Christmas issue with stories reminding readers the holidays are about giving.

Superman (1987) 165

Ripped from today’s headlines Superman 165 is a prophetic tale questioning leadership at the highest levels.

Dramatic? Maybe. Festive? Yes.

Comic book giants Ed McGuinness, Humberto Ramos, Rob Liefeld, Mike Wieringo, Art Adams, Ian Churchill and Joe Madureire tag team as Jeph Loeb III follows Superman while he consults fellow Justice Leaguers about the election of Lex Luther to the Oval Office.
Almost 20 years later the American public is asking many of the same questions Superman puts to his colleagues regarding an unpopular head of state.

Lest we lose track of what this site is about, Superman 165 also gives you an opportunity to see what the Man of Steel believes his friends want/need for Christmas saving the best for last as he and Lois take time for themselves.

Batman and Robin finally join Santa Claus on the cover for the 1944 issue.

“A Christmas Peril,” simply put, are the Dynamic Duo working as ghosts of Christmas present to show young Scranton Loring the error of his ways while combating evil uncles wishing to take control of his fortune.

The Batplane cum Christmas sleigh returns.

It’s the second year of America’s involvement in WWII, it’s Christmas time and Batman and Robin are on the business end of a Browning M1917.

Check.

While America’s bravest are dying overseas Batman and Robin seek out who they believe to be “the loneliest men in Gotham” and spread the Christmas cheer. All the while their efforts continue to be foiled by a local crime chieftain and crew until the literal Spirit of Christmas saves the day.

Batman the Holiday Special (1992)

This book is a pleasurable four-color advent calendar between Christmas and New Year’s Eves featuring the core cast of Batman the Animated Series and some colorful villains to add value to the $2.95 price tag.

It’s hard to pull a favorite out of the five featured here, though the first two stories set the bar high for the remainder of the book.

“Jolly Ol’ St. Nicholas” is an off-beat ‘em up teaming Batgirl, Harvey Bullock and Officer Renee Montoya. The second installment showcases Harley and Ivy as they skirt the system for some last minute shopping.

Paul Dini does the writing chores for all the stories with co-credits to Bruce Timm on “Jolly Ol’ St. Nicholas” and “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” and Ronnie Del Carmen for “The Harley and the Ivy.” Timm does art chores for “Jolly Ol’ St. Nicholas” and color for the books finale, “Should Old Acquaintance be Forgot.”

Christmas With the Super-Heroes (C-43)

DC followed its Christmas With the Superheroes 1974 edition with a second stocking stuffer the following season.

Included was maybe DC’s first Christmas special: Superman’s Christmas Adventure cover dated 1940 as well as probably the most cited Batman holiday tale Silent Night of the Batman from Batman 219; a classic Wonder Woman story socking it to the Nazis; a Joe Simon/Jack Kirby collaboration on Sandman and maybe my introduction to the House of Mystery with Night Prowler.

This is another stocking stuffer and the second of my Christmas comic books. Most of what I remember is probably conjecture based on the repetition of my childhood Christmas mornings, but I know I pulled this from my stocking Christmas morning 1975 as America readied itself for the Bicentennial, Watergate began to fade from memory and Saturday Night Live took hold on television and the American landscape.

If I actually took note of any of the above, it was probably the prevalence red, white and blue merchandise that paled beside the four-color holiday treasure I would read over and over.

It would be nice to go back in time and review those moments. Some, maybe most, would be remembered far more fondly than they actually were, but to relive a moment most consider so trivial at the time that proved so profound for the simple fact it has become a cherished memory would be worth almost anything.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up 21

Okay, I don’t know how this one slipped by me, but it was a wonderful after-Christmas surprise for the end of January.

Scooby-Doo has been a part of my life maybe as long as comic books. So, when you’ve got the patriarchs of the Bat Family fighting Harley Quinn and a guest appearance by the Joker, life is better than good.

Yeah, this one caught me off guard. There’s no mention of Christmas on the cover, but open the book and the festivities hit you over the head like Harley’s mallet.

Mystery Inc.’s search for the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future serve as the backdrop for this story that would be a welcome addition to anyone’s stocking.

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.