Blue Devil (1984) 25

I have no idea what is going on with this issue. It has something to do with Leprechauns and a treasure. Sure, that’s traditional St. Paddy’s Day fare, but as far as what it had to do with the character and story, I don’t know.

What is important is today is St. Patrick’s Day. Hats off to the Irish.

St. Patrick’s Day is held March 17, the death date of Saint Patrick patron saint of Ireland. Celebrations associated with the day include the wearing of green, parades, shamrocks and festivals.

Blue Devil, aka Dan Cassidy, was created by Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn and Paris Cullins in 1984. Cassidy was a stuntman filming a movie called Blue Devil. A demon known as Nebiros mistakenly believed Cassidy was real and fused the demon suit to the stuntman. He became a full-fledged denizen from the deep later.

If anything will drive up the price of his first appearance in Firestorm 24, it’s his brief appearance on the short-lived DC streaming service version of Swamp Thing.

DC Comic’s latest tome of terror compliments the undressing trees, bite in the air and darkness that descends earlier.

The Swamp Thing Halloween Horror features 100 pages of retold Halloween stories culled from previous specials and stand-alone ongoing series. Mostly. The first story is an original from scribe Brian Azzarello and penciler Greg Capullo entitled “Hollow.” This Halloween there are more to fear than just snakes and alligators.

Dan Didio’s “The Pumpkin Sinister” is the first of three stories lifted from The DC Infinite Halloween Special (2007).  Blue Devil and Enchantress become honorary members of the Peanut’s gang in the homage to Linus’ obsession with the Great Pumpkin.

Swamp Thing Halloween Horror

The second of the lifts from the 2007 special is “Taert Ro Kcirt.” Paul Dini turns more than the letters around with Zatana. A happy Halloween is spoiled for trick or treaters causing the mistress of magic to reverse roles.

“Strange Cargo” is the final retread from 2007. Poison Ivy spins a yarn of Superman v. Zombies.

“The Ballad of Jonathan Crane” is a reboot of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with the Scarecrow playing himself – or, his alter ego. This one was pulled from the DC Halloween Special (2008).

Aquaman and Etrigan the Demon form an unlikely alliance in “Night Gods.” Together they tackle a Cthulhu clone and his army of darkness called forth from those claimed by the sea throughout the millennia. The story originally appeared in The Brave and the Bold (2007).

Batman (1940) 237 is an October favorite appearing in other specials. In the late 1960s and early 1970s Rutherford, VT, was a destination for comic book creators and fans during Halloween. Eventually the annual parade became peppered with floats and costumes representing both Marvel and DC’s stable of colorful heroes and villains. “Night of the Reaper” immortalizes some of the magic as a backdrop for murder and the Holocaust remembered.

Finally, Swamp Thing returns in this reprint from House of Secrets 92 featuring his muck-covered origin.

The special is an exclusive offered through Wal-Mart as part of the department store’s team up with DC.