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.”

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.