As the first Monday of November, today is Color the World Orange Day.

Harley Quinn/Gossamer (2018)

Today is a day set aside to educate the populace on an illness still poorly misunderstood. Today is a day to better understand Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, also classified as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), a rare ailment that targets society’s middle-aged members.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is a neurological discomfort that includes heightened nerve impulses in a specific body site. Medical specialists speculate the condition is a result of a dysfunction in the central nervous system. An injury to the leg or hand can also bring on the syndrome. A triggering of the immune response can cause injury-related CRPS, which may lead to symptoms such as redness and swelling in the affected area.

The first known situation was documented in 1812 by a British surgeon who published a case report of a soldier wounded by a bullet in his upper arm.

Commemorating the day is Warner Bros. Looney Tunes’ hulking orange monster: Gossamer.

Gossamer debuted in the 1946 animated short, Hair-Raising Hare. Created by Chuck Jones, the legendary Mel Blanc voiced the mainly silent, shaggy monster.

He returned in 1952’s Water, Water Every Hare, reprising his henchman role. Gossamer had along layoff not appearing until 1980 in Duck Dodger’s and the Return of the 24½ Century. It also marked the introduction of his name.

Gossamer would next appear in 1996’s feature film Space Jam.

Harley Quinn/Gossamer (2018)

In A Hairy Predicament! Gossamer is found washed up on the beach following Hurricane Randy. Harley’s fondness for all things fuzzy moves Gossamer in with her menagerie of misfits.

An attack by an oversized robot leads Harley to believe the Joker has made another attempt on her wellbeing. Visits to the Scarecrow, Penguin and Mr. Freeze finally lead her to the Joker’s lair where the Prince of Pranks has Batman in another death trap.

A second attack by a mammoth mechanical manbot frees the Caped Crusader, disposes of the Joker and leads Harley and Gossamer to the real threat: his creator, the mad scientist introduced in Hair-Raising Hair and returned to reprise his role in Water, Water Every Hare.

Harley Quinn/Gossamer (2018)

A shared meal and ride home bring the story to a close with a very special guest star.

Writer Sholly Fisch seals the book with a flourish to the animated shorts from the Golden Age of both comic books and Looney Tunes in Monster Crush.

With a nod to the lighthearted mascot of the day, the more important aspect is CPRS has no cure. Correct medication and counseling help, but with some patients’ symptoms can last for years and even worsen.

To commemorate the day, wear orange, learn more about the ailment and donate for continued research.

A festive crossover to celebrate the opening of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker in USA theaters. Artwork by Abraham Lopez (aka ArtistAbe).

Fan favorite Mark Dos Santos looks at life in Gotham City from Norman Rockwell’s point of view. Santos tips his hat to artist Rockwell who captured American life on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post for five decades. For more information on Santos and his other creations, click here.

The Saturday Evening Post – not

Forget resolutions – embrace the revolution.  Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman bring in the New Year in Batman: Li’l Gotham (2012) #4, a digital-only effort later reprinted in Batman: Li’l Gotham (2013) #2 and Batman: Li’l Gotham TPB Volume 1.  Artwork by Dustin Nguyen, written by Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs.

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.”