Wait! Don't Go!!! I still have a round of holiday cheer to provide for this week's edition of FCF! Last week I was touring Chicago when I found a really cool comic book store with an amazing Christmas comic display. I am a huge collector of holiday books and just couldn't resist rifling through it.
Boy, am I glad that I did! One of the book's in the window has been on my holiday comic wish list for some time and since I'm without my planned title for the week, I am excited to share this one with you instead!
Written by Frank Reilly, Floyd Norman, Various
Illustrated by Floyd Gottfredson, Manuel Gonzales, Various
Published by IDW Publishing
SRP: $39.99
Comic history is full of amazing crossovers. Superman Vs. Spider-Man. Batman and Captain America vs The Joker and the Red Skull. Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and the Seven Dwarfs saving Santa from the clutches of Captain Hook and Maleficent! Don't remember that last one? Don't worry, not many do. But for one glorious December in 1960, Disney fans of all ages were treated to the most epic of crossovers in their daily news.
Such holiday crossovers would continue until 1987. Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Dumbo and many more of your favorite Disney characters would save Christmas or Santa (or both!) on an annual basis from villains such as Prince John, The Beagle Boys and Cinderella's wicked stepmother. Never mind that Robin Hood took place in the Middle Ages. Forget that Merlin and his owl Archimedes was from the Sixth century. If there was a need for rescuing during the holidays, the space-time continuum was no match for Walt Disney.
This 2017 collection also features a 90s revival strip that was also Christmas themed. While these stories featured newer properties like The Lion King and Pocahontas, the crossover element is missing. In my opinion, that little bit of holiday magic was absent as well.
Fans should also not expect to see Mickey, Donald or Goofy in any of these stories. Since Disney already produced a couple of comic strips with the more popular characters in them, it was decided that the Christmas Classics annual would feature stars of some Disney's most beloved animated features. The Beagle Boys and Professor Von Drake are as close to the Duckburg outer limits as you are going to get in this book.
I know that the $39.99 cover price might seem steep. But if you look on Amazon, you can find this treasury for a fraction of the cost. The black and white images might be off-putting to some young readers. But that's how they originally have been published. Plus, IDW did an amazing job restoring these works to their original greatness.
With 27 crossover Christmas classics comprised in this book, this could act as an annual Advent tradition. Fans both young and old could start December 1st reading the first 3 tales. Then from December 2nd to 25th, enjoy a story a day. You could keep the holidays alive with a 90s Disney story per day up until New Years! There's literally something for everyone in this book.
The stories are a little uneven. But that's due to having to be written for a daily newspaper strip. Still, this is a classic that should become a timeless tradition in your future holiday enjoyment!
Disney's Christmas Classics debuted in print in November, 2017. It can be purchased in hardcover, both new and used, on Amazon and other online book retailers.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
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