(Disclaimer: I happen to know and interact on a daily basis with one of the editors of this comic. I didn't know this until after I read it. I mention this not to drop names but to allow readers the chance to skip this review if they feel I may in some way be biased.)
Comico: The Comic Company operated from 1982-1990 until it went bankrupt. Following this restructure, Comico still operated but its scope was narrowed to the occasional publication before completely folding in 1997. In its heyday, Comico produced a variety of titles including such licensed properties as Hanna Barbera's Jonny Quest, Max Headroom, and Robotech. They also published some cult classic original titles such as Mage and Evangeline.
I love the Jonny Quest series. I read the first two issues and was so impressed I snatched up the rest of the series when I came across them at a comic book show in late 2013. This summer I found this holiday title online on a steep discount. Impressed already by the company's work with Jonny, I decided to give this title a shot.
This 1988 comic is an anthology of Christmas stories ranging from sci-fi to humor to suspense. The first tale involves a man who goes into cryogenic freeze 11 months out of the year in order to only live during the holiday season of Thanksgiving through New Year's. But when a young boy captures his heart, will the man decide to live out the rest of the year or skip to the next Christmas.
Then a young boy is left alone on Christmas Eve when a mall Santa breaks into his home. Can this Santa prove he's the real thing thanks to the miracle of cloning?
Our third tale is like Fahrenheit 451 meets Christmas. In the distant future, Christmas has been outlawed for 11 months out of the year, thanks to the oversaturation of the over-commercialization of the holiday. Now a young rebel joins up with a group of Pro-Christmas militants. in hopes of restoring the joy of the holiday. This strange romp has some crazy moments but was very thought provoking. The only thing missing was Charlie Brown.
Tale #4 takes place in Buffalo, New York. There a young boy on Christmas vacation decides that snow isn't so great when he's constantly battling it with his trusty snow shovel.
The final tale is also based on the cover image. Here, a group of alien explorers on marooned on a devastated earth. When the search parties chief researcher decides to write to Santa for a new engine, he awakens that Christmas magic that's been dormant for centuries.
The Comico Christmas Special is not only a fun collection of holiday tales. It's also a Who's Who of artists and writers that I've grown to become a fan of. In 1988, these guys were up-and-comers. Almost 20 years later, this all-star grouping is considered legends in the comics field. Bill Willingham, Steve Rude, Tim Sale, Dave Stevens, Bob Pinaha, and my buddy Michael Eury are amongst some of the stars of this neat treasury.
Worth Consuming
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
