Jingle Belle: The Homemade's Tale

Santa's rebellious daughter, Jingle Belle returns in this 2018 one-shot from IDW Publishing. Paul Dini crafts a beautiful story that builds upon the lore of Santa Claus.

Every year after Santa's annual run of toy deliveries, a mysterious woman scours the globe.

But this person isn't giving out more presents. Instead, she's looking for homemade toys that were rejected by their owners, offering them the companionship and love that they should have received on Christmas morning. 

The idea is a lot like the Island of Misfit Toys first visited in the 1964 Rankin/Bass holiday classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Only, this is for toys that were lovingly made by children and parents to be rejected for more illustrious presents such as a video game console or snow skis. 

Let me tell you that this story started out pulling, no tearing, at the old heartstrings. When that first toy gets overlooked by a sibling who'd much rather spend time in front of the hottest new video game of the year, I almost wanted to cry. But I didn't, because of the mystery woman who rescued the handmade horsey with such affection and then is welcomed by a sack full of fellow toys with such camaraderie, it dried those tears. Though it was still very sad.

You think that it's Jingle Belle who's rescuing the rejected toys. The twist was interesting and believable. It didn't feel like a cop out and it definitely wasn't a clone of the Island of Misfit Toys plotline from Rudolph. Sadly, it also felt like the end of Jingle Belle's story.

Things really seemed to wrap up nicely in a big shiny package with an even nicer bow. Especially for Jingle. Santa's got a new assistant with his deliveries. There's a new holiday tradition that guarantees no toy mass produced or one-of-a-kind goes unloved ever again. However, it's been 6 years since this book debuted and unless Paul Dini just all of a sudden gets a tremendously awesome idea that builds further upon that extremely happy ending, I doubt Jingle and her friends are ever coming back to comic book store shelves.

A perfect ending for a bittersweet story. I'm just not ready to say goodbye to this wonderful world created by the creator of Harley Quinn. Ooooo- that would be a fantastic idea! A crossover starring Jingle Belle and Harley. Oh, the holiday chaos they'd create. 

See! I just figured out how to bring this universe back without taking away from the ending! Please, Paul Dini - make this happen!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Jingle Belle: The Whole Package!

Jingle Belle and DC's Mistress of Mayhem, Harley Quinn, are cut from the same cloth. Both are the non-conformist bad girl creations of Paul Dini. But as Harley got a bit more crude and more sexualized, the daughter of Santa mellowed out. 

Inspired by a Christmas card from Stephen Spielberg, Paul Dini created Jingle Belle in the late 90s. Debuting in the #13 issue of Oni Double Feature, readers are shown a family therapy session between rebellious teen Jingle Belle and her stern but loving parents, Santa and Mrs. Claus. The first appearances of Jingle Belle were hilarious but a bit shocking. Jingle Belle was slutty, mixing it up with the local Eskimo boys and getting into all sorts of mischief. As the artwork of the various Jingle Belle specials got more refined, so did Santa's little girl. I think her friends Sheriff Ida Red of Mutant, Texas, Halloween witch Polly Girl and frenemy Tashi Ounce helped give the character some balance. Thankfully, Jingle Belle never lost her spirit. She remains a dreaming slacker who when she gets inspiration for something, she goes a bit overboard to the point of utter chaos. Plus, if you tick her off or you mess with her friends, she will destroy you! Man, she really does sound like a certain ex-girlfriend of the Clown Prince of Crime...

Every Jingle Belle story ever told up to 2016 is included in this IDW Publishing Omnibus with 2 exceptions. 'Jingle Belle's Christmas Party' which was published on Dini's website in 2017, is not here. Although some of the preview artwork minus the narrative from that story does appear in gallery in the back of this book. Jingle Belle: The Homemades' Tale was published later on in 2018. (Whew... Good thing I already have this one-shot!)

After 2018, either IDW or Paul Dini lost interest in the character. There haven't been any new comics starring Jingle Belle in almost 6 years. On his website, Dini posted a Dave Alvarez penned work of Belle surfing atop a narwhal on the shores of Hawaii. This was just 3 days ago. And Dini hinted we'd see Jingle Belle again next fall. I hope we'll see more of Jingle Belle soon and not just as a pin-up. I'd like very much to encounter more hi-jinx from her. I'd LOVE it if Dini would have her team-up with Harley Quinn. That would be such an epic Hanukkah/Christmas crossover that I'd buy extra issues to give out to friends and family as my Christmas card for the year!

If Paul Dini, DC Comics and IDW Publishing (if they still own the rights) could make this happen, it would be the best Chrismukkah ever!!!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Oni Double Feature #13

Oni Double Feature was an anthology series produced by Oni Press. It ran for only 13 issues from 1998-99. The final issue of this series has been on my radar for quite some time. That's because this issue features the debut of a seasonal favorite- Paul Dini's Jingle Belle.

Jingle Belle is the teenage daughter of Santa and Mrs. Claus. Bored with a life of building toys at the North Pole, Jingle seeks thrills like taking her flying yak for joyrides and rubbing noses with the local Eskimo boys. In our introduction to Jingle Belle, the Claus family are hashing things out in family therapy. Let's just say things aren't going to be fixed with just 1 session...

This early version of Jingle is a diamond in the rough. The artwork isn't of that clean Disney look that artists like Stephanie Gladden and Kyle Baker helped to elicit through the half dozen or so one-shots and miniseries that were the result of this debut issue. Everything here looks crude and that's kinda how I would describe this early version of Santa's only daughter.

In the sequels, Jingle Belle is a lot like a festive version of another Paul Dini creation that I am a huge fan of: Harley Quinn. The established Jingle is playful, chaotic and maybe just a bit insane. This first take of the character is more like Tank Girl. Here, Santa's daughter is rude, crude and maybe a bit loose. But one thing is for sure; that Paul Dini magic that made me such a fan of Jingle Belle's universe is still at the heart of it all.

Being that this series made a point to feature 2 different properties, and that the cover states that this is an 'All Paul Dini Issue', I was prepared for only 1 of the stories being about Jingle Belle. I also suspected that the other story would not be holiday themed. With that said, I was okay with this issue not being 100% Christmas. As long as I am aware of it beforehand, a comic with a holiday cover not being completely festive is okay with me. However, I really was confused by the second story.

Story #2 was the second half of a Paul Dini tale about a trio of characters known as the Honor Rollers. The Rollers are high school students who seem to have stolen drugs from a dealer and that's made them the target of retribution. Meanwhile, there's a vindictive authoritarian type after the trio of boys. Not sure why and I'm also not very sure why these boys seem to be part of a boarding school while their classmates live at home with their folks. 

I obviously missed a lot of detail in the past issue. I've got the other 12 issues on my wish list as I am a sucker for anthology titles. Once I get my hands on issue #12, I'm sure I'll get my answers. I'm also sure I'll give this one a re-read. The Jingle Belle introduction wasn't perfect. But it was classic enough to enjoy again.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Jingle Belle: The Fight Before Christmas

This one-shot from the legendary Paul Dini has Santa's ultra-hip daughter starring in a trio of holiday-themed tales. First, Belle and the captain of the rival Snow-Leopards try to spread some holiday cheer during a hockey game. But when the girls find out that their dating the same guy, nobody is safe- especially the boyfriend. Then Jingle helps set up one of Santa's helpers to impress the new girl in gift wrapping. Lastly, the Claus family are asked to help light the national Christmas tree in Washington.
   The first two tales were great. They were fun, they were funny, and they had a classic holiday cartoon feel to them. But story number 3 was a stinker. It was way, way too political.
   Published in 2005, the President at the time was George W. Bush. Now I know that comics have always been a tool for free expression and I support the first amendment. But, no matter how you might feel about Bush's policies or the guy as a whole, I just didn't feel that a book like this, aimed at readers of all ages, is the right time to start being political.
   I've read tons of holiday comics that use the spreading of holiday cheer to examine the wrongs of society. From helping the homeless to tackling human trafficking, drugs, and Anti-Semitism, holiday comics have often hidden morals underneath a Christmas tree's worth of great treats. But never have I read a holiday comic that goes out and named actual names of politicians who might be passing over the little guy.
    I could see a Halloween comic or a valentine special demonizing Bush and Cheney. But Christmas is supposed to be about peace on earth and goodwill to men. Having our POTUS electrocuted when trying to light the tree just seems to be going too far. There's no way in the world this would've gone unnoticed if Obama was made to look the fool and could you imagine the uproar the politician lampooned was Kim Jong-Un?
    Something to think about in this mixed up world of Sony hacks and Seth Rogen comedies.
 
   Worth Consuming

  Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Bakers Meet Jingle Belle One Shot (Family Comic Friday)

So before the review, let me introduce our players in this classic holiday comic team-up:

 The Bakers: This is the brain-child of Eisner Award winner Kyle Baker (Plastic Man.) His series The Bakers is loosely based on the antics of his four children, his wife Liz, and himself. When I've read old issues of The Bakers, I feel like I'm reading a cartoon version of the Cosby Show. The kids try to outsmart stay-at-home dad, Kyle, especially when he's pressed for a deadline, while Mom is a career woman who loves her husband and kids, even if their all a little crazy.

Jingle Belle: The daughter of Santa Claus and star of several one-shot annual holiday tales. She's the creation of Paul Dini, the creative genius behind Batman: The Animated Series and the Justice League series. Jingle looks like a giant elf and she's often seen giving her dad fits as she'd rather be a glamour star instead of the next Kris Kringle.

So we've meet everyone involved. Let's get started.

This one-shot published by Dark Horse Comics has Jingle Belle forced to assist her father on Christmas Eve. At the same time, Mom and Dad Baker need to do some last minute Christmas shopping and are in desperate need of a sitter. Somehow Belle is accidently sent to the Baker household and winds up watching the baby Bakers. Hilarity ensues when Papa Claus is chased by police as a prowler in a red suit when he goes searching through the Bakers neighborhood for his errant daughter.

I choose this book for my final holiday Family Comic Friday review of the 2014 season because both series are really funny and fun for children of all ages. The Bakers is cross between a family sitcom and a hipper version of the Family Circus. Jingle Belle, while obviously drawn with a little sex appeal, is reminiscent of those classic claymation holiday specials we've all grown-up watching, such as Rudolph and 'The Year Without a Santa Claus.' Sadly, both series are currently defunct. But I've found The Bakers in several library collections and both titles and their numerous volumes can be found in bargain bins and online for reasonable prices.

There's very little to object to in this one shot and it's participants' respective series. The only thing I don't agree with is how Santa curses- a lot! "#$%!" is often how his outbursts are portrayed, but I don't think he should do that. He's not a bad Santa. He's just flummoxed by the generation gap between him and his ultra-cool daughter.

Creatively, the story was very funny. Paul Dini provided the script while Kyle Baker drew and inked. The Baker family also contributed as co-plotters. I would've like this book to have been 48-pages instead of 32. That way, there could've been a small back-up feature where Baker wrote a Christmas follow-up and we could've seen Dini's wonderful art. Unfortunately, the only art of Dini's we get to see is a team-up collaboration the cover, where Dini draws Jingle Belle and Baker fills in the rest of the page.

This is a heart-warming Christmas special that could very well become a holiday tradition of yours as it's going to become one of mine.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.