DC's Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg #1

This year's annual holiday special from DC Comics is rather unusual. For one thing, they embraced the classic parodying of Jingle Bells with a cover and title that confirms that the Dark Knight indeed has odor issues.

Other than the cover, and a couple of cameos by millionaire Bruce Wayne, Batman doesn't star in any of the octet of Christmas stories in this book. But even odder is the complete absence of Harley Quinn. Is she no longer the darling of DC? And if you're looking for Poison Ivy who appears on the cover, you're out of luck. And the egg laying Damien Wayne only appears in a couple of panels at the beginning of one story.

The rundown of the holiday heroics are as follows:

• John Stewart teams with a substitute Santa when the Toyman steals the famed bag of toys from St. Nick's sleigh.
• John Constantine must save a woman targeted by death at midnight. However, it's magic that will save her but a kiss under the mistletoe by the Hellblazer.
• An old flame reappears in Vixen's life. With a reunion date set for Christmas, she has 12 days to find her old flame the perfect gift.
• Deadman comes across a Pennsylvanian mining town in need of a Christmas miracle after the local mine experiences a cave-in.
• The Secret Six introduces Bane to the concept of Secret Santa.
• The Joker gets a chance to see what Gotham City would be like if he was never born, with the Jason Todd Robin playing the role of the angel Clarence.
• Doctor Mid-Nite tries to help a down on their luck family during the holidays. But it might be his day job as a noted physician that saves the day.
• After an encounter with a different Toyman, Superman finds his entire body glowing like Rudolph on steroids. Watch as the Man of Steel runs through his gambit of foes to discover the source behind his illuminating predicament.

I liked that some of the lesser rans such as Doctor Mid-Nite and the Secret Six got a chance to shine. John Stewart's tale was adorable and I got a great kick out of the Joker's Christmas Carol. DC really wants Vixen to jump up to A-list status. This is like her 3rd appearance in a Christmas special in I think 4 years.

Major kudos to the Superman story which took inspiration from one of my personal favs, Superman: The Animated Series.

Every story was well written. But the art varied and most of it was not good. This was probably the least preachy holiday special issued by DC in decades. This was also the most Christmasy of the Christmas specials done in this modern format by the publisher EVER! Neither Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa or Ramadan is celebrated in any of these tales. Only Christmas! It really makes me wonder if DC is trying to stay under the radar of the incoming administration or is this the calm before the storm? Will next year's holiday special aim to skewer our returning President or is DC going to try and re-patch severed relationships with it's older readers, since they're the ones with the most expendable income?

These holiday specials are usually touchstones for the direction that the House That Superman Built is heading in the coming year. But I'm kinda flummoxed considering how uncontroversial this 80-page giant was. Not complaining. Just not sure what to expect next from DC...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Super Heroes Monthly #3

I remember exactly when I bought this. Earlier this year, I was at my favorite comic shop. I had just finished buying some new release stuff I had ordered when I saw it. The book hadn't been put out yet. It was on top of a pile of things to be bagged, boarded and priced. But from the cover, I was enticed. I had to have it!

The book was actually a magazine from the U.K.. Filled with holiday reprints from DC Comics America, I was fairly certain that I already had copies of all 3 stories. But because of that Bryan Talbot cover and the title's exotic nature, I needed this as part of my Christmas comic book collection.

The cover reminds me of that scene from the beginning of Lethal Weapon where we first meet Mel Gibson character of Riggs... or is it Murtaugh? Anyways, the character is working undercover at a Christmas tree lot trying to weed out drug dealers. With Batman standing over the body of one of Santa's helpers in the middle of a tree lot with guns pointed at the Dark Knight, I feel like this is what would have occurred if the first Lethal Weapon film took place in Gotham instead of L.A..

The 3 tales inside are classics. Batman investigates the appearance of a boat owned by an underworld kingpin and stumbles upon a Christmas Eve theft at a local department store. Paul Levitz pens a tale set a thousand years in the future with Superboy invited to spend Christmas with the Legion of Superheroes. Lastly, Len Wein crafts a murder mystery where the Justice League of America investigate the killing of a man playing Santa Claus. Guest starring John Stewart subbing in for an injured Gal Jordan, the investigation turns into a race against time when the mysterious killer reveals in clues that he's set a bomb somewhere in the United States at the stroke of midnight!

Like I said, I've read all 3 stories before. I don't think I own any of them in their original formats. But over the years I've managed to collect them in reprint form. A fascinating glimpse of British comic books published by DC Comics in 1981. Since nothing over the pond seems to ever be issued first run or even in chronological order, I don't think I could live permanently in the UK and be a comic book collector with any sort of sanity.

A great time capsule. My only problem, it's oversized, like a tabloid,and I don't have a comic book box that will fit it. So where am I going to store it???

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

DC Retroactive Green Lantern The 80s #1

   This retroactive has a lost tale featuring John Stewart. It reveals why he forwent wearing a mask and a secret identity. The story was very clever and the art was classic.

   The reprint tale has Hal Jordan returning from a year-long exile in outer space. It also explains why John Stewart replaced Hal- a mystery I never understood ever since I saw Stewart’s first appearance on a magazine stand in a 1980s Rite Aid when I was not even in Kindergarten. (Yes- I’m old!) It too is a very good story and it features wonderful 1980s DC art, of which I am a huge fan.

   I only wish Guy Gardner was in this book. He’s on the cover, but nowhere to be found in it’s contents. Bummer.

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.