DCU Infinite Holiday Special #1

DC Comics

Writers: Greg Rucka, Judd Winick, Bill Willingham, Joe Kelly, Kelley Puckett, Keith Champagne and Ian Boothby

Artists: Joe Bennett, John Byrne, Jerry Ordway, Ale Garza, Giuseppe Camuncoli and David Lopez

Cover by Howard Porter

Holiday specials are a long held tradition in the world of comic books. Generations of readers have recognized the holiday season as a time to curl up on the couch with a unique stack of books which contain stories that could only exist within at this time of year; Comic book stories filled with an emphasis on family, giving, sharing, and joy.

It sounds cheesy, but it is on these tenets which a lot of super hero mythology is based. Batman and Superman forever crave the families they no longer have. Spider-Man gives of all his time and energy in order to live up to the sense of responsibility that rests on his shoulders. The sharing of safety and the and spread of joy caused by super heroics aids in maintaining the peace in the Metropolis and Gothams of the comic book world. So why not have an annual celebration of these aspects within a framework of offbeat, fun stories featuring everyone’s favourite characters?

The DCU Infinite Holiday Special follows in the tradition of past specials by providing an enjoyable reading experience, as well as a fun book that can be revisited all year round.

The opening story is “A Hector Hammond Christmas” starring Green Lantern. Hal Jordan revisits a piece of his past, and Hammond accidentally gives Jordan the greatest Christmas gift of all.

Following this GL story is “Christmas Spirits” featuring the Shadowpact gang. Mr. Claus needs to save Christmas from evil and he comes to Shadowpact for help. The surprise ending still leaves me smiling after repeated readings. Heh heh – good one, Blitz.

The Supergirl story “All I Want for Christmas…” is a moving piece written by Joe Kelly which manages to pack 10 pages with a great story that an inferior writer would need 22 pages to tell.

The “Gift of the Magi” story featuring the mythological forces of the Trials of Shazam contains gorgeous pencils by Marcos Marz and solid inks by Luciana Del Negro. I never imagined Achilles and Solomon sharing a pitcher of eggnog beneath tinsel and a hanukiah, but it works out quite nicely. That Freddie Freeman is going to get a nice holiday gift from these two.

The Flash stars in “Father Christmas” in which Bart and Jay encounter a former villainous henchman that now simply seeks a home to spend the holidays with his son. I’d really like to see the story Jay tells of himself saving Mark Twain from drowning in the Mississippi during a zany bout of time travel. Sounds like fun.

Greg Rucka pens a Hanukkah story that begins in 1939 Poland . “Lights” quickly moves to modern day Gotham and allows the new Batwoman to shine in her first solo story. This tale is a moving piece which depicts a Holocaust survivor being reunited with someone long thought to be gone.

The final story, “Yes, Tyrone, There is a Santa Claus” is a hilarious piece starring Superman and Batman. The look on those kids faces on that final page still has me in stitches. “I love you, Bat-Santa!”

Get more than one copy of this book – it makes a great gift.

9/10