Comicscape - December 15, 2004

Some of you have already begun mailing your responses to these two questions (and neglecting the X-mas story question altogether as you do so sob!), but if you haven't, e-mail your answers to me via the web site contact address here or e-mail me directly by midnight, Saturday, December 18. I'm writing up these two columns in advance no way I want to be coming up with clever quips about comic books I haven't read yet while staving off a post-Christmas hangover next Sunday so make sure you get your responses in on time! Otherwise, I may just have to come up with a list of my own best comics of 2004 and that's actually my first column for 2005, so you can see why I wouldn't want to write it early....

If I were to rank the best Christmas story based solely on the number of your responses, then I'd have to go with "A Swingin' Christmas Carol" from TEEN TITANS #13 (1968) one which, as long-time readers of this column already know, I included in my "Christmas With The Superheroes" column (co-written with Arnold T. Blumberg) as the worst Christmas story! Eh, what are you going to do...

"Daria" writes in to say the following about this "groovy" tale written by the recently deceased Bob Haney and drawn by Nick Cardy: "It was a retelling (sort of!) of A CHRISTMAS CAROL and had the Titans battling their own version of Ebenezer Scrooge. It's one of the earliest comics I remember reading, and I read it over and over as a kid. To this day, whenever I see one version or another of that story, I still think of the cover of that book, with the faces of Aqualad, Robin, Kid Flash and Wondy framed in Christmas ornaments! Totally ginchy!" Er, quite. If you can handle a character called Ebenezer Scrounge, and having to read dialogue such as Aqualad saying, "Hey Robin-O, how could anyone have as marv a Christmas as we are?" without wishing it were a silent night, then this story is for you.

"Jim" tells us he's also "partial to the TEEN TITANS 'Swingin' Christmas Carol' from around #13 of their original run." Really? He also includes the following entries: "Dan Jurgens did a great Xmas story in ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN with a message about teen drinking and driving." If the one you're thinking of is "Face to Face With Yesterday" in #474 (January 1991), that would actually be a New Year's Eve story but I agree, it's a damned good one. He probably learned something from doing the artwork on Roger Stern's story "Homeless for the Holidays" in #462 the year before, which is a story I've heard many people laud over the years.

"Jim" also tells us that "the DC SPECIAL SERIES also had a neat X-Mas special (#21?) with a fun Legion Christmas story by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Frank Miller's very first Batman story." Indeed they did, and the two stories you're referring to (which both appeared in #21 for Spring(?) 1980 of that series) were "Star Light, Star Bright, Farthest Star I See Tonight!" scripted by Paul Levitz and "Wanted: Santa Claus, Dead or Alive!" scripted by Denny O Neill, both of which rank right up there on my personal list of favorites. In the first one, Superboy leads an expedition to find the Christmas star (he had a tendency towards that sort of thing, you know) and finds a dying planet instead, which he and the Legion then help out. Not a bad story at all this one even mentions "Chanukah", a bit of a rarity for back then. The Batman story involves the Bat tracking down crooks who have forced their former partner, who's now a department store Santa, to rob the place. Said crook has a change of heart, Batman rounds up the bad guys, and then Batman makes sure that said former crook is ok. Nice when he used to do that, huh?

"But," as "Jim" points out, "the very best comics Xmas story I ever read was the Deadman story in CHRISTMAS WITH THE SUPER-HEROES 2 all about selflessness and doing the right thing, even if no one knows you did it." Oh, yes I'm getting teary just thinking about this one. In this story written by Alan Brennert, the ghost of Kara Zor-El comes to visit Boston Brand (who doesn't know who she is) at a time when he's feeling particularly sorry for himself. She appears to him and points out that he's feeling bad because no one knows all the good he has done, then reminds him that they do what they do "because it needs to be done. Because if we don't, no one else will...even if no one remembers we ever existed." It's an incredibly touching and (dare I say it) haunting story that, while not touching directly on Christmas itself, still manages to evoke the feeling of the season. (Hmm, I wonder now that Kara exists again in post-CRISIS continuity again, will Boston recognize her?)

Yet another "Jim" (and people wonder why I always ask for full names for these things) writes in and takes

X-MEN #143 featured Kitty Pryde single-handedly defending the X-Men mansion against a N'Garai demon.

© Marvel Characters Inc.

And speaking of other holiday-related Christmas stories, I'm sure everyone recalls that the very first issue of the original run of MARVEL TEAM-UP featured Roy Thomas' "Have Yourself a Sandman Little Christmas!" (and if you don't remember it, several readers wrote in to remind us about it). In this one, Spidey and the Human Torch pursue the Sandman only to find that he's on his way to visit his mother for the holidays. Aw, how sweet. Scott Anderson has written a review of this comic from the gay male perspective here, and it says far more interesting things about this book than I ever could...

Gee, is it time to go to bed and wait for Santa already? Yes, I'm afraid it is (and get your minds out of the gutter when you read that last sentence, or else Old Saint Nick isn't gonna bring you a damn thing). For now, though, be thinking about what you consider to be the absolute worst book of 2004 and the absolute best, and send them in either here or here by midnight, Saturday, December 18. Remember to please use CAPS when giving the title of a series you want to mention. And as always, don't forget our discussion boards! In the meantime, here's this week's listings:

No Christmas-y story in POWERPUFF GIRLS #57 ($2.25), but there is a sentient house and a villain freaking out for fast food, so that makes up for it, right?

The FF dealing with bankruptcy and reality TV? Hey, that was never in a Stan Lee script! Go check out MARVEL AGE: FANTASTIC FOUR #9 ($2.25) to see what's up!

A look back at the glory days of the Avengers (which will probably make readers of NEW AVENGERS sigh in exasperation) continues in AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES #3 (Of 8, $3.50).

Meanwhile,

BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #60.

© DC Comics

"The Passion of the Cable" oh, sorry, it's now called "Burnt-Offering" - continues in CABLE/DEADPOOL #10 ($2.99), and now they've managed to hook Silver Surfer into all of it. Any guesses on whether the name change and the guest star will actually be a benefit?

The "Golden Age" story arc continues in DAREDEVIL #68 ($2.99) and just a reminder, the "golden" part does not refer to DD's yellow togs.

Look at all the chocolaty goodness coming from Dark Horse this week! (Yes, I've been watching too many BUFFY DVDs lately...) There's BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #96 ($2.99); the HELLSING VOL 5 trade paperback for $13.95; and the SAMURAI EXECUTIONER VOL 2 trade paperback for $9.95. Great stocking stuffers all if you really want to mess with your kid's mind...

The

EXILES #56.

© Marvel Comics

Johnny Storm, the latest herald of Galactus, does everything he can to get his boss on a diet in FANTASTIC FOUR #521 ($2.99). Meanwhile, the FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 5: DISASSEMBLED trade paperback for $14.99 shows the events leading up to him getting in this mess to begin with. And you thought your older sister was a pain...

A new art team and a new pack of troubles (none of them related to the art team, by the way) begin in HAWKMAN #35 ($2.50).

Another Alexandro Jodorowsky tale comes to us courtesy of the Humanoids imprint with the WHITE LAMA VOL 2: ROAD TO REDEMPTION trade paperback for $17.95. The fact I'm saying nothing silly or funny about it should tell you that a) I respect Jodorowsky greatly despite the fact that b) I haven't read the first half yet. Besides, it's European how much fun is it really to make jokes about something that's European, unless it's Brigitte Nielsen?

Whodunnit, anyway? If you haven't already read the numerous rumors and spoilers on the Internet, then IDENTITY CRISIS #7 (Of 7, $3.95) is where you'll find the long-awaited big reveal. Personally, my money is on Ambush Bug.

From Image this week comes all manner of fun, including the RETURN OF SHADOWHAWK one-shot for $2.99; TOMB RAIDER #48 in (gasp!) two covers, each for $2.99 (you didn't think you'd pay that for both, did you?); ULTRA #5 (Of 8, $2.95); and WITCHBLADE #81 ($2.99). (Y'know, I taped that movie off TNT when it first aired, but would you believe I still haven't watched it? Is it any good?)

Writer Allan Jacobsen is a producer on KING OF THE HILL? I never knew that. Strange, really I love that show, but I really can't stand NEW INVADERS, nor have I heard from anyone who likes it. Oh, well for those of you who do, issue #5 is out this week for $2.99.

Uh-oh the JUSTICE LEAGUE ELITE go undercover in #6 (Of 12, $2.50) only to find themselves facing off against the JSA, and they can't even out themselves. Things are about to get ugly...

The

MADROX #4.

© Marvel Comics

Just in case the past went and changed on us, Marvel has come out with yet another absolutely essential reference work (that light you see flashing is the "Irony" sign going off): the OFFICIAL HANDBOOK TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE: GOLDEN AGE MARVEL 2004 for $3.99. Well worth the four bucks, wouldn't you say?

A new fun-filled story (which sadly I know cruk-all about) begins in PLASTIC MAN #13 ($2.95). Sorry, but I got nuthin'.

Missed the first story arc of the Icon-produced POWERS? I somehow doubt it, but if you happened to be one of the three Bendis fans who did miss it, there's the POWERS VOL 7: FOREVER trade paperback for $19.95.

And since everyone and their mama wants to know what made Frank Castle as nutty as squirrel crap, there's also the PUNISHER: BORN trade paperback for $13.99.

The fun finally comes to a screeching halt with SPIDER-MAN/DOCTOR OCTOPUS: YEAR ONE #5 (Of 5, $2.99), while the good Doctor gets his own first appearance in a not-so-foreign land in SPIDER-MAN: INDIA #2 ($2.99).

And just because you can't remember it properly, Marvel also gives us the TALES OF SUSPENSE: CAPTAIN AMERICA & IRON MAN COMMEMORATIVE EDITION #1 for $3.99. You get the impression they're trying to prepare us for the day when all comics will be this expensive? Shudder.

Dr. Strange and the Ultimates in ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #70 ($2.25)? That universe is getting pretty busy these days, isn't it?

Quite a

John Watkiss cover for TRIGGER #1.

© Vertigo / DC Comics

Not much in terms of quantity from Wildstorm this time around, but given that what you are getting is Brian K. Vaughan's EX MACHINA #7 ($2.95) and Warren Ellis' OCEAN #3 (Of 6, $2.95), it shouldn't feel too much like a lump of coal in your stocking.

And finally, for all those X-Fans who have been good little boys, girls, and what have you, there's the ASTONISHING X-MEN VOL 1: GIFTED trade paperback, collecting Joss Whedon's...well, astonishing first story arc for the series for $14.99. Come see what it might be like in that alternate universe where Whedon made an X-MEN television series instead of that kooky idea he had about a teenaged girl slaying vampires...

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