DC Universe Christmas

DC Anthology Specials

by Mike Carlin (Editor)

In this book of holiday mirth, heroes and villains alike enjoy and endure the Christmas season. Collecting 17 tales from over the last 60 years, this timeless tome allows the reader to experience how the yuletide season affects the men and women who have dedicated their lives to self-sacrifice and thankless heroism. Featuring Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Flash, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn, this book includes stories that vary in tone from somber to hysterical to cheerful. Not only a wonderful holiday read, A DC UNIVERSE CHRISTMAS is also a great retrospective of DC Comics' publishing history.

Collects:
Adventure Comics (1938) #82
Captain Marvel Adventures (1941) #69
Christmas With the Super-Heroes (1988) #2
DC Special Series (1977) #21
DCU Holiday Bash (1997) #1
DCU Holiday Bash (1997) #2
DCU Holiday Bash (1997) #3
House of Mystery (1951) #191
Sensation (Mystery) Comics (1942) #14
Teen Titans (1966) #13

Genres: Comics, Fiction, Christmas, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Dc Comics, Superheroes

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Michael "Mike" Carlin is a comic book writer and editor. He has worked principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics since the 1970s.

Reviews

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find my review of this trade paperback at:

https://bookidote.wordpress.com/2015/...

Yours truly,

Lashaan

Lashaan & Trang | Bloggers and Book Reviewers
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
__________________________________

This was definitely a fun little compilation of DC comics heroes and their good deeds for Christmas. Cheesy, but fun for sure!

P.S. A full review to come.

Yours truly,

Lashaan

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK book, but it was just a rehash of previously released stories.

[Alex Sarll]

Festive stories from across the length and breadth of the DCU (at least as it stood as of 2000, before various misbegotten recent reboots). So that means everything from William Moulton Marston's original Wonder Woman (and if you think a Christmas theme means she's not getting tied up, oh boy) to the third Robin, Tim Drake, having a festive brood on Gotham's rooftops. In between, the Teen Titans' hilariously hokey 'Swingin' Christmas Carol' makes clear exactly why that book's portrayal of Fellow Young People was so derided pre-Wolfman and Perez, and, in one of my favourite strips, Santa dodges all the dangers of Apokolips to make sure Darkseid gets the lump of coal he deserves. There's also a lovely Impulse story in which Max Mercury struggles to convince Bart that Santa's not real. After all, the exact things which make Father Christmas implausible to most kids are everyday to someone who hangs out with the Justice League. Wears red, can get around the whole world in a night? Flash. Knows if you've been naughty or nice? Martian Manhunter. And so forth. And for all that I never read it. doesn't the mere fact of Impulse having a solo book which ran 90 issues sum up a happier time in the DCU? A lovely little collection, especially if judged by Christmas rather than critical standards.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been partial to the various superhero comics Christmas stories; they combine two of my favorite childhood things. This one collects seventeen stories, some of them quite short, ranging from a 1940 Superman to a 1999 Robin. There's a very odd Wonder Woman from 1943 narrated by a tree in which Diana reunites a lady and her two children with her crazy, abusive husband; this was seen as a good thing, which illustrates how much values have changed. I particularly enjoyed an Enemy Ace story from John Byrne and Andy Kubert, a Sandman from 1943 by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, and a Batman from Denny O'Neil and Frank Miller, though my favorite was the Teen Titans in "A Swingin' Christmas Carol!" because I remembered reading the original when it was new in 1968. Nothing really great, but it's the idea that counts, right? Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

(singing) "It's the holiday season..."
So, of course, I had to read something Christmas-themed, right?
Right.
This was an insanely fun collection. A couple of the stories I'd actually come across in other volumes, but that didn't make them any less fun to re-read. The only drawback with this particular graphic novel is that it included some characters I'd never heard of/really cared about (such as that cowboy Bat Lash and Sandman and Sandy, a.k.a. Batman and Robin rip-offs)... BUT... those are still a part of DC history, and as such, it was still a lot of fun to read their little Christmas stories. Obviously the best reads were ones featuring favorites like Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and The Flash, but those lesser-known (and rather lost to history) heroes were still a nice peek into comics of the past. Speaking of which... I loved that this collection had comics from all eras: from the 40s to the late 90s. I love seeing how comics have evolved, and seeing those changes within the very specific realm of the "holiday season" was especially fun.
My favorites, though, were definitely: "Wanted: Santa Claus--Dead or Alive!" (A Batman story that actually had a nice religious message, yes please!); "Present Tense" (Wally West Flash hurriedly trying to find the perfect gift for the love of his life... what more could I want?); "The Gift," (short, sweet, and full of Superman family love. Perfect for the holidays.); "Present Tense" (Very different from the other "Present Tense," this comic featured Darkseid trying to stop Santa from bringing him coal... AGAIN. Short and undeniably funny.); "Billy Batson's Xmas!" (I'm a sucker for the cheesiness of nostalgic Captain Marvel.); "The Present" (I genuinely really enjoy Kyle Rayner and Conner Queen playing off each other... a story that had solid Christmas spirit, as well as a few laughs. I chuckled out loud when Kyle wondered if Batman would want the newest WayneTech computer.); "The Harley and the Ivy" (from an episode of "Batman: The Animated Series." Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy decide to use some of Ivy's special lipstick to force Bruce Wayne to go on a Christmas shopping spree just for them... and it ends exactly how any Batman fan would want it to. A fun, simple comic that is impossible to turn down--even if it keeps popping up in countless collections I come across.); and "No, Bart, There is No Santa Claus" (I love Bart Allen--his impulsive nature, his innocence... and this comic was full to the brim with all of that).
So, if you're looking for a fun and fast holiday read this year, this is one I would definitely recommend.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good collection across DC’s then 60 year history. The editor has gone to great lengths to try and get as wide a range of stories in here as possible.
We get some classic stories from the 1940’s (Superman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman), a Teen Titans 1960’s story (and very 1960’s), and the rest are 80’s and 90’s stories.
They range in length from a couple of pages to 12, and none are bad.
My personal favourites are the Batman tale ( for the Frank Miller art, his first ever on Batman), the Legion of Super-Heroes story (with gorgeous Garcia-Lopez art) and the completely silent Enemy Ace story by John Byrne.
A great Christmas collection.

[Tobias Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't have this collection but read them on DC universe, some really lovely festive tales here. Couldn't find the specific action comics or sensation comics but subbed in a Christmas superman story from the 40s, ditto a wonder woman one. Couldn't find captain marvel, read a Christmas 90s Starman instead. Might revisit this each year, it was a lovely way to read stuff spanning three quarters of a year.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

DC has always done well with its Christmas themed stories and this collection includes a good variety from the 40s to the late 90s. I've read some of these, and some were new to me. By and large, they are delightful and not cheesy, as they seek to highlight both the seasonal spirit and the heroic nature of comics.

[Zachary King · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet if sentimental collection of Christmas tales from all corners of the DCU. The stories get more schmaltzy the further back you go, but there are a number of good, punchy stories in here. DC presumably has many more stories like these, and I'd be up for a revival of this trade series.

[Kimberlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some pretty standard Christmas stories, but a handful of them are really amazing. "The Gift" is a Superman story with no dialogue, but which still gives you warm Christmas fuzzies. "Alone for the Holidays" is sweet... although I have no idea where Batman is. Guess I'd have to read it in continuity! "The Harley and the Ivy" is one of those rare gems starring Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn... and Bruce Wayne's charge card! Hilarity ensues. But my two favorites are "Present Tense" with Darkseid (absolutely hysterical!) and "No Bart, There is No Santa Claus" (it manages to be both very sweet and very funny - you'll never look at Santa the same way again!)

[Paul Griggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully cheesy run through decades of festive DC adventures with art and writing from legendary contributors and legendary characters. Merry Christmas!