What says ‘the holiday season’ better than specials starring your favorite DC Comics characters? The most wonderful time of the year has come back in full force, and if you’re like me, you love Christmas specials, no matter how schmaltzy they are. But as comic fans, we can all only watch Christmas Vacation or one of those cheesy Hallmark movies so many times before wanting something different. Fortunately, as they always do, comic books always have our backs, and there are plenty of comics featuring the best heroes (and sometimes villains) indulging in all the holiday-related fun.
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I can’t tell you how many awesome Christmas and holiday specials DC Comics has put out over the years. While they’re all a bit more action-packed than It’s a Wonderful Life, these comics are always good to check out around December. Granted, many of them, like The Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special, have more bite than your average special, but they’ve all got a special something sure to please fans. Read on to discover 5 incredible holiday-themed comics that are sure to put you in the mood this season.
5. The Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special
A Miracle on 34th Street, this is not. The Main Man himself is contracted to take out Santa Claus, so Lobo heads up to the North Pole, where Lobo lays waste to Santa’s workshop before taking on Ol’ Saint Nick himself. This is an insanely violent book, but one that is chock-full of amazing satire. Is it going to make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Absolutely not. But it will have you laughing from start to finish, and when it comes down to it, isn’t spreading joy what Christmas is all about?
4. Harley Quinn Holiday Special
Harley Quinn might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but fans are sure to get a kick out of the Harley Quinn Holiday Special. This book is actually an anthology featuring three tales showing how Harley deals with the holidays. Harley helps a little girl get through her first Christmas without her mom, gets her mind invaded by a literal earworm (that forces Harley to listen to Christmas music, no less), and tries tracking down Father Time after spotting a gray hair. All wacky stories, but ones that should tickle the funny bones of readers.
3. Hitman #22
Much like The Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special, this one is also pretty subversive, if not outright hostile to the entire idea of Christmas. This one-off story from Hitman sees a man named Bob transformed after falling into a nuclear reactor, gaining powers and taking on the visage of Santa Claus to terrorize Gotham. So Tommy Monaghan does what he does best and pursues the radioactive Santa after being contracted to kill him. Admittedly, not very festive, but damn funny and honestly one of the best one-off Christmas stories I’ve ever read.
2. Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special
Giving the greediest character in Green Lantern canon his own Christmas story is a bold move, but honestly, it was a good one. Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special puts the sole Orange Lantern into the spotlight, as Larfleeze tracks down Santa Claus after not getting a single gift on his list. As much of a gag character as Larfleeze is, this special gave him some much-needed depth and told a very earnest story about the true meaning of Christmas. And hey, this comic also has a really good cookie recipe in it, too!
1. Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight
In case you were wondering, Santa Claus is a canon character in the DC Universe, and he teamed up with the entire Justice League in Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight. The Krampus returns to conquer the holiday for himself, so Santa teams up with his old protege, Batman (yep, Batman was trained by Santa), and the rest of DC’s icons to save the day. It’s a great four-issue comic that gives fans an ass-kicking Santa, but one who’s just as jolly as you’d expect. Plus, it’s got a great sequel that’s just as festive and entertaining as the first.
What are your favorite holiday-related DC Comics? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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