A new DC Holiday special, and the Amazing Spider-Family. Two long titles to get me through not being able to pick up my comics this week. So were they any good? Since both titles have multiple stories, I won’t use my usual format, but will just review each individual story seperately, then tell you if the book as a whole was worth the money spent.
DC Holiday Special [DC Comics, duh]
COVER ART: Frank Quietly
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Adam Schlagman
EDITORS: Dan Didio & Eddie Berganza
Introduction and “outro”
WRITER: Sterling Gates
ARTIST: Karl Kerschl
COLORIST: Pete Pantazis
LETTERER: Travis Lanham
Just a one page pinup, really. Nice picture of Supergirl in a Santa beard (and her usual legally clothed outfit) with Clark and Ma meeting her at the door. (They seem rather happy for the first Christmas without the late Pa Kent.) In the room, Krypto is dressed like Max from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with two women I can only guess are Lois and Lana. Not a bad art, but it’s just an art piece, not a comic, so the credits seem out of place. I expected a story, but the next page is just a credits page for all the stories.
At the end of the comic is another pin-up with credits, wishing up happy holidays. It’s Superman in one of the observatories at the Watchtower, with Stargirl and some early teenage girl in a rather sexy green outfit, with some red bits. Don’t know who she is, but I’m sure she’s illegal. And what’s with the monkey in the Santa hat? There’s also a Christmas party seen through another window from the outside. Still not a story, so they should have left it a pin-up.
The Man In Red
WRITERS: Matt Cherniss & Peter Johnson LAYOUTS: Ivan Reis FINISHES: Joe Prado
COLORIST: Rod Reis LETTERER: Rob Leigh
A baby is launched from a doomed planet and lands on Earth. Raised by a kindly family and developing amazing powers, he decided to make his adopted home a better place by becoming…Santa Claus? Yep, just a fun little story about Saint Nick living Superman’s origin. Kind of lame in itself. However, there is a bit of fun in seeing Santa-fied versions of Krypton and the Fortress of Solitude. Apparently Nick also gets to hang with a cute redhead in his youth. Santa Claus. Clark Kent. Peter Parker. Do I need superpowers to date attractive redheads? 😦
Somewhere Beyond The Sea
WRITER: Dan Didio ARTIST:Ian Churchill COLORIST: Bob Rivard LETTERER: Travis Lanham
An Aquaman story has the former king of Atlantis lamenting the loss of his family and kingdom when he rescues a couple from sea pirates and lead them to shore, near where his parents met. However, the lighthouse isn’t what leads him to shore, but a star behind it. He realises who “Mary” really is, and leaves with a sense of peace and hope.
Peace and hope? (rechecks writer) This is Dan Didio? The same Didio who currently has the DCU falling apart with nightmare event after nightmare event? The same guy who calls back forgotten D-list characters so his writers can “shockingly” kill them off or turn them evil? Why can’t THIS Dan Didio edit the DCU instead of the one we have? Not sure what’s going on with the couple, but I doubt she’s *the* Mother of Jesus. Although I bet the minivan seats are more comfortable than a donkey. Kind of sweet, which is odd for today’s Didio.
Good King Wenceslas
WRITER: Paul Dini ARTIST/COLORIST: Dustin Nguyen LETTERER: Patrick Brosseau
I still say this isn’t a Christmas song. However, it’s nicely painted, or given the painted look. Also, the King and his page have armor that reminds me of a certain Dynamic Duo. Kind of forgettable, though.
A Day Without Sirens
WRITER: Joe Kelly ARTIST: Mick Bertilorenzi COLORIST: Pam Rambo LETTERER: Travis Lanham
There’s a campaign in Gotham City called “A Day Without Sirens”. Essentially, they’re hoping the residents of Gotham City will keep from killing and robbing each other for a whole day. Commissioner Gordon isn’t convinced it will happen, since just before Christmas is usually some of the most violent days of the year. (Guess the baddies want to make their yearly quote of sucking.) However, no crimes are reported. It’s mostly the GCPD just sitting around making sure the phones work. Of course, at the stroke of midnight their first homocide is reported, but it’s nice to think Gotham can stay clean for one whole day.
Too bad that’s not what happened, and the last page is when the story hits the wall. Apparently, the feelgood day of Gotham is really due to Barbra convincing Supergirl to spend a whole day kicking bad guy butt so the cops have nothing to do. Sure, Babs hopes it will catch on and maybe next time she won’t have to reroute emergency services and sending a teenage girl to clean up the streets, and it’s kind of sweet of them to give the PD a break, but there are so many reasons that could have backfired, and it takes a bit of the miracle out of the day. I prefer to ignore the final page.
It’s a Wonderful Night
WRITER: Art Baltazar & Franco Aureliani PENCILER: Tim Levins INKER: Dan Davis LETTERER: Sal Cipriano COLORIST: Heroic Age
Nightwing takes out a bunch of bad guys while holding a Christmas present. It’s a gift for current Robin Tim Drake. However, when he meets Tim at a theater showing “It’s a Wonderful Life”, he finds Boomerang. Robin and Boomerang’s fathers both enjoyed the movie, so Nightwing decides to give Tim the gift and let the other two watch the movie. The gift for Tim? A version of Nightwing’s old Robin costume, with a note not to get it stained.
Ok, lame gift, even considering the brotherly relationship of the former and current Robins, and I don’t understand why Dick didn’t join them. Interesting note: I was just watching the “Christmas With The Joker” episode of Batman: The Animated Series, and Dick’s favorite Christmas movie happened to be It’s a Wonderful Life. Funny, that. Still, that’s not canon and this story isn’t that major.
Christmas With the Beetles
WRITER: J.C. Vaughn PENCILER: Lee Garbett INKER: Trevor Scott COLORIST: Pete Pantazis LETTERER: Travis Lanham
A man who has followed his father and grandfather’s tradition of being busted by Blue Beetles (his grandfather met the original, his father the previous and he the current) tries to warn his son to break the cycle by not becoming a criminal. It seems to take. Not all that Christmasy, but it’s a nice story nevertheless.
An Angel Told Me
WRITER: Amanda McMurray ARTIST: Rafael Albuquerque COLORIST: Cris Peter LETTERER: Travis “I dominate the lettering in this anthology” Lanham
In her civilian job as a teacher, Huntress is concerned about one of the bullies in her school. Following him home in her hero identity, she discovers the boy’s father is an abusive alcoholic, but she doesn’t think she should mix her two lives. Fate intervenes on her behalf, however, when she comes upon a drug operation, which the father is apart of. The boy ends up living with his grandmother, and his personality improves. Nothing Christmas at all, not even decorations. Also the artwork is terrible, especially for a DC comic. However, I would have enjoyed the story as a back-up comic in a non-holiday book.
The Night Before Christmas
WRITER: Rex Ogle ARTIST: Mike Dimotta LETTERER: Travis “it’s me again, Margrett” Lanham
The Titans go Christmas shopping and sort of bond. Probably means more if you’ve been following the Teen Titans comic. Also, Tim and Wonder Girl seem rather close, but that could just be me.
Party Animal
WRITER: Alan Burnett ARTIST: Kevin Maguire COLORIST: Frank Martin LETTERER: Guess, just guess
I don’t know who Shaggyman is, although we’re told he was one of Lexcorp’s creations (drunken dares end poorly at Lexcorp), but Roy and John Stewart are forced to bring him to the annual JLA Christmas party…because it’s apparently boring, and Vixen is in trouble. It’s…interesting. I also wonder if it’s the same part from the outro. You know, the one with the redheaded teen wearing a way too sexy Christmas outfit?
Let There Be Light
WRITER: Adam Schlagman ARTISTS: Rodolfo Migliari, Max Fiumara with Nei Ruffino COLORIST: Michael J. Dimotta with Migliari LETTERER: Nick J. Napolitano who isn’t Travis Lanham
Dr. Light (the heroic lady, not the evil bad guy DC turned into the happy rapist for shock value) is attacked on Christmas Eve by two of the evil one’s old drinking buddies. Nice story, but it really doesn’t fit in here, does it? We’re also told to follow her adventures in Justice League of America, which is currently trying to drag the Milestone universe into the DCU like nothing happened. A rant for another time.
Recommendation: Not exactly a must have, but I don’t feel ripped off. At least worth a browse, but I wonder if they could have cut the price by losing two or three unnecessary stories.
Amazing Spider-Man Family #3 [Marvel]
Untold Tales: The Punch
WRITER: J.M. DeMatteis PENCILER: Val Semeiks INKERS: Lanning/Olazaba/Justice COLORISTS: Mossa & Crossley LETTERER: Dave Sharpe
In tale set a few weeks after Uncle Ben’s murder, Flash is back to bullying Peter. However, Peter knows that he could deck Flash any time he wants, as demonstrates later as Spidey by nearly killing a convience store robber in one punch. His attempts to apologise are part of a story focused less on Spidey than the robber, a guy who has an alcoholic mother and used to be beat by his father until he was put in prision. The event eventually leads to a bonding between the mother and son, the latter getting his head straight when Spider-Man later saves him and a bunch of others from a construction accident. All this time Peter is worrying about nearly killing someone else, and even tried to apologise to the other guy. It ends with Peter finally confronting Flash away from school and without throwing a punch. A good story, and J.M. finds a way to tell two stories at once and make you care both about our usual hero and a one-shot character. It’s a good story.
Mr. And Mrs. Spider-Man: Common Ground
WRITER: Tom DeFalco ARTIST: Todd Mauck COLORIST:Rain Beredo LETTERER: Dave Sharpe
In another universe, writers are still able to tell a story where Peter is both husband and father. Although “Spidey” doesn’t make an appearance here, the Rhino does. When Pete, Mary Jane, and Anna take baby May to the ER, then end up at the same hospital as Aleski Sytevich, who is bringing his sick aunt in. Aleski (who has been surgically removed from his Rhino costume–bet the bathroom was unavailable for a few months afterwards) has trouble at the desk (if you’ve ever been in an ER, you can sympathise–I know I can this year), but MJ is able to defuse the situation by offering to help with the forms. What follows is an interesting discussion between hero and villain (although the villain doesn’t know it) where the two find some common ground. Not a story you want every issue, but it’s the stories like this that make the puncha-puncha stories more interesting.
The Amazing Spider-Ma’am
WRITER: Abby Denson ARTIST:Coleen Coover
A comical story that has Aunt May playing “Home Alone” with a pair of crooks in a reality where she knows Peter is Spidey. She even uses the costume, leading to a funny line by the Rhino at the end when Spidey takes him on. Nice side story.
Bridge And Tunnel
A. Moore, Semeiks, Irwin, Mossa, Sharpe (Dave, who do you think you are, Travis Lantham?)
Set in the current BND world some of us would rather forget, but outside of mentioning Carlie and her cute friend, we can ignore it. Spidey tries to ride the subway home–from the outside–on a cold December night. Inside, he finds a guy he’s been looking for and chases him around outside the subway. Fun story.
Spectacular Spider-Man #200
WRITER: J.M. DeMatteis ARTIST:Sal Buscema LETTERER:Joe Rosen COLORIST: Bob Sharen
It’s the infamous episode where Harry Osborn dies. (Although apparently he gets better–only in comics and soap operas.) Harry still blames Peter for his father’s death and has gotten to torturing Peter whenever he can (although promising to leave Mary Jane and Aunt May out of it). Liz is in denial that her husband has gone off the sanity express, and things are out of control. Harry’s also planning to take out all his father’s enemies (ah, if only you knew, kid). However, a situation where his plans may be the end of Normie and MJ snaps him partly into reality, and he ends up saving them both as well as making peace with Peter before the experimental Goblin formula kills him (at least until Joe Q gets his hands on the Marvel Universe). It’s a good story, a fine farewell to the character, and makes the current Spider writers and editors bringing him back seem like the cheap publicity stunt/series regression that it is.
Recommendation: Like or hate the current BND Spideyverse, and whatever you may think of the Marvel Adventures comics, at least both sides should be able to agree that there’s good reading here.
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Well, that’s done. Next week (if I can beat this cold into submission by Friday, when the next wave of comics comes out thanks to the holiday season), I’ll have a whole bunch of new comics to review in the old style. Until then, back to being sick.
BW Media Spotlight 