Creators Pick Their Favourite Christmas Comics

Christmas Spirit Updated

This Christmas, we thought we would do something new for us. We asked a few prominent comic creators to give us their favourite Christmas comic tales and here’s a a few choices with the Tripwire team throwing in some as well…

Paul Neal (contributing writer, Tripwire, Shift Magazine)

The Batman Adventures Holiday Special 1 (1994)
I adore this comic and yet I currently do not own a copy. I have purchased several copies over the years and given them as presents during the festive season. I was captivated by all the various iterations of The Batman Animated series Paul Dini masterminded and so I also loved the comic series.

This issue is a breath of gleefully dark Gotham style festive fresh air. Who couldn’t love a Christmas story featuring Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy titled “The Harley and The Ivy”? Their nefarious scheme on this occasion? Simply to drug Bruce Wayne with lipstick to take the two ladies out on an expensive Christmas shopping trip. Ultimately justice prevails, but Harley gets the only present she truly desired. You’ll have to buy a copy to find out what it was.

The highlight, as the cover suggests, is the Mister Freeze story. Batman tracks down the compliant villain after escaping Arkham standing by his wife’s graveside. His simple desire was to create a snowstorm in his lover’s memory before willingly returning to captivity.

As a piece of trivia, unusually all the stories were created by directors and storyboard artists of the animated series.

Jackson “Butch” Guice (American comic artist, Micronauts, X-Factor (Marvel) and The Flash (DC))

Easily — My favourite seasonal comic of all time has to be 1975’s Marvel Treasury Edition’s Giant Superhero Holiday Grab-Bag — from the wonderful John Romita Sr. front and back covers, to the impressive to this day line-up of stories within.

I can’t count how many times I read and reread those stories

– Gary Friedrich and Frank Springer’s fantastic Nick Fury tale “– T’was the Night before Christmas…”

– Stan Lee and Steve Ditko on the Amazing Spider-Man’s “Spider-Man Goes Mad…”

– My all-time favourite comic book Christmas story ever — Steve Englehart, Goerge Tuska, and Billy Graham on Luke Cage’s “–Jingle Bombs…”

– The decidedly non-Christmas themed but a classic nonetheless “Heaven is a very Small Place” by Roy Thomas, Herb Trimpe, and John Severin.

– and another classic of my youth, Roy Thomas, Gene Colan, and Tom Palmer’s Dr Strange New Years story “Eternity”.

I can say, I am on my third copy of the darn thing, as I keep reading the covers off of it. That volume instantly transports me back to my childhood, Christmas, and being head over heels about comic books — and that is why it is my favourite Christmas comic of all time.

Gregory Wright (American comic book editor, writer, and colorist, Spider-Man, the Defenders, the Fantastic Four, Deathlok and Silver Sable (Marvel) and Superman and Batman (DC)).

Batman 219

My all-time favourite Christmas comic, or rather story, is from Batman 219.  “The Silent Night of the Batman” by Mike Friedrich, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. It has some of the finest work by Adams, and a powerfully told story of how the holiday season of miracles can transform a crime ridden city into one of peace. Batman spends the entire night singing Christmas Carols with Commissioner Gordon. Meanwhile, the denizens of Gotham City manage to see the good in each other as one terrible incident after another is avoided. This is very early Neal Adams artwork, but it has some of the most memorable Batman art ever. His full body shot of Batman using his cape to wipe his eyes after seeing a “ghost” has stuck in my mind since the day I first saw it. It’s another story that proves what a monumental talent Neal Adams brought to every story he illustrated.

Chas Truog (artist, Animal Man)

Not exactly a Christmas comic (it takes place on New Year’s Eve) Casper, and his ghost horse NightMare have to thwart the evil plan of a green-skinned wizard who wants to freeze Time itself…forever. One of those comic books I got when I was six or seven and read over and over again. The artist is probably none other than Ernie Colon, who later was to work at Marvel and DC (John Carter, Warlord of Mars; Arak: Son of Thunder, etc). One of those lost-lost and half-remembered comics of my childhood, I wasn’t sure if I could find it, but through the magic of the internet, here it is- the cover is pretty much as I imagined it. The story seemed pretty serious and scary, but hey, I was seven years old.

John McCrea (artist, Hitman (DC), The Demon (DC), The Boys (Dynamite))

Giant Superhero Holiday Grab-bag 

This was the first ever Treasury Edition that I owned- I think it was bought for me as a Christmas present. The top Marvel heroes leaping forward through a holly wreath. This is Buscema and Sinnott, though I think Romita may have tinkered with a few faces, notably the Hulk, maybe Cap… I loved the idea of the back cover literally having the back view of this scene, and it gives us a great view of America’s ass! I think the drawing on the back cover is superior to the front, such a tricky shot to pull off. Of course, Buscema handles it no problem, as he was a genius.

Inside the book, my favourite story was the Spidey/Torch team up, featuring the Sandman. This story puzzled me on two fronts, the first being that I didn’t recognise the Sandman’s costume. This was his funky Herb Trimpe design and, as was the way, I had not seen the story where it was introduced yet. The other thing was the woman that Spidey and the Torch rescued- she seemed to be more of a character than most other one of appearances in comics- she interacted with them on their level- however this was the first appearance of Misty Knight, whether this was a retrofit by Claremont, I do not know. I also enjoyed this Christmas story because a) it started on a beach(!) and (b) we saw a more human side to the Sandman.

The Black Widow story is also a Christmas theme, though if I recall rightly, it’s a bit of a downer ending… but with beautiful Gene Colan art. As always, any comic related presents at Christmas were always my favourite, and for 8-year-old John, this year was a doozy!

Jimmy Broxton (writer-artist, Fully Loaded, Knight and Squire, Doctor Who)

Sin City

From the brutally direct and truly beautiful front cover to the poignant closing page, this astonishing graphic tour de force from Frank Miller screams ‘auteur at work”, so put aside your preconceptions, as this ain’t Christmas as you know it, this is Christmas in Sin City.

Pushing the stripped down, minimalist style ever further into the realm of German expressionism,

Marv returns in a yarn that is almost wordless and told for the most part in “splash pages”. The dénouement packs an emotional punch that belies the ridiculously simple story that proceeds it, resulting in perhaps Miller’s greatest knock-out blow.

David Roach (artist, Judge Anderson, Judge Dredd, 2000AD)

As a youngster discovering American comics in the 1970s, each of Marvel’s Treasury editions felt like a wonderfully special discovery. These luxurious, oversized titles reprinted the cream of Marvel’s output, and my first taste was one of their best; the Giant Superhero Holiday Grab Bag from 1974. Behind a suitably festive John Buscema cover, the magazine reprinted 5 classic Marvel strips- a pair of Jack Kirby Fantastic Fours, Wally Wood’s elegant Daredevil vs the Submariner (from DD #7) and a couple of Christmas themed strips- Spiderman and the Torch from Marvel Team up #1 (drawn by Ross Andru) and a short Black Widow tale (From Amazing Adventures #5). The discoveries we make at 8, 9 and 10 often have the most profound impacts on us, and certainly all 5 strips have stayed with me over the years, but among such heavy company it was the Black Widow story that I loved the most.

Readers of a certain age might well remember those few issues of this first Black Widow series crafted by the astonishing art pairing of Gene Colan and Bill Everett, who conjured up artwork of enormous delicacy, realism and erotic allure. The story itself was quintessentially 1971; sexy spies, hippies and murderous cults, set in a snow-covered penthouse suite. It was a tightly plotted little morality tale with a shockingly violent ending, but even for a 9-year-old (going on 10) it was impossible to ignore the sheer seductiveness of the art- whether it was Natasha Romanoff stepping out of the shower or the way Everett meticulously rendered the sheen of her skintight costume this was heady, compellingly adult stuff. It portrayed a complex, downbeat sort of Christmas, but one that has vividly stayed in my affections for 50 years now and is still a source of enormous inspiration.

Lew Stringer (writer-artist, Brickman, Marvel UK)

I’ve been giving this some thought, and I don’t really have a favourite issue. As British comics are anthologies some stories are better than others so there isn’t one particular comic that stands out for me. It’s the whole notion of Christmas comics that I like; snow on the logos, decorated borders, the opportunity to use the iconic imagery of the season in the stories. It’s the tradition of Christmas comics that sticks in my mind rather than the stories themselves.

That said, if I had to choose a favourite Christmas cover I think it’d be the one for the 1970 Christmas Beano by David Sutherland. It dispensed with the usual Biffo strip on the cover to feature one big image of all the Characters carol singing in a snowy street. Doesn’t get much more Christmassy than that.

Dan Brereton (writer-artist, Nocturnals, Batman: Thrillkiller, Legends Of The Worlds Finest)

Giant Superhero Holiday Grab-bag 

November 1975. I was 9, and received a brand-new copy of Marvel’s first Holiday Grab Bag Treasury Edition. It has a fantastic cover -and back cover- along with a great drawing of the Thing as Santa Claus – with re-printed stories that I mostly forget, except for one: “…And To All A Good Night”, a Black Widow story written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Gene Colan. Aside from the amazing pencils by Gene,( who I would soon worship as a comic book hero and come to know later in life as a friend) The story is very powerful, and though it’s not particularly about Christmas specifically, it has a Christmas spirit. Black Widow’s partner, Ivan, prevents a desperate teenage runaway from jumping off a bridge – and the teen later sacrifices himself to save the Black Widow. It truly affected me, partly because it was not the kind of story most nine-year-olds were exposed to, but because it really spelled out what was so special about superheroes or heroic people in general, and why I gravitated to them- a hero puts himself on the line for people simply because it’s the right thing to do. I don’t think I ever told my parents what it meant to me, but I think they understand now.”

Russ Braun (artist, The Boys, Dynamite)

I love comics, and I love Christmas, so this is perfect. Every year I try to make a Christmas card based on whatever comic I’m working on (easy enough when working on Fables, not as easy for The Boys). Results have been… interesting.

The first real Christmas/comics crossover for me would be the Marvel Treasury Editions from the mid-70s. Loved them all, but I’d have to go with the 1976 edition of Giant Superhero Holiday Grab Bag with the Gil Kane cover, mostly for the original framing story; I think it was written by Roger Stern, drawn by George Tuska, and it featured a superhero snowball fight between the Avengers and the Fantastic Four with a snowy intervention from Spider-Man. The rest of the contents were all reprints from Marvel comics of the day, a Spidey/Thing story from Marvel Team Up, a Silver Surfer Defenders story, a Daredevil story (with stunning Gene Colan art) and a reprint of the historic Avengers story “Even an Android Can Cry”. The oversized Treasury editions were so much fun and a great format that I’m still nostalgic for. Was thrilled to get them for presents at Christmas

Nick Percival (artist, Dark Judges,2000AD)

X-Men 143

This X-Men issue is a favourite of mine, mainly because it reminds me so much of my comic collecting days as s kid and while not a typical Christmas story, still has a nice little festive feel to it.

It was also artist John Byrne’s final issue on the title. I was huge Byrne fan back in the day (still love his work), so this issue was also a bittersweet moment – fantastic art (with the great Terry Austin on inks) and Chris Claremont on scripting duties.

The X-Men are all out on Christmas Eve, leaving only Kitty Pryde in the X-Men mansion all alone. What follows is an obvious riff on the film, ‘Alien’ as Kitty is attacked by a N’garai demon (that looks pretty much like a Poundland Giger Xenomorph). Trying to survive, Kitty lures the creature into the Danger Room but it still manages to break out and continue to hunt her. Finally, she traps the creature in the Hanger and fries the demon using the X-Men’s jet, the Blackbird’s afterburners.

Job done and Kitty saves the day – It’s set at Xmas and even has a Christmas tree on the cover and it’s an issue I remember fondly. Yeah, not very festive but a fun, one-off tale that ticked all the right boxes for an entertaining comic book romp – You can’t say fairer that that!

Tom DeFalco (writer, Amazing Spider-man (Marvel), Fantastic Four (Marvel))

While I’m a big fan of all of Will Eisner’s Christmas Spirit stories, one story always comes to mind whenever I think of the holidays. “A Job For Jingles”, written by Frank Doyle, pencilled by Dan DeCarlo and inked by Rudy Lapick first appeared in ARCHIE’S CHRISTMAS STOCKING #10 in 1961 and has been reprinted many times over the years. Not only did it introduce Jingles—a magical brownie who is an emissary of Santa Claus and can’t be seen by adults—who reappears every year for the holidays. This little gem is a 10-page story full of slapstick and sentiment.

Also recommended is “Slay Ride” which was produced by Frank Doyle and Harry Lucey and first saw print in ARCHIE’S CHRISTMAS STOCKING #5 in 1958. This one is pure Archie-style madness and always brings a smile to my face.

When it comes to Christmas stories I’ve written, I think my favourite is “How The Groonk Stole Christmas!” which first showed up in THOR #444. Co-plotted and pencilled by my unindicted co-conspirator Ron Frenz and embellished by Al Milgrom, it’s a little tale about staying true to yourself in the face of overwhelming criticism—but it does have a happy ending!

Danny Fingeroth (writer, editor, Darkhawk, Spider-man)

I have to admit, I don’t have a favorite comics Christmas story. I don’t even have a favorite comics Chanukah story. (Full disclosure: I’ve never liked holiday classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” despite the fact that it features the great Sheldon Leonard.)  I grew up in a very Jewish milieu. We had eight nights of Chanukah and a big family Chanukah party where Fingeroth’s from all over would gather to light menorahs, exchange gifts, and consume latkes.

But I’m an American, so the sentimental and consumerist aspects of the season were inescapable. And I liked how things seemed to slow down a bit in late December, people striving to be a little nicer to each other.

Which is not to say I didn’t get a cynical kick out of Mike Carlin’s 1982 Bizarre Adventures holiday tale, “Slay Bells,” in which a kid, asked by a department store Santa “What would you like for Christmas, little boy?” responds “REVENGE!” and blasts Santa to kingdom come.

So then, how the #&#@ did I end up writing my very own Spider-Man holiday story?

It was entitled “A Spider-Man Carol,” and it appeared in the 1991 Marvel Holiday Special, with sensational art by Ron Garney and Mike DeCarlo. It’s a holiday gift to Spider-continuity-nerds.

In it, Spider-Man tries to fill in for a missing Santa at a holiday party Jonah Jameson is throwing at a hospital children’s ward. Spidey-hater JJ won’t let him perform. But several kids in the ward have stories about some great thing Spider-Man did that affected them personally, each story accompanied by a footnote that tells you where you can find the details. Jonah still won’t give in—but then, crooks trying to rob the hospital burst in and Spider-Man stops them, in the process giving the kids their Spidey show.

As the title indicates, I was trying to tell a Spider-Man version of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” And I have to admit that, rereading it just now, I shed a tear or two. It’d be nice to think other folks—whatever their faiths or lack thereof—did, too.

So, what led me to want to write a holiday story? I have absolutely no idea. It’s a holiday mystery.

Scott Braden (contributing editor, Tripwire, co-creator, Kent Menace)

DC Special Series#21

Super-Star Holiday Special Spring 1980 Dollar Comic format; features Legion of Super-Heroes, “Star Light, Star Bright… Farthest Star I See Tonight!”

“Thanks to the teaming of Paul Levitz and Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, this holiday tale featuring our future’s greatest hope and its lauded members’ varying celebrations of the Yuletide Season was, in my 10-year-old mind, cinematic before Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch turned that storytelling type on its head decades later. Plus, we find out that Colossal Boy is Jewish. How cool is that?”

Joel Meadows (editor-in-chief, Tripwire, co-creator, Sherlock Holmes And The Empire Builders)

Daredevil 229

Frank Miller & David Mazzuchelli

Part of Daredevil’s Born Again epic, this story is all about redemption with Matt Murdock finding his life destroyed by his greatest adversary, the Kingpin. Miller and Mazzuchelli are a magnificent creative team and Born Again is still one of the finest superhero tales ever. It’s not exactly a traditional Christmas tale but this does take place during the holiday season so I think it counts.

Walt Simonson/ Louise Simonson (writer-artist (Thor, Manhunter, Fantastic Four, Ragnarok)/ writer-editor (X-Factor, Man Of Steel))

My Favourite Christmas comic – probably Barks’ A Christmas for Shacktown with Donald, the nephews, Gladstone Gander, and Uncle Scrooge. Weezie says her favourite is a story I wrote for Marvel Holiday Special 1 called Christmas Coda, penciled by Art Adams and inked by Allen Milgrom. I had the temerity to write a sequel to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Michael Carroll (writer, 2000AD)

I don’t know whether this counts as a Christmas comic, but upon pondering the question the one that’s popped up often and most insistently is the 1975 Spider-Man Annual. It was one of my Christmas presents in 1974… So that makes it fifty years old now. (We used to visit my maternal grandparents on Christmas Eve, and this was my present from them – my parents insisted that I had to wait until I got home before I could read it… That was a loooong drive!)

The annual reprints four classic Spider-Man tales: “The Punisher Strikes Twice!”, “Betrayed!” and “My Uncle… My Enemy?” from Amazing Spider-Man #129-#131 (Feb-Apr 1974), along with “On the Trail of the Amazing Spider-Man” from Tales to Astonish #57 (Jul 1964), plus a couple of “pin-ups” which are actually covers from Marvel Team-Up.

It’s not just Christmassy because I got it at Christmas: both “Betrayed!” and “My Uncle… My Enemy?” are set in wintertime! I particularly loved the scenes in which Spidey is driving his brand-new Spider-Mobile through Manhattan’s snow-covered streets with the Human Torch following him… We also get appearances from The Punisher, The Jackal, Hammerhead, Doc Ock, Giant Man and The Wasp. (I had a bit of crush on The Wasp so it bothered me that she didn’t get along with Spidey, because that might mean she mightn’t like me when my spider-powers finally kicked in, which is bound to happen any day now.) Plus of course there’s that absolutely jaw-droppingly shocking cliff-hanger ending to “Betrayed!” that blew my 8¾-year-old mind… and which, luckily, is resolved in the very next story.

Fantastic stuff, all presented in a great Ron Wilson / Mike Esposito cover that also features a cameo from The Green Goblin, who’s doesn’t appear in the annual, and an eminently traceable John Romita Spider-Man on the back! What’s not to love about that?

Boo Cook (artist 2000AD)

I’ve had a think and the one that keeps springing to mind isn’t a story as such, it’s a cover. Having said that there’s an incredible amount happening in it so I’m going to argue that it is a story… Kev O’Neill’s mind-boggling cover for 2000AD prog 398 from December ’84.

I like it because it is so sick, hideous and absolutely batshit bonkers while still retaining the familiar elements of Christmas. Nobody here is having a good time, it’s utterly deranged. The small details are amazing – from the two snow men having a fist fight, (one literally losing their head) to the flying Xmas turkey (post cooking) there is an atmosphere of pure unhinged terror… my kind of Christmas!

Val Semeiks (artist, Conan (Marvel), The Demon (DC), Lobo (DC))

I had to think about this for a little bit. My comics career has involved a lot of non-Christmas type characters. Conan was in the Hyborian Age – no Christmas yet. Demon was in Hell. Well, no Christmas there either. And Lobo? Let’s say he had his run in with the Ho Ho man. But I didn’t work on that. I did draw an amusing Lobo Christmas card back then.

My favourite? I did draw a two-page short for Marvel pitting the Illuminati vs Sant in The Marvel Comic Digital Special in December 2008. It was if Santa had gotten his hands on the Infinity Gauntlet and was about to run amuck. The good guys stopped him.

My pleasant and joyous memories of Christmas and comics go back to when I was a kid reading these funny books. It was a much more innocent time. I really liked Disney’s duck books back then and they had Christmas stories. They had a ready-made Ebenezer Scrooge in Uncle Scrooge! It was all in good fun with happy endings. I had a wonderful childhood.

Andy Bennett (artist, Sherlock Holmes And The Empire Builders)

Daredevil #229 – a beautiful little interlude from BORN AGAIN in which Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson, Ben Urich and Karen Page each have very different Christmas Eves. Positively arresting Mazzucchelli art paired with some of Frank Miller’s most accessible and emotional writing. Great comics all around.

Likewise. Miller’s work is magnificent, but when you pair it with Mazzucchelli it’s a whole other level.

Hellboy Christmas Special – typically poignant Mignola script — with a little of the requisite bombast, of course — certainly delivers on the theme. And any excuse to look at more amazing Gary Gianni art is welcome. Tempered with some Steve Purcell levity, and a bonus Geoff Darrow masterpiece, this one’s an easy read, and a feast for the eyes.

Steve Sampson (2000AD artist)

My favourite Christmas comic? I should start by saying that to be honest I’m not a big fan of Christmas comics, but I do have one that I love.

This is probably because it features one of my all-time favourite comic characters and you could say it’s more than a bit on the dark side.

Hellboy A Christmas Underground by Mike Mignola. Firstly, what’s not to like about this story? A Christmas Underground for me has a classic gothic vibe to it, and I adore all things gothic. One of my most beloved Christmas stories is a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens which for me also has a dark side to it so maybe it’s no surprise why I love this Hellboy Christmas tale. Of course, the artwork is top class, as always with Mignola and Hellboy, so I’d say if you like your Christmas stories short and sweet and a little on the dark side then check out Hellboy A Christmas Underground and I’ll leave you with a few words from Hellboy himself.

“Okay, now listen to me. This is Christmas Eve. Does that ring a bell? Christmas Eve. Come on!”

Simon Coleby (artist, 2000AD, The Authority, Wildstorm)

Tis the season to be…

Well, ‘jolly’ is perhaps not quite the word for this. Let’s look at 1997’s Hellboy Christmas Special from Dark Horse. This fantastic one-shot offers three stories and a sprinkling of supporting features. None of it is explicitly Christmas-themed, but it manages to subtly capture a festive flavour. The cover is a lovely illustration by Gary Gianni. His work has a rich, engraved quality with the feel, perhaps, of a Victorian gentlemen’s periodical or newspaper. We see Hellboy and Benedict of Corpus Monstrum dressed in fine garb, seated by a fireside, taking port and tobacco. A sprinkling of holly around the scene gives a seasonal feel. It’s wonderful work.

The first story is Hellboy in a ghostly tale of family, end of life and faith; A Christmas Underground. This is Mike Mignola at the height of his powers. Every mark, every line serves a purpose and contributes to the story. It’s a melancholy tale of a family haunting which references religious faith and familial bonds without being the least bit preachy or kitsch. This really is Mike at his very best.

Next up is Toybox by Steve Purcell. This lifts the mood as Ernie and Suda encounter a giant spider up the chimney. It’s a light-hearted, fun little story.

Our third tale is A Gift For the Wicked, by Gary Gianni. Drawing upon the Corpus Monstrum cast, this is a story of a curse and a forbidden chamber. Again, Gary’s lush art has that ornate, engraved quality which adds gravitas to the work. His elaborate lines contrast with Mignola’s unique and brilliant minimalism to provide balance in the book. They complement each other perfectly.

There are a few stocking-fillers throughout. Ernie’s Holiday is a one-page satire on Christmas carols by Steve Purcell. Gary Gianni gives us A Strange Story, a Dickensian text piece about writer’s block and synchronicity. We also have a double-page illustration by Geoff Darrow, which is lunatic in its complexity and brilliant in its execution. Finally, Mike Mignola offers us his recommendations for Christmas stories and movies. There is so much in this single comic – it’s an absolute festive favourite of mine and always a joy to revisit.