DC Comics has been publishing comics for 80 years, which means that in the extensive library of titles featuring their vast array of characters, there are plenty of stories that occur during or have the heroes celebrating the holiday season.
In the late 90s, DC started an annual anthology series featuring different short stories and vignettes by various creators about the festive period. Over the years, these stories have featured both popular and lesser-known characters in some very memorable stories. While all the tales are good reads, some holiday-themed stories stand out from the others for all sorts of different reasons.
10 Home For The Holidays - DCU Holiday Bash III
In the short story Home For The Holidays, writer Scott Beatty and artists Daimon Scott, Sean Parsons, Sean Parsons, and Noelle Giddings, remind readers that everyone—not just heroes—wants to be with family for the holidays. The story, set in The Slab—the prison for meta-villains—features Shrapnel, best-known for his run-ins with The Doom Patrol and Outsiders. The character waits for his ex-wife to bring their twins for a holiday visit. When she doesn't show, Shrapnel orchestrates an escape with the help of a few of his fellow inmates.
The story ends with Shrapnel arriving at his ex's house but she refuses to let him see the girls. Heart-broken, Shrapnel turns himself over to the authorities without a fight. The story is memorable and a hidden gem because it is a reminder that even supervillains have loved ones they want to see during the holidays.
9 Christmas Spirits - DCU Infinite Holiday Special
This vignette in the DCU Infinite Holiday Special (2011) by Bill Willingham, Cory Walker, Mike Atiyeh, and Travis Lanham featured the rag-tag group of magical characters known as Shadowpact. Santa Claus shows up in the Oblivion Bar looking for the team, telling them that he has been receiving threats from The Anti-Christmas League (ACL) and fears for his safety on his yearly trek around the world. Nightmaster assures Santa that they will protect him with an invisibility spell, but once he leaves the character reveals that he and Blue Devil believe that the ACL doesn't exist and that someone is playing a practical joke. Later, the truth behind the ACL is revealed, and it is a friendly reminder not to take the holidays too seriously.
8 “The Man Who Hated Christmas” - Action Comics #105
During the Golden and Silver Ages of Superman comics, the Man of Steel had a few adventures with Saint Nicholas; one of the more memorable ones takes place in “The Man Who Hated Christmas” by writer Jerry Siegel and artist John Sikela from Action Comics #105. In the story, Jasper Rasper, a man who hates Christmas so much, “If he could kill Christmas, he would,” enacts a scheme against Santa Claus hoping to destroy the holiday season. Jasper travels to the North Pole and delivers Santa and his reindeer chemically altered chocolates that cause weight gain.
Luckily for St. Nick, Clark Kent is doing a story on Jasper and learns of his dastardly plan. Superman puts Santa on a specialized weight loss program using unorthodox tactics such as dangling him from a bridge, forcing him to dance with costumed women while he watches, and terrifying Santa with the horrors of space. Superman saves the day and Christmas, as Jasper has a change of heart towards the holiday season.
7 Merry Christmas Justice League, Now Die - JLA #60
In the stand-alone issue written by writer Mark Waid and artists Cliff Rathburn, Paul Neary, David Baron, and Ken Lopez, "twas the fight before Christmas," according to Plastic Man. He tells Woozy Winks' nephew Weezer about the time that Santa Claus became a member of the JLA. Neron, the demon-lord of Hell, attempted to harness Santa's magic for his own devious ends by kidnapping St. Nick. The JLA journeys to Hell to save him, only to be captured themselves. In the end, Santa breaks free, saves the JLA, and defeats Neron leading the JLA to bestow the privileges of full Justice League membership on Santa.
6 The Harley And The Ivy - The Batman Adventures Holiday Special
DC doesn't limit the holiday fun to the comic book universe; instead, also spreading the cheer with their animated characters such as in the Batman animated universe. Of these stories, Paul Dini and Ronnie Del Carmen's holiday story following Harley and Ivy's antics is the one that stands out. When the two find themselves bored as the holiday approaches, they hatch a plan involving Ivy using her hypnotic kiss to put Bruce Wayne under their spell.
What ensues is a shopping spree extravaganza, as the two force Bruce to buy them anything they want. Of course, the fun comes to an end once Bruce escapes and changes into Batman to give Harley what she wanted all along—a Christmas tree.
5 The Seal Men's War On Santa Claus - Best of DC Digest #22
What happens when Santa mistakenly delivers the wrong gifts to the wrong recipient? Well, if the wronged party are Seal Men, then they simply kidnap Santa Clause. In the 1981 classic story featuring the Golden Age Sandman, this is exactly what happens. The Sandman, while on a mission to help a young boy prove the existence of Santa Claus, must rescue St. Nick from the Seal Men, who, after receiving scuba gear and gloves rather than the frozen fish they asked for originally, take Santa hostage. This story by Micheal Fleisher and art by Jack "The King" Kirby is a fun Golden Age romp.
4 Present Tense - DCU DC Universe Holiday Bash II
Not all great stories have to be tomes and have some deep holiday meaning associated with them. Present Tense, a two-page story by Ty Templeton in the 1998 DCU Holiday Bash, proves the point that longer isn't always better. The story pits Darkseid against Santa Claus, which seems to be an annual event that at least one of them looks forward to each year.
The idea that not only does Santa also make a stop on Apokolips every year but that Darkseid tries everything to stop him adds another layer to the story. The fact that it is all just to deliver the usual lump of coal is enough payoff in and of itself.
3 Yes, Tyrone, There Is A Santa - DCU Infinite Holiday Special
Proving that Santa Claus is real may seem like a job for The World's Finest, or it could just be a chance for the two heroes to further a long-standing quiet rivalry. Playing off the classic holiday editorial "Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus," when young Tyrone sends a letter to The Daily Planet asking if there is really a Santa, Clark hints in the Silver Age way that this looks like a job for Superman. As he prepares to prove to Tyrone that Santa is real, Superman is confronted by Batman, who convinces him that he has more significant issues that he should be worried about solving. Of course, Kelley Puckett, Pete Woods, Brad Anderson, and Phil Balsman's Silver Age-inspired Elseworlds story ends in a manner that will surprise and delight readers.
2 No Bart, There Is No Santa - DCU DC Universe Holiday Bash III
Because he was born in the 30th Century, then raised in a virtual reality simulator before coming to the present, Bart Allen was a kid out of time, hence the reason why he was unfamiliar with the holiday season. For this reason, while living with Speed Force Zen Master Max Mercury, Bart got into all kinds of mischief simply because he didn't grow up like a normal kid.
In this story by Mark Waid and Devin Grayson with art by Craig Rousseau, Mike Sellers, Jason Scott Jones, and Clem Robins, Max tries to explain that there is no Santa Claus, Bart believes that Santa has been kidnapped and he must fill in, so all the presents are delivered. In the end, it is the Zen Master who is left questioning if Santa exists after Bart gives away all his presents only to find that Santa has visited and left more gifts under the tree.
1 Superman: Peace On Earth
Superman: Peace On Earth by the creative team of Paul Dini and Alex Ross shows that even though Superman may be the strongest hero, there are some things that even he can't solve using his powers. Set during the holiday season, Superman sets out to address the issues that affect the world, such as hunger, poverty, and injustice. Though his plans to help people in need fail after attempting to help people in a country that didn't want his help, he does realize that he doesn't have to be Superman to solve the world's problems. He takes the lesson he learned from his adoptive human parents, that he could be an example to others by sharing knowledge and inspire those searching for hope.