'Tis the season for gaudy baubles, eggnog, Mariah Carey's unavoidable "All I Want For Christmas is You," chestnuts, open fires and, of course, those old seasonal favorites -- the Christmas movies that are watched but once a year, every year. Home Alone, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, It's a Wonderful Life and (arguably) Die Hard have become as much a part of Western Christmas tradition as turkey and cranberry sauce.

But movies aren't the only media mainstays that should be celebrated over the holidays. Throughout the illustrious history of comic books, some of the medium's finest creators have brought us equally powerful festive tales that are best enjoyed next to log fires, in the glow of Christmas lights with cups of hot cocoa. So, gather round and settle in for an unforgettable selection of five of the greatest comics from Christmas past, present and future, with a few notable honorable mentions.

This list is not exhaustive, by any means. But it's a great start. It should also be noted if you can't find all of these titles in print, in most cases, digital editions should be relatively easy to buy and read online.

RELATED: Fright Christmas: 15 Horrifying Kids Holiday Specials

Hellboy Christmas Special (Mike Mignola, Gary Gianni, Geof Darrow & Steve Purcell, 1997)

Mike Mignola and friends come together in this award-winning Christmas anthology. It features six charmingly creepy Christmas tales, including the classic, Hellboy: A Christmas Underground, a macabre Christmas fairy tale that sees Hellboy embark on a quest to fulfill a dying mother's last wish because she has somehow mistaken him for Santa Claus. Hellboy descends into a dark subterranean nightmare kingdom to find Mrs. Hatch's daughter, Annie. He battles undead creatures, conquers a silver-eyed rat monster and reunites a mother and daughter -- all in a day's work and the spirit of giving.

That's not all. There are five more sumptuously presented Christmas tales to savor by the fire. The lyrical Ernie's Holiday Ditty is a roller-coaster ride of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland proportions. Corpus Monstrum in a Gift for the Wicked is inked eye candy. And the other three tales -- A Strange Story, Christmas and Toybox, all by fine creators -- also don't disappoint. Like all the great Christmas movies of our time, these are stories you can comfortably return to and rediscover every year.

Marvel Comics Holiday Special #1 (Various creators, 2005)

This one has been featured on a Christmas list by CBR before. And it's earned its place. Seven years before Avengers: Age of Ultron brought the robotic menace to the big screen, Ultron (or a festive variation of him) appeared in a fun Christmas story called, Yes, Virginia, There is a Santron, by Jeff Parker and Reilly Brown. "Merry Christmas to all, except the Avengers must die!" is just one of the classic lines in this story, which sees the Avengers' Christmas party interrupted by a homicidal Santa robot.

The Moleman's Christmas, written by Shaenon Garrity and drawn by Roger Langridge, is a beautifully illustrated, cartoony Fantastic Four tale that sees the team rescuing Santa from the Moleman's Moloids. And the closing story, Christmas Day in Manhattan, is a heartwarming rhyming tale about second-tier villain, Hurricane, who just wants to get a couple of Christmas gifts for his kids -- if the Fantastic Four don't stop him first. All three stories in this great Christmas special will put a smile on even the most cynical of faces. It's just good, clean Marvel Christmas fun.

Mickey and Donald Christmas Parade (2018, various creators)

This IDW collection is one that can be shared with the kids. And it's a throwback to a time when comics were far more innocent than they are now. Christmas Parade features a mix of Disney tales from both American and European creators, some from as recently as 2013 and others from as far back as 1965. Old favorites Scrooge McDuck, Gyro Gearloose and Huey, Dewey and Louie return with lots of fun gags and Christmas cheer. It's all expertly rendered by a host of highly skilled cartoonists, like Massimo Fecchi, whose animated style brings vivid life to the Donald Duck story, 'Tis No Season.

The story sees Mickey, Donald and their friends travel through time to save Christmas from thieving Santa robots. Also included is The Blight Before Christmas, written by Abramo and Giampaolo Barosso and illustrated by Giovan Battista Carpi. This one involves Scrooge inviting Mickey, Donald and friends over to his shabby holiday home where he plans to trick them into doing some maintenance. But the Beagle Boys intervene and hijinks ensue. Suspend disbelief and get back in touch with your inner child while you share this one with the younger members of your family.

RELATED: How a Rejected Will Eisner Baseball Comic Became An Issue of Spirit!

The Brave and the Bold #184 (Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo, 1982)

Mike W. Barr and the late Jim Aparo were responsible for some of the Bronze Age's most memorable stories. And their chemistry as a creative team seemed to work better than ever when the time came for them to do their annual Christmas issues together. The Brave and the Bold #148 from 1979 and Batman and the Outsiders #19 from 1985 are also great Christmas reads. But The Brave and the Bold #184 is a particular standout because it has everything a Christmas story should have: heart, hope, warmth, family and adventure.

Helena Wayne, the daughter of Earth 2's deceased Bruce Wayne and that dimension's Huntress, comes to Earth 1 via interdimensional transporter for a Christmas visit. However, she finds that this Earth's Bruce Wayne has uncovered evidence that his father may have bankrolled a mob boss, calling Batman's entire noble vendetta into question.

Together, they embark on a journey to uncover the truth, complete with much sleuthing and Alfred's trademark Christmas cookies, hoping to restore Batman's faith in his mission. Look beyond a little ham-fisted Bronze Age dialogue here and you have a story that is, at its core, about family helping each other through tough times and sharing important moments, even though they're sometimes from different dimensions -- something that's literal in this story but could be symbolic for many real-world families.

A Contract With God and Other Tenement Stories (Will Eisner, 1978)

This book didn't make the list because it is particularly "Christmas-y". It's here because it is a groundbreaking chapter in comic book history that provides an honest, revealing glimpse into the human condition. The term, "graphic novel" had been coined before this book was released but it is considered by many to be the first true graphic novel, and a seminal piece of art that helped establish the comics medium as a respected form of creative expression. This is the comic book equivalent of It's a Wonderful Life in many ways, due to its stark humanity and deep empathy.

The book is made up of four stories set in and around the same Bronx tenement. They are brought to life by Eisner's moody and unmistakable pen and brush strokes. The first, A Contract with God, is about a devout immigrant who loses faith. The Street Singer is a story of greed and hidden agendas. And The Super and Cookalein interlink the lives of various characters through dark, personal and sensitive themes like racism and sexual assault. This Eisner classic is the perfect fireside read that is both thought-provoking and uplifting, and an ideal stocking filler for any lover of the comic book art form. It was followed by two sequels -- A Life Force and Dropsie Avenue -- and they are all collected in The Contract With God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue.

Honorable Mentions

batman noel

Batman: Noël is Lee Bermejo's take on Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It shows a more human side to Batman than has ever been seen before. The Incredible Hulk #378 from 1991 is a smashing romp through a department store where the gray Hulk and the Rhino (dressed as Santa) go toe-to-toe. And 1995's The Batman Adventures Holiday Special #1 is a treat that features the classic The Harley and the Ivy story that was later adapted into an episode of the animated series, and gave birth to the Harley and Ivy relationship readers know and love today.

Vertigo's Fables #56 -- Jiminy Christmas -- brings Santa Claus into the Fables universe -- with very unexpected results. And there's more old-fashioned fun in Archie's Classic Christmas Stories. Fans of indie comics will really enjoy settling in for Craig Thompson's Blankets -- an autobiographical coming of age story that deals with love, religion, bullying, abuse and other emotional themes that will grab you right by the heart.

Of course, there are more great Christmas reads out there. And discovering them is all part of the fun of this time of year. Like the ever-growing list of great Christmas movies, there are new stories from incredible comics creators being set free every year. These titles are a great start, but there are many more Christmases to come. So, happy reading and Merry Christmas. Your armchair awaits.

KEEP READING: A Major DC Villain Just Helped Spread... Christmas Cheer?!