For the 2022 holiday season, DC Comics has spiced things up by including a number of variant covers for its issues. As such, readers are treated to incredible artwork of DC characters sharing gifts, engaging in snowball fights or simply having nice meals.
By doing this, DC is keeping up with its tradition of offering readers something to munch on during the festive season. Over the years, a number of captivating Christmas stories have been told on the DC pages and for those looking for recommendations, Redditors have named a few.
10 Batman: Noël
BeatNDeadBeat says Batman: Noël is "basically a Batman version of 'A Christmas Carol.'" In it, Batman tries to protect Bob, a man who the Joker has a feud with.
The story indeed uses the template of Charles Dickens' classic 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, and this is acknowledged by the writers. Given how good Dickens was at storytelling it’s no surprise that Batman Noel flaws smoothly.” By infusing the mannerisms of folklore characters into DC characters, the tale comes off as very enjoyable. Additionally, there are plenty of visually pleasing moments, notably Superman taking Batman up to the sky to watch Gothamites doing Christmas shopping and Commissioner Gordon making merry at his house.
9 Detective Comics - "Slayride"
About Christmas stories, duffy16 simply mentions “Detective Comics Slayride,” referring to Detective Comics #826. The star of the tale is Robin, whom Joker kidnaps and ties up with Christmas lights, forcing him to do everything he can to attempt to free himself.
There is no cheer in the story, as it’s simply an abduction tale with Christmas themes. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. DC readers will enjoy the verbal sparring between the Joker and Robin, especially their argument about the Marx Brothers. To complete the dialogue are neatly illustrated driving scenes too.
8 Christmas With The Superheroes - "Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot"
Christmas With The Superheroes #2 from 1989 is an anthology issue featuring six different holiday stories variously starring Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Dean, the Justice League, and Supergirl. The issue is a classic, offering readers little doses of Christmas tales from the most popular Justice League .
Redditor csummerss commented that the issue's "Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot" is “one of my favorite DC stories.” The Supergirl and Dean tale is a particularly uplifting one as it shows Dean desperate to enjoy Christmas like everyone else but struggling because with depression. An encounter with a woman named Kara, who he doesn’t know is Supergirl, leaves him more optimistic about life.
7 DCU Holiday Bash - "Present Tense"
In the story "Present Tense" from the DCU Holiday Bash #2 anthology, one of the greatest Superman villains, Darkseid, attempts to kill Santa for penetrating his defenses in order to deliver a Christmas gift. Reddit Gold_West said it's “such a brilliant idea for a Christmas comic.”
It’s an excellent good-vs-evil story, with Santa shown to be caring even to the evilest people while Darkseid is too petty to even accept a Christmas present. The comic issue also establishes Santa Claus as one of the most powerful characters since most popular heroes fail to by the villain’s defenses, yet the Christmas icon does so effortlessly.
6 Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special
The villainous Orange Lantern, Lafreeze, attempts to acquire possessions for himself after he is neglected by Santa Claus. MarkOn History73 said, “The orange cookie recipe in the back is amazing.”
The lessons in morality are what make the story a golden one. Instead of fighting Lafreeze, Green Lantern chooses to teach him the importance of giving rather than receiving. As such, the villain learns to become less-selfish. And as the Redditor points out, the orange cookie that’s placed right at the end is not only an outstanding one but also a fitting one as it matches the whole Orange Lantern story.
5 DC Universe Holiday Special - "A Day Without Sirens"
During the festive season in DC Universe Holiday Special #1, a proposal is made for “a day without sirens” whereby all criminals in Gotham cease their activities for 24 hours to allow everyone to celebrate in peace. One Reddit said the tale “is my favorite.”
It’s a refreshing tale because it’s an outsider whp gets to save the day. The assumption is that no crimes happen since the Gotham PD gets no crime reports the whole day. But it’s no surprise that most of the Batman rogues gallery don’t heed such a call. It’s later revealed that Supergirl was handling everything. It was simply her way of spreading Christmas cheer. A rare moment happens when Batman makes a cameo: He actually cracks a joke.
4 Starman - "Riders On the Storm"
After bumping into a homeless man dressed as Santa Claus in Starman (1994) #27, Starman helps him find his locket that was stolen. Redditor technowhizz34 says it’s a “really moving story set on Christmas Eve.”
It’s inspiring when DC highlights the stories of those suffering at a time when everyone is celebrating. For the homeless man, dres as Santa Claus is the only way to cheer himself up after a string of misfortunes that included the death of his wife and child, Starman’s offer to assist results in some beautiful moments of bonding between the two and through the superhero’s words, viewers also get to learn a thing or two about caring for those in need.
3 Batman: Urban Legends - "The Bats of Christmas Past"
Redditor almost-nightwing says “I really liked Nightwing's in the recent urban legends issue,” referring to the story "The Bats of Christmas Past" in Batman: Urban Legends #10. In the story, Nightwing settles a shopping dispute at a store on Christmas Eve only to be exposed to a new strain of the fear toxin by Scarecrow’s goons.
The race against time to be home for the big day has played out many times in some of the best Christmas movies to good effect. And it does so again here, with a hallucinating Nightwing struggling to rid himself of the toxin in order to be home for the Bat-family Christmas celebrations at Bruce Wayne’s Brownstone home. Given how intriguing the story is, most readers will struggle to hold back the tension as they flip the pages.
2 Justice League: Endless Winter
Redditor The_Pusheen_Chesser said they “really enjoyed last year’s Endless Winter JL event,” a crossover story that ran through several DC Comics titles in 2020. Its events revolve around a new villain named the Frost King, who hopes to make the cold Christmas weather last forever.
While the Christmas snow tends to make the holiday more beautiful, most people wouldn’t want to have that going on throughout the year. But Frost King does, so the Justice League does everything in its power to try and stop him. From Black Adam to Batman, everyone shows up, resulting in some impressive action scenes.
1 Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special
Steve_Holt_Fan also states the name of their favorite Christmas comic, writing, “Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special.” It involves Lobo accepting a contract hit on Santa Claus after being paid by a jealous lesser-known holiday icon.
It’s quite the dark Christmas tale, but that's right in line with Lobo's character. As a bounty hunter, he spares no one, so Santa becomes a victim. He not only gets the better of Santa Claus but also uses his bags to drop bombs on houses. And as if that’s not malicious enough, he influences a desperate couple into murdering their children for demanding too many gifts for the holidays.
