Top 10 Best Christmas-Themed Comic Book Stories
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If you’ve ever complained about the lack of interesting or non-classic Christmas stories, then you may not be looking hard enough. How many times have you read the standard Christmas stories or watched the same Christmas films and TV specials? There is a plethora of Christmas-themed comic book stories that are waiting to be discovered.
Here are 10 Christmas-themed comic books that will get you into the spirit this year. Many of these could be great gift ideas too! Let’s take a look.
1. Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special (1992)
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This is probably one of the most off-the-wall Christmas-themed comic book stories. It was published in 1992 and features a lot of over-the-top and satirical violence. So, consider yourself warned if you are easily triggered.
Lobo is a crass alien bounty hunter and mercenary. In this one-shot special, Lobo is hired by the Easter Bunny to take out Santa Claus so that the Easter holiday will get more notice. Lobo then proceeds to go on a twisted and bloody rampage at Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole.
Get this 47-page one-shot for $1.99 on Kindle or $29.99 for the comic.
2. DC Infinite Holiday Special #1 (2007)
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This 80-page one-shot features several Christmas-themed comic book stories featuring DC superheroes. The standout tale is about Superman posing as Santa Claus to surprise local children. Batman admonishes Superman and tells him that Superman should be on duty for the holidays.
Get it for $1.99 on Kindle now.
3. Batman Adventures Holiday Special #1 (1994)
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This 56-page one-shot is an infamous fan favorite. It was also written and drawn by the creators and showrunners of Batman: The Animated Series. The most beloved tale in this one is “The Harley and The Ivy.”
Poison Ivy brainwashes Bruce Wayne and uses mind-control to spend a fortune on a shopping spree for Ivy and Harley Quinn. This story inspired a later Batman: TAS episode with the same plot.
Get it for $1.99 on Kindle. You can also get the collector’s item comic on Amazon for $75.
4. Power Pack Holiday Special (1991)
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The Power Pack were four suburban kids who encountered a dying alien and were granted incredible superpowers. The comic book was a cult favorite in the 1980s and 1990s but only lasted for 62 issues. In the final issue, one of the child heroes was transformed into a horse-like alien and the entire family went to outer space to find a cure.
This Christmas-themed tale retconned the original ending. It features several Yuletide-themed family-friendly stories featuring the Power Pack.
Get the 56-page one-shot for $1.99 on Kindle.
5. Marvel Holiday Special 2005
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Christmas-themed comic book stories were a Marvel specialty until the mid-1990s. The 2005 Marvel Holiday Special was the company’s first holiday-themed comic in over a decade.
There are three stories here, but the highlight story is about a killer Santa robot. A young scientist rewires an old Ultron shell into a Santa-themed robot called Santron. Santron goes berserk and attacks the Avengers during their annual Christmas party.
Get it for $1.99 on Kindle now.
6. Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special (2011)
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Larfleeze is an orange-aesthetic character in the Green Lantern comics. Larfleeze is a greed-based antagonist who has a power ring that is amplified by Larfleeze’s inherent greed.
After waking up on Christmas morning, Larfleeze is shocked to discover that there are no presents under his tree. Larfleeze goes to the North Pole to confront the “Guardian of Christmas.” He is intercepted by Green Lantern Hal Jordan who teaches him a lesson about the Christmas spirit.
Buy the 26-page one-shot for $1.99 on Kindle now.
7. Detective Comics #826 “Slayride” (2007)
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“Slayride,” is one of the most violent and disturbing Christmas-themed comic book stories about the warped mind of the Joker. Tim Drake as Robin is battling a criminal crew and comes up on the losing end. A stranger in a car pulls up to Robin and offers a ride – it’s the Joker dressed as Santa Claus!
The Joker sprays Robin with knockout gas. Robin wakes up. He is tied up in the passenger seat with Christmas lights and duct tape. The Joker holds him hostage for hours as he commits violent crimes. Robin uses his cunning to interact with the Joker, plot his escape, and even wittingly teach the Joker a lesson about Christmas.
Get this 24-page one-shot on Kindle for only $1.99.
8. Starman #27 “Riders on the Storm” (1994)
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Starman is a DC superhero who battles evil with a cosmic staff that gives him the ability to fly and also projects energy blasts. In this story, Starman encounters a homeless man who has lost his family and is destitute. The homeless man is alone and has dressed himself up as Santa Claus to lighten his mood. Starman befriends and helps him to find something that was stolen from him.
Buy the 24-page Kindle version for $1.99 or get the comic for $8.
9. Batman: Noël (2011)
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This is one of the most critically acclaimed Christmas-themed comic book stories in the Batman canon. Batman: Noël is A Christmas Carol repurposed as a Batman story. The Batman and Joker are Scrooge’s surrogates. Batman cynically uses one of the Joker’s goons, Bob, as human bait to trap the Joker. Batman learns why Bob does what he does and that morality is not always a good vs. evil standard.
Get this 112-page graphic novel for $5.99 on Kindle or the physical book for $17.52.
10. Hellboy: Krampusnacht (2017)
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Almost all of the Christmas-themed comic book stories on this list are about Christmas or Santa specifically. Not this one. Set in Central Europe, Hellboy grapples with the Krampus. Krampus is a monster who embodies the satanic spirit of Christmas.
Get this 34-page one-shot for $1.99 on Kindle now.
Christmas-Themed Comic Book Stories
If you’re a traditionalist then these Christmas-themed comic book stories may not be for you. While many of these stories have traditional Yuletide themes, many of them are sensationalist or violent and use Christmas as a framing device to tell a story.
Whether that is good or bad is up to you to decide. The point is that there is a world of Christmas-themed stories in comic books that many do not know about.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
