Another holiday is almost upon us and that means another anthology from DC. These are always a mixed bag which can make for an interesting experience but hopefully this season we are treated to more positives than negatives! Joining me for this review are Casper, Aaron and Jackson so, without any more chatter, let’s get into it.
The Teen Titans in “At Home Alone in Titan’s Tower”
William: It’s a fun idea to recast Home Alone in the DCU but in execution, this story was lacking. My main complaint is how forced the narrative is. This should be a very easy story to tell. One of the Teen Titans gets left behind at the tower during the holidays for some reason and a villain attacks that is far above this titan’s pay grade. They can’t beat the villain head to head so they resort to traps like Kevin McCallister. Like I said, that’s what it should be. Zipporah Smith chooses instead to inexplicable de-age Raven (thereby removing her powers) to force her to avoid confrontation. Maybe if this choice was better explained it would be ok but as it is the explanation is halfhearted and her reasons for being left behind don’t make sense either. Additionally, the dialogue is fairly rough. It all feels disconnected with a lack of prosaic flow. The art is cute but with a story that isn’t very engaging thanks to the dialogue, I didn’t find that it was drawing me in much.
Score: 3.5/10
Harley Quinn & Amethyst in “The Princess Switcheroo!”
William: This one was ok. I’ll admit I’m not big on Harley Quinn outside of Batman: The Animated Series but I was glad to see Rob Levin’s interpretation is a bit less spastic than some of the character’s recent versions. It’s fun to see Harley and Amethyst switch places and experience each other’s lives but I don’t think the story ever really justifies why this happens in the first place. There is a scene here where Poison Ivy gives Amethyst a pep talk which, I think, is supposed to be the the centerpiece of the story but reads very generically and doesn’t feel specific to the characters or situation, nor is it brought up organically. I’ve noticed that these short stories often tend to force “emotional” moments to give dramatic heft whether it is or isn’t needed (or even doable). More positively, I enjoyed the art for this story. It’s detailed and expressive and feels like despite this project being small scale, the artist put some love into their work.
Score: 5.5/10
Lex Luthor in “Lex-tacular Christmas Carol”
William: Placing Lex Luthor in the role of Scrooge is a great idea but this story makes it even better by putting a twist on the original Christmas Carol. I’m not going to get into what is actually going on here so I don’t ruin the fun for anyone but let’s just say I found the direction this story takes rather clever. Additionally, I was glad to see Luthor isn’t mischaracterized to fall in line with the original story. He isn’t Scrooge even when placed in Scrooge’s story. To me, this is the kind of tale this anthology should be giving us. It makes use of an original Christmas story but does something new with it. It’s low stakes but serves to remind us of what we like about the characters and the story they’re paying homage to. The art is a bit weaker than the writing with moments that feel a little too rough but it is still effective in conveying the story so I’m not going to complain too much. I’d just like to see a little more polish on such a short story.
Score: 8/10
Batwoman in “Riddler On The Roof”
Casper: In “Riddler on the Roof” Batwoman has to solve one of Riddler’s riddles, and could this story have been any more boring? None of the riddles were particularly engaging, and the dialogue wasn’t much to write home about, either. For example, Kate meets with a woman named Quinn (no, not that Quinn) in a bar and asks her what her damage is, and Quinn immediately starts talking about how her dad neglected her. The writing is so dry that it reads more like an info dump than a realistic depiction of someone opening up to someone else. Moreover, Kate and Quinn barely have any chemistry, and even though the story tries to convince me they are into each other, I’m not feeling it at all. Riddler’s scheme wasn’t that interesting, either; he basically threatens all of Gotham again, but all of this happens off-panel, and for the most part we simply watch two women sitting in a bar solving riddles. This story is only 10 pages, but it felt like it was taking forever.
Score: 3/10
Booster Gold in “The Santa Copies”
William: Another good one! Booster and Skeets are one of my favorite duos and they’re also very well suited to comedic situations. So, I think they’re a great choice for this story. Booster turning into Santa Claus while Rip Hunter and Skeets try to reverse the process is a great premise and the execution delivers. The characters are portrayed well and, for what it is, it’s a pretty funny story. Maybe not side-splitting but humorous in just the way a Booster Gold story should be. The art is good though unremarkable. It doesn’t have a very unique look to it but it in no way detracts from the reading experience, which is all I ask of art in an anthology.
Score: 8/10
Superman in “Streaks in the Sky”
Casper: “Streaks in the Sky” is a pretty good short-and-sweet story. Conrad writes economically, and manages to establish our main character across the span of a mere 10 pages, as well as giving said character an arc. We never learn all the details about our main character, but that’s not necessary, either. The creative team knows what they want to accomplish, and they succeed! Essentially, our protagonist is battling depression when Superman finds him. Superman then takes him on a journey and helps him to find new hope. There is no fighting in this comic, there are no villains, and it’s not a scenario that puts a million lives in jeopardy. Instead, it’s an uplifting story about how one man is tired of life at the start, but, although he still has a long way to go, becomes motivated to work on himself by the end. I also like how gentle Superman is in this story; his dialogue is heartfelt—if slightly on-the-nose at times—and Guidry draws him in relaxed poses and with kind facial expressions. Cody’s colors are straight-forward, but the palette is very easy on the eyes and the art has room to breathe. This is a good story, and I recommend it.
Score: 8/10
Bunker in “It’s a Bunkerful Life”
Aaron: Playing off the 1946 classic “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Bunker is given the opportunity to see what the DC Universe would look like if he were never there. Ironically, I’m not sure many characters or readers remember he exists in the first place. Bunker made his first appearance during Scott Lobdell’s run on Teen Titans in the New52. Quickly, Bunker made a name for himself as a unique and often lovable representative of the LGBTQ community. Although, we don’t see much of Bunker these days. In Justin Trujilo’s holiday tale, we find the hero living in the somewhat new Spanish mecca Palmera City casually thwarting robberies. Except, the morbidly obese Drummer Boy is behind this particular robbery. Weirdly, this hinges on controlling the mind of an Aztec beast known as the Cipactli. Personally, I think bringing a demigod with mouths on every joint on its body to rob stores is pointless overkill. Regardless, the battle allows Andrew Drilon to show off Bunker’s powers in decent action panels. Ultimately, Extraño makes the case that if Bunker didn’t exist, the entire world would fall to the Dominators. The story supports this weak argument by saying Bunker is the cornerstone of heart and trust in the DCU. Despite how annoying he is, I appreciate Extraño’s attempt to cheer up Bunker. However, I fail to see how a character everyone barely remembers is that important. Sometimes, it’s better to show you matter to the people who love you. Overall, the story may have gentle intentions, but it is extremely silly. Belonging is a great topic, but exaggerating Bunker’s importance to make a point isn’t. For example, I have a hard time buying fans randomly having bricks for Bunker to sign. Still, the action and character designs are fun to look at. The only exceptions being Extraño’s shameless rip-off of Dr. Strange and Drummer Boy’s onesie and marching quints.
Score: 5/10
Bat-Mite in “Wonderful Toys”
Jackson: Bat-Mite stories are often excuses for the writer to let loose and inject some absurd mischief into the dark and gloomy world of Gotham. Damian, arguably the grumpiest of the bat family, has never had the pleasure of having to deal with that sort of torment, and writer Sholly Fisch has decided to remedy that omission. "Wonderful Toys" is right away a story that doesn't take itself seriously at all. The initial encounter and subsequent "battle" between Damian and Bat-Mite is set up on the flimsiest of pretenses, but that doesn't really matter. It's not really a story about any sort of plot or drama, but rather an excuse to see Damian have to deal with Batman's most annoying fan. For what it is, it works. We're treated to plenty of prop gags involving oversized Batcave trophies and references to old comics and movies. Fifth-dimensional imps work best when their straight-man opponent is sick of their antics. Damian fills this role perfectly as he rages against the nonsense that Bat-Mite conjures. Juan Bobillo's expressive and colorful art does a great job of capturing the cartoonish brawl. The gags are funny and the slapstick manages to be both comedic and action-packed. Finally, the story is capped off with a genuinely heartfelt moment between Damian and an apparition of his mother that makes this a fitting entry in a Christmas collection.
Score: 7.5/10
Recommended if…
- You’re looking for some holiday spirit with your favorite heroes
- You need your Booster Gold fix
Overall
This anthology wasn’t too bad. Not every story was great but enough were a fun time to make it worth reading, I’d say. It may be far from necessary, but if you are looking for some holiday fun, I don’t think you’d be steering wrong with this collection.
Overall Score: 6/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purposes of this review
