Review: DC Holiday Special 2017

Quick Summary

Pros: The Superman story provides the comic with a great frame. The comic has moments to make readers laugh and cry. Nearly every story ends with a powerful message.

Cons: A few of the stories are very out there in ways that not all readers will like. The Deathstroke story doesn’t fit well here.

Overall: If you are looking to start the holiday season out right, then this comic is for you. There are stories here that range from silly and lighthearted to deep and introspective, yet all deliver a message for the season. Readers will see toy robberies gone astray, spirits of depression defeated, and Superman learn a lesson that hits home. This is the comic to start the season with.

Review

For this particular review, we’ll be switching up how our reviews are usually structured in order to accommodate the unique nature of this comic.

This holiday comic extravaganza is packed to the brim with wholesome goodness and holiday cheer. The stories are fun and the messages are meaningful. There is also a surprising amount of time spent of addressing seasonal depression, an issue that can always use more spotlight, in a way that doesn’t diminish the book’s cheerful nature. There are a few stories which may be too “weird” for some readers and one that doesn’t necessarily fit the theme, but overall this is a great collection of stories. This is a comic that will instantly put anyone in the holiday spirit.

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The Reminder

The entire book is framed by Clark Kent’s journey to a local bar. Here he expresses his doubts about Superman, wondering if he can ever do enough to make a real difference. The bartender immediately rebukes him and insists that Superman does all he can do to change the world, and that is more than enough. He even insists that Clark can help the world just as much by simply continuing to make positive differences in his own little ways.

Seeing Superman himself in need of cheering up is a powerful sight, it humanizes him and puts him on an equal plane with everyone reading this comic. By doing this, the story’s message is personalized and becomes stronger. You leave this book feeling the same feelings that Superman feels when he leaves the bar. Plus, the story’s final scene involves a hilarious and touching moment from Constantine.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

This Holiday Special, strange enough, starts out with what ends up being the worst story of the bunch. It is a ghost story starring a young man and his long dead grandmother. This apparition nearly pushes the man to kill a family who threw them two out years earlier, yet Batman arrives just in time to save the day.

The problem here is that the ending deprives the story of any resolution. The man appears to let the ghost of his grandmother go, but the reason why is never explained. It seems like he just gives up, no connection to the season is made at all. This ending really sours the work as a whole and leaves it feeling disappointing.

You Better Think Twice

Black Canary and Green Arrow team up to deliver presents, beat up bad guys, and inspire children in this touching Christmas story. Along the way, the Scrooge-like Black Canary starts to see the season in the same way that the uncharacteristically merry Green Arrow does.

This is a short, yet great story with plenty of bite sized themes to go along with it. In typical Green Arrow fashion, it digs into Christmas extravagance, yet sympathizes with it as being the one day a year poor children can forget their situation. It also slightly highlights the importance of representation, when the orphans connect with former orphan Black Canary. These socially liberal messages fit well with Green Arrow’s character and do a great job of complimenting Christmas as well.

Going Down Easy

The darkest of these short stories details the plight of a wounded soldier tasked with guarding a Nazi prisoner in the bitter cold. Enduring ridicule and physical anguish, the soldier stays alive far past his expiration date to fulfill his duty.

This is an emotional story calling upon WWII aesthetics and dark anti-Semitism in order to convey its message. We see a man pushed to his limits, yet held on by a faith that holds true to the themes of this collection. This may also be the best looking of the stories, as Francesco Francavila’s haunting, yet beautiful, artwork sets an excellent tone for this more serious passage.

Hope for the Holidays

In a manner perfectly consistent with his character, this is a story about the Flash’s ability to provide hope wherever it is needed. He shepherds an airport full of stranded people home for the holidays and still finds time to spend a nice moment with Wally.

This is a standard Flash holiday special through and through; heartwarming and lighthearted with an ending where everything works out for everyone involved. Perhaps this is a bit cliché, but its cliché in a way that warms hearts and reminds you what the Flash is all about. Dedicated Flash comic readers will also find something extra to enjoy here as Barry and Wally’s relationship gets some much needed attention.

A Wilson Family Christmas

This story is a bit of an oddity in that it is less of a holiday story and more of a Slade Wilson history lesson. It shows a past Wilson family Christmas, starting with Slade being too busy to spend time with his family and ending with him showing that he still cares. Their dysfunctional nature prevents a standard happy ending but is true to Slade’s character.

For Deathstroke fans, this is an interesting story and a unique piece of Slade’s past. However, for everyone else, this will feel a little out of place.

Driver’s Seat

Here we see Superman stop a robbery and convince the criminal to put his talents to better use once he is released from prison. Then, he goes on to comfort his wife with a beautiful gift in order to make up for the fact that her car was recently destroyed.

Like any good Superman story, this one is packed with wholesome goodness. The Man of Steel manages to rehabilitate a mad scientist with a simple talking to and cheer up his wife with a lovely and sentimental Christmas present. This is the boy scout readers expect to see during the Christmas season and one that echoes the very meaning of the holiday.

(Note: it appears this story was not included in all versions of this comic)

Silent Night

In this comic, a small town, hyped on fear and misinformation, has led a crusade against a sentient species of plant. After fighting and enslaving these creatures, they now face an army of them at their doorstep. However, it turns out the creatures are benevolent after all and are simply arriving in order to deliver a Christmas gift.

This is definitely the most “out there” of the entries in this comic. Starring the rarely seen Atomic Knights, this is a seasonal message against racism and discrimination. While the message is good, the story is so cryptic and unexplained that it becomes hard to appreciate what is being said.

Holiday Spirit

This Starfire led adventure seeks to explain how an alien perceives humanity’s penchant for winter festivities. After stopping an evil spirit from sewing sadness around the world, Starfire understands the joy that the holidays can bring.

On the surface, this is already a entertaining story, however, when peeling back the layers, it gets better. The evil spirit is representative of seasonal depression and everything that the holidays work against. By defying the darkness of winter and choosing to celebrate, humanity pushes back this evil for another year. It is a well constructed message wrapped in a fun Teen Titans adventure.

The Echo of the Abyss

Set on a space station on the brink of humanity’s destruction, a man decides to end it all for himself and his fellow crew members. Before he can do this though, Swamp Thing appears and preaches a message of hope and perseverance against all odds. It manages to bring the man back to the light and avoid catastrophe.

This tale fits perfectly with the other anti-depression messages in this collection. It insists that life is always worth living and that there is always a bright side to be found. Though the setting and tone may be too weird for some, those that appreciate it will find a delightfully unique story here.

Solstice

This story starts with narration from Batman and Wonder Woman explaining how hard it is to do what they do. They insist that the work they do will never end, yet it will always be worth doing. They then meet up and start a fire in the night, symbolizing their status as a light in the darkness.

Calling on his hefty experience with both characters, Greg Rucka perfectly captures what both Batman and Wonder Woman are about. It is an inspiring look at heroes that can easily relate to anyone reading the book. Plus, this also serves as a nice preview for the upcoming Batman and Wonder Woman team up in the new The Brave and the Bold series.

The Silent Night of the Batman

Unlike the rest of this collection, this is not a new holiday story, it is a reprint of a story from Batman #219. It is a wholesome look at the impact Batman has had on Gotham City and what it does to prevent crime. While this story is great, it seems odd for it to be randomly included among the other stories in this collection. It takes away pages for new stories and leaves the rest of the book shorter as a result.

(spoilers end here