Through the Cloven Skies They Come

 The countdown begins! We're only five posts away from the 200th edition of SFP and to borrow from Kate Bush, " December Will Be Magic Again"! 
This is my favourite time of year. We had the first flurry of snow yesterday in the North-East and I've chosen a silver, gold and chocolate theme for my Christmas decorations. 

Throughout the month I will be looking at festive-themed comics from DC and Marvel while my Materioptikon blog revisits Marvel's Superhero Holiday Grab Bags. Those of you of a "Humbug" persuasion can be assured that in the New Year, we'll look at the Adventures of Captain Marvel movie serial. Whovians may be interested to know the Eighth Doctor's Dark Eyes audios will also be coming to Place after Christmas.
 But for now, let's pilot the Tardis back to March, 1978...

JLA should always be a Giant. So should Legion of Super-Heroes

 2000 Light Years to Christmas sounds like a reference to the Stones' Satanic Majesties and "2000 Light Years From Home". It's also a Gerry Conway/Dick Dillin story in which Red Tornado discovers the meaning of Christmas. The android rescues an orphan of war when alien gifts lost on Earth cause chaos.

The villain is a would-be world-beater, Major Macabre, who seems like a third-string Marvel tourist in the 70s DCU. Conway focuses on a small group of JLAers and the story opens with the incongruous image of a League card game. Such low-rent pastimes also feel distinctly Marvel but the scene allows for humour with new member Hawkgirl.

Conway also focuses on a third Satellite Era member when Batman teams up with Elongated Man and we are reminded of Ralph Dibny's prowess in detection. When I bought this issue from Baird's store in Strathaven in '78 I was disappointed by the villain and the earthbound story. Now, like many Bronze Age comics, I can admire the skill with which the characters are captured and the magical, wintry darkness of the tale.

The second story I'm featuring today is Season's Beatings, Justice League! This is a far more recent tale, from December 2006 (or Feb 07) and the Johnny DC Justice League Unlimited all-ages series- for my money, the best iteration of the League in this decade.

I suppose I associate Phantom Stranger with Xmas because of  1974's "The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus." ( See Materioptikon Jan 29, 2012: Parade of the Wooden Soldiers) Here PS re-enacts Dickens as he shows Wally-Flash the Batman's Christmases Past. Atom, Flash, Elongated Man and Clayface also appear.
Little Bruce Wayne's Gray Ghost action figure is a reference to Batman: the Animated Series. Amusingly, Adam West voiced that tv vigilante, who was part Shadow, part Green Hornet. 

 (Thinks) " Hnh. Probably socks."

 Batman: The Brave and the Bold depicts Bruce's most treasured Christmas present- a wooden soldier, see what I did there?- in the episode Invasion of the Secret Santas. This is another Red Tornado story in which the android whirlwind takes on a thinly-disguised Toyman, "Fun Haus" in order to understand Christmas spirit. It's suitably sentimental and charming 

Next time: some more figgy puddings from the DC Universe.

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