Writer: Various
Artist: Various

Price: $3.99

Another year, another Holiday Special from Marvel. If you’re the kind of person who likes a little bit of silly fun in their comic books, and doesn’t immediately recoil in terror from stories set at Christmas, these titles have turned out to be a dependable favourite. The last two years alone have given us tales of the Mole Man’s Moloids kidnapping Santas, Wong and Fing Fang Foom versus the hordes of Hydra, the AIM Christmas party, and the incredible tale of the Avengers versus “Santron”, a favourite of both Chris Sims over at Chris’s Invincible Super-Blog and of myself, which is about the highest high praise combo you’re going to get.

So, what does this year’s Christmas special bring? Well, we open with an incredibly uncommercial pairing – Spider-Man and Wolverine. Written by Shaenon K Garrity (who gave us the Moloid and AIM tales mentioned above) and Andrew Farago (Garrity’s co-writer on the AIM story), with art from Lou Kang and Craig Yeung. It is the tale of Spider-Man’s attempt to get a cake across town for Aunt May’s Christmas Eve party, and how it gets interrupted by Wolverine’s battle against a rogue Sentinel, which is being piloted by a fired department store Santa Claus. It’s not the most essential story in the history of either character, but it’s a fun little tale.

A reprint of a two-page Fred Hembeck spread (from a 1984 issue of Marvel Age!) is followed by the standout story, a Christmas epilogue to the recent Loners miniseries. The team have gathered in Turbo’s apartment to exchange Secret Santa gifts and to take stock after recent events. Written by C.B. Cebulski with art by Alina Urusov, this little treasure is the perfect conclusion to the latest chapter in their lives, and at the same time begs to be followed up by another miniseries… or maybe even an ongoing? Note to Marvel: More Loners, please. Thank you.

Just like the previous two specials, the final tale is by Mike Carey. Unfortunately, also like the previous two specials, it is the weakest of the three stories. A lowly Daily Bugle reporter hops around the universe in order to question many and various of the great and the good (or otherwise, on both counts) about the true meaning of Christmas. It’s not too bad, but it isn’t anywhere near the standard set by the rest of the book.

By the time you’ve read this, it will be January. You won’t want to read Christmas comics. Still, this one may be worth picking up and stowing away for next year – unless you’re a Loners fan, in which case it’s nigh-on essential.

Merry Chri… oh, wait. January. Yeah. Forgot, sorry.

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