We are taking a few days off from publishing new content for the holidays, so enjoy some of our favorite Christmas-themed writing over the past 11 years! Merry Christmas to all!
We here at Multiversity get pretty excited about the holidays, and this year we’re sharing that excitement with the rest of you as we celebrate that wonder of wonders: THE HOLIDAY COMIC!
Each day for the next twenty-five days, and in no particular order, we’ll be featuring one yuletide yarn set to the tune of tidings of comfort and joy, and we’re starting with today’s entry — a joyful romp from Spider-Man’s Tangled Web # 21 entitled “Twas the Fight Before Christmas!”
Check after the cut for more on this holiday classic.
Who Did It?: This little bundle of joy was written by Darwyn Cooke, with pencils by Jay Bone, inks by Cooke, colors by Matt Hollingsworth and letters by Paul Tutrone.
What Is It About?: Christmas Eve, and the snowstorm to end all snowstorms has left many a Manhattan-ites stranded indoors and away from home. Sure it’s bad out there, but that hasn’t kept J. Jonah Jameson from ordering Peter Parker into the cold to find a gift for Mrs. Jameson. Of course, that’s just one more thing that’s vying to ruin Spidey’s Christmas this year. He’s just found out Mary Jane is stranded in a Phillidelphia airport because of the weather. As Spidey combs the city for presents, the Daily Bugle office party (already in progress) is discovering that this year they’ve got a few underage guests crashing the shindig — seven school kids who were separated from their class during a field trip and are now stranded in Manhattan, and are camping out at the Bugle until they can be picked back up. Despite Betty Brant’s best efforts, the kids are driving Jonah crazy, and he doesn’t hold back on unleashing his inner Grinch on the lot of them.
A few blocks away at the Baxter Building, Mr. Fantastic is putting the finishing touches on a brand new framistat that’s he explains will help them find Medusa, who, apparently, has been missing for a day or so. Crystal (Medusa’s sister and sometimes girlfriend of Johnny Storm) is hanging around, waiting for her big sister to turn up, and in an effort to take her mind off things, Sue and Janet “the Wasp” Van Dyne invite her along for some last minute shopping at Macy’s.
Meanwhile, down at Macy’s, Flash Thompson’s been hired to be “Spider-man” for the night and entertain the kids who’re waiting to see Santa, but he and jolly ole Saint Nick aren’t the only one’s running around in costume. There’s a strange little man bundled up tightly in a trenchcoat, accompanied by someone who can only be described as a giant snow woman (?).
The three stories eventually intersect when the weirdo in a trenchcoat turns out to be the Puppetmaster, who’s taken control of a mall cop, Flash Thompson in a Spider-man costume, and Medusa (the snow woman!). Pretty soon, his brainwashed babies launch into a storewide robbing spree, which draws the attention of Sue, Jan, and Crystal and fisticuffs and holiday hijinks ensue, when the three ladies are joined by 1) Spider-man (Peter’s back at the mall in a last ditch effort to get a gift for Jonah’s wife), 2) Jonah and the kids (he’s heard Spider-man’s robbing the mall and wants the kids to see that menace for what he truly is!), and 3) the FF (because, y’know, Reed’s machine works).
It doesn’t take them long to put an end to the Puppetmaster’s stupidity, and with a Christmas Eve crisis averted, Spidey decides to call it a night and head home… where he’s stunned to find his beautiful wife, and beloved Aunt May!!! Seems that Jonah pulled a few strings, greased a few wheels, and most likely threatened a few jobs to get MJ home in time to spend the Big Day with our friendly neighborhood Spidey!
How Holiday Friendly Is It?: This thing’s an absolute treasure! Not only is it a great Christmas story, but when you get right down to it, it’s a great Spider-man story, too. It’s the perfect walk through of the Marvel Universe with Spidey as our window character, and before it’s over, he’s completely in over his head, juggling both his Peter Parker Christmas duties and his heroing ways as Spider-man. The art’s pretty amazing, too, what with Jay Bone working over what I’m sure are Darwyn Cooke breakdowns. And like Cooke’s best work, it’s steeped in innocence and nostalgia, and as goofy as it sounds, it’s just good clean fun in exactly the way you want this kind of story to be.
Seriously, this one belongs in everybody’s longbox, and if you’re the kind of person who pulls out holiday-themed comics in December, here’s one more for your stack!
