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 humorous and unforgettable story from the 1995 Spider-Man Holiday Special – “The Venom Claus!”
Check after the cut for more on this holiday classic.
Who Did It?: This little bundle of joy was written by Eric Fein and illustrated by Javier Saltares
What Is It About?: Eddie Brock, out for an evening stroll, discovers a broken and beaten Sidewalk Santa laying in an alley post-robbery. Brock, learning that muggers are picking on Sidewalk Santas, decides to go undercover as a Sidewalk Santa! This was ’95, people — We didn’t have hard hitting crime shows like CSI or Law and Order. Going undercover as a Sidewalk Santa was a big deal.
Upon finding the muggers, led by a punk named Richie (I suppose ironically?), attempting to take cash from an elderly woman, Venom beats the living tar out of the muggers before attempting to eat the head of one of the muggers. The elderly woman being mugged, however, informs Venom that the mugger must have learned his lesson by now and he should be let go; After all, it is Christmas. Venom smiles, kisses the old woman on the cheek, webs the muggers to a bunch of Christmas trees and swings off into the night, singing (verbatim), “You better watch out… You better not cry… You better not shout… We’re telling you why… Venom Claus is coming to town… Venom Claus is coming to town. … Venom Claus is coming to town… Ho ho ho!”
Oh, and at one point he also shoves a megaphone down some guys throat because the guy was being annoying and shouting some anti-Christmas propaganda. The holidays truly bring out the best in all of us.
How Holiday Friendly Is It?: I suppose this is about as holiday friendly as Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas what with the whole wanton violence and the “We were really looking forward to twisting his head off and using it as a Christmas Tree ornament” business (note: I can not confirm that is in the Tyler Perry play, but I’ll assume it is), but in a sort of kitschy way it makes for a fun artifact to hide within your comic book collection. In many ways, it basically is a “classic” Christmas story from a superhero angle — villainy is trying to ruin Christmas, but the noble hero saves the holidays for one and all! In the end, isn’t that what the holidays are all about?
Plus, this is the only instance in comics as far as I know that features the real Venom wearing a Santa Hat. Worth the price of admission, that is!
