From: Batman #239 (1971)
Starring: Batman
Story: Batman follows up on a number of robberies that have plagued a number of Gotham City Santa's. Turns out the culprit is a man that was recently laid off from a toy company that wants to give his niece a Merry Christmas, upon hearing this Batman tells him he was still wrong to do it but he escapes to take revenge on his former boss, an old guy in a wheelchair. Batman arrives too late as the man beats his former boss within an inch of his life before he realizes what he's doing is wrong... Somehow Batman still lets him go saying they'll worry about his legal troubles next week and that he's already given him a present by not killing the man... Let that sink in. What the hell were you thinking Batman??
From: Superman's Christmas Adventure #1 (1940)
Starring: Superman
Story: In this story Clark Kent and Lois Lane spot a spoiled entitled rich kid while out Christmas shopping so that night Superman decides to kidnap the child and go all "A Christmas Carol" on him showing all the poor kids and how they go without even a broken toy. While that's happening two guys decide to ambush Santa to make him change his ways, after he doesn't and has the elves beat them up they turn their sights on Lois! So naturally Santa and Superman team up to take them down and save Lois from being shot into space or something? Man this is weird, but in a good way. This book was also given away at Department stores... Oh and there are a butt ton of Superman toys advertisements... Like in the comic itself, not ad pages so that makes sense.
From: Teen Titans #13 (1967)
Starring: Robin (Dick Grayson), Kid Flash (Wally West), Aqualad (Garth), Wonder Girl (Donna Troy)
Story: Yet another Christmas Carol-esque story from DC, this time starring the original Teen Titans! Here the titans learn of a nefarious plot by a Mr. Scrounge in which he is buying fancy European cars and importing them as scrap metal before rebuilding them as fancy cars at his junkyard. What a meanace! How dare he not pay duty on his overseas purchases. So as it turns out the Titans decide to "haunt" him to teach him a lesson and everything is going swimmingly until his goons shoot down Wonder Girl in the third act. The Titans put up a fight but end of getting captured. Luckily Scrounge already learned his lesson and lets the Titans go... It's a Christmas miracle!
From: Superman #64 (1991)
Starring: Superman
Story: In this touching tale Superman shares with Lois a Christmas tradition of his, reading kids letters to him. Their basically like letters to Santa but instead to the world's strongest man. Anyways one of those letters are from a young fan that asks Superman to save his Dad's life as he's got a brain tumor. Superman goes to tell the boy that he can't in fact fix that but it's too late. The boy's father already passed away. But it's not all doom and gloom in this issue. No Superman also reunites a long thought deceased WWII survivor with her sister and thanks to a Daily Planet strike a lot of kids won't get Christmas presents but Superman gets some cash from Bruce Wayne and carries around a sleigh to deliver presents with reindeer from the zoo and a fake Santa.
6. The Silent Night of The BatmanFrom: Batman #219 (1969)
Starring: Batman
Story: Look at that beautiful Christmas-y cover! Oh wait... This looks nothing like Christmas... Okay so this tale from Batman #219 amounts to nothing more than a back-up story and a really weird one at that... But weird in a good way! So basically it's Christmas Eve and Batman is making his patrol rounds when the bat signal comes on. He goes to visit the Commissioner who tells him he shone the bat signal to tell him to take the night off because everyone is in the Christmas Spirit. Batman scoffs but relents and spends the night singing Christmas Carols with the GCPD meanwhile citizens stop short of committing crimes or in some cases killing themselves because they think they see Batman... But nope! He's singing.
5. Be Good For Goodness' SakeFrom: Justice Society of America #55 (2003)
Starring: The Flash (Jay Garrick), Alan Scott (Former Green Lantern, known as The Sentinel here), Wildcat (Ted Grant), Hawkman.
Story: The JSA are on a mission in a small New Hampshire town which leads them to meeting the local mall Santa when some goons come in to rob the place and take some hostages while they are at it. The JSA team captures most of them but one is about to get away when the Mall Santa doing their best Paul Blart impersonation says "not in my mall" and cold clocks him after he pulls a knife cutting off their Santa beard revealing Santa's real identity as Ma Hunkle, the original Red Tornado! Turns out she faked her death to go into Witness Protection... Oh comic books. You so crazy.
4. Should Auld Acquaintance Be ForgotFrom: Christmas With The Superheroes #2 (1988)
Starring: Deadman
Story: Here's one of the most popular, if not most popular DC story that fills you with the yuletide spirit. We get a glimpse on how Deadman spends the holidays. Mostly finding Scrooge-type characters and making them give back to the people they mistreated over the last year. He also makes time for self pity after taking control of a few meat sacks to know what spending time with loved ones over the holidays feels like... But of course that's wrong of him to steal other peoples joy. It's then he meets a girl that can actually see him. She tells him all about the reason for the season, essentially be good for the sake of being good. Don't do the right thing because you'll get something out of it, do it because you know you should. Thus Deadman doesn't need to go all "A Wonderful Life" on us.
From: The Flash #73 (1992)
Starring: The Flash (Wally West), The Flash (Jay Garrick), The Flash (Barry Allen)
Story: Look at that cast! Haha. Mark Waid finally cracks our list with this story from The Flash. Wally (the current Flash at the time) and old man Jay Garrick are having a little Christmas get together when they leave on patrol, mostly to get Wally out of the house. They come across a pregnant lady in labour who was struggling to get to her husband who works at a department store but was going to help rob it since he was being laid off that night (Christmas Eve). Wally goes to stop the husband from making a grave mistake and Jay stands back and delivers doctors, nurses and equipment to the street to help the woman in labour. At the end of the issue a knock at the door is greeted by the face of the man in red... But it's not Santa Claus... It's Barry Allen! What a twist to cap off this festive issue (Barry had died 8 years prior and hadn't been seen since).
From: Infinite Holiday Special #1 (2006)
Starring: Batman, Superman
Story: Okay so this is a very short, but oh so sweet tale. A young boy named Tyrone writes to the Daily Planet to find out if there is a real Santa or not, once Clark reads it he knows he needs to show him that anything is possible so he dresses up in a Superman Santa Suit and flies over with a sleigh full of gifts. When he arrives Batman is there to talk him out of it, he tells him he's a hero and needs to act like it... Afterall what would people think if he can take a night off from saving the world to play dress up with some kid. Superman takes his advice and changes but decides Tyrone should still get some presents but when he returns he finds Tyrone stricken by "Bat-Santa" that came to give him presents. Batman sees Superman and gives him a wink. The issue closes with Superman decking Batman and we get the "elseworlds" stamp indicating that this is a non-cannon story, but cannon or not it was a fun ride.
From: Justice League of America #60 (2001)
Starring: Plastic Man, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), Batman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, The Flash (Wally West)
Story: Mark Waid makes his second appearance in the Top 3!? This time at the top spot. While visiting friends Plastic Man tells an unbelieving boy that Santa Claus is not only real but a member of the Justice League! The evil Neron gives kids presents before Christmas, which of course they accept, only to find out they come with a dark twist. Santa and the JLA go to help but the JLA are turned to coal so it comes down to Santa who beats the hell out of Neron's evil elfs and demons before finally succumbing. But Santa had a trick up his sleeve, knowing Neron needs to trade and bargain he gives him a gift and refuses anything in return.. So when he opens his parcel of socks and underwear he explodes! Santa then turns the JLA back to their normal self and accepts an invite to join the league.
