Holiday times get just that much more magical when the New Gods come to town!

[kingrockwell]

Oh man, you guys. I can't even tell you how great this next story is, it's the last one from DCU Holiday Bash #1, and you know what they say about saving the best one. All I can say is 1/3 doesn't do it much justice, so you should really track down this issue to see the whole thing for yourselves!

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better not pout
I'm telling you why
Highfather is coming to town!

Having mined that issue for all it's worth, this is our final story from DCU Holiday Bash #1 (1997). "A High Father Christmas" written by Walt Simonson with art by Sal Buscema, this one's a real doozy. About three pages out of nine.

So, Highfather and Orion are palling around New York City on Christmas Eve. Highfather's just reveling in the seasonal cheer, but Orion's a little uncomfortable. As they pass a certain shop, a case of mistaken identity takes them in a new direction.


Despite the uniform being a little small, the manager's belligerence and Orion's general discomfort with peaceful resolutions, things line up due to our heroes' good hearts and superior technology.

And the kids get quite a show when Santa and his elf suddenly teleport in!




The hours speed past as our heroes proceed to make everyone's day the best fucking day ever, and, as the narration reads, "when the last child walks away with the last toy, it is long past closing..."


(is Highfather calling him fat?)

Then, as suddenly as the two had appeared, they were gone again. And not a moment passes before the guy who was originally supposed to be the store's Santa comes running in, his subway train having been stuck for hours. The poor guy's an out-of-work Shakespearean type, and really needed the money, unfortunately.

It's about this time Mr. Peasley opens his present to find a Santa hat inside. The rest comes easily to the formerly belligerent man.


Warm fuzzies, every time! <3

As a special holiday bonus, a pin-up from DCU Holiday Bash #3 (1999), by Sergio Aragones!


Tomorrow: Sgt. Rock has experienced enough Christmases during his tours of duty to fill a whole handful of wars!

Comments

[shanejayell]

Awww.

Poor Orion. ^_~

[perletwo]

Awwww, whozzat directing the choir? :D

[blake_reitz]

Looks like one Alfred E. Newman to me!

[perletwo]

"What, me worry?"

[kamino_neko]

You'd think at least a few of the people in the choir could sing (Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, at the very least).

But I guess when you include Lobo and let Alfred E conduct, even they can't do much....

[psychopathicus_rex]

Awww - that's pretty heartwarming, all right. Really, who better to fill in for a powerful benevolent cosmic being than... another powerful benevolent cosmic being. Highfather, you're the bestest Santa EVER. Also, I like how Orion didn't do his usual berserker routine ('You piddled on Highf...errr, Santa's lap?! VENGEANCE!') but instead actually had a good time and really got into the role of the overgrown elf. (And that 'who, ME?' look on the store manager's face is classic.)
As for the Aragones piece - who's that guy with the Wolverine hair and the forked beard next to the Christmas tree?

[salamangkiero]

I remember Sergio Aragones doing some stuff with Cain and Abel...so I guess that's Cain...

[psychopathicus_rex]

I thought Cain wore little spectacles, though, and usually dressed pretty formally - the unbuttoned brown trenchcoat look is not him at all (not to mention, of course, the absence of Abel).

[kingrockwell]

I can think of one reason for Abel's absence, and it isn't nice.
(reminds me, i need to pull out the House of Mystery X-mas story soon)

[psychopathicus_rex]

Well, yeah, but given that he's immortal and essentially unkillable, even when he's been chopped up into little bitty pieces and used as a magic trick, he should be there in SOME form, even if it's as a decoration on the Christmas tree. And I'm not seeing him - so all the evidence would seem to point to that not being Cain.

[lamashtar]

Considering he's standing next to a Legionnaire, I was wondering if its Timber Wolf.

[psychopathicus_rex]

Does he wear a trench coat? I thought he wore a skintight outfit, like the rest of them.

[lamashtar]

No idea what his outfit was in this particular incarnation. But the colors are right.

[magus_69]

I originally read the title as Hogfather. I'd really love to see Highfather and "Hogfather" team up to spread Hogswatch/Christmas cheer.

In fact, I'd love to see the DCU interact with the denizens of the Disc.

[stig]

Whoever wrote this was supposedly watching a certain film starring Richard Attenborough...

[kingrockwell]

Well, who's to say it had to be the remake? He might've been thinking of Edmund Gwenn!
Also, dig the shout-out in the last panel.

[crinos]

Someone needs to post the scene where Santa delivers coal to Darkseid.

[cf105]

http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/1357687.html?#cutid1
Already been done. Its priceless.

[kingrockwell]

I did that a few days ago, as the link above shows!

[crinos]

Yeah, thank you BTW, I've never seen that story in its entirety.

[halloweenjack]

The idea of a son of Darkseid following in David Sedaris' footsteps warms the cockles of my heart, whatever "cockles" are.

[wetstereorebel]

Wow. I never knew Sal Buscema ever did any DC stuff.

[kingrockwell]

Off the top of my head, he'd also done a few stories for Batman Chronicles, but yeah, he hasn't really made a habit of it.

[lamashtar]

Goddamnit. You made me cry.