newsletters : HI Newsletter - Happy Holidays!

Hi everybody,

I was listening to CBC radio the other day, and there was an interesting discussion about holiday greetings and how politically correct we are these days.

Some people don't like 'Happy Holidays', but it kinda works whatever you celebrate since you've got US Thanksgiving and Christmas and Hanukkah and New Year's all in close proximity. (And many others, but I don't have space to list 'em all - there's a kazillion winter festivals according to Wikipedia.)

And, I guess the conclusion they came to is that it depends on your audience. And, I think if you celebrate something yourself, there's no harm in wishing it to others. I celebrate Christmas primarily (and I'm about to recommend Christmas-related readings, which I think can be enjoyed by anyone), but I imagine you're a multicultural audience.

So, for my part, in the words popularized by Charles Dickens', I wish you a Merry Christmas, and I also wish you Happy Holidays, whatever holidays you celebrate.

Ok, enough philosophizing, comic time...

I know what I'm going to be reading this Christmas. I recently picked up the miniseries of Marvel's Zombies Christmas Carol. (How could I not?!)

It's also available as a hardcover trade, turns out.

I took a quick look, and it looks pretty intriguing and fun. I mean, anything gets better with zombies (except Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, I tried reading that novel - not a fan. Maybe it comes across better as a graphic novel).

And sure, it won't ship till after Christmas at this point, but I often come across and read my Christmas reading in the summer anyway. Christmas stuff is super-fresh then, because no one's talking about it.

Zombies Christmas Carol Hardcover

Written by JIM MCCANN Penciled by DAVID BALDEON Covers by MICHAEL WILLIAM KALUTA & JANET LEE Gather your family close, board up the doors, and heed well the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge - a man whom no fire could warm, whose cold heart pumped ice through his veins and whose lips uttered a firm 'BAH!' to any sort of happiness. Learn from his experience as he is visited by the undead corpse of his old friend, Jacob Marley, on Christmas Eve. And join him on his journey to Christmases past aided by another corpse intent on showing Scrooge the origin of the Hungry Death consuming the land. God help us, every one! Collecting MARVEL ZOMBIES CHRISTMAS CAROL #1-5. 120 PGS./ Parental Advisory

$24.99 $19.99

The DC New 52 was a big story this year.

If you want to take a real survey view of it, this hardcover is for you.  It's a heavy 1,216 page tome of all the DC52 #1s.

Also handy as a building material, coffee table discussion piece, or pulley counterweight.

And of course, you can always check out our DC 52 page to see where things are now and get quick links to DC 52 titles. It's a convenient way to see the most recently announced covers, as well.

Dc Comics The New 52 Vol. 1 Hardcover

Written by VARIOUS Art by VARIOUS Cover by JIM LEE On sale DECEMBER 7 1,216 pg, FC, $150.00 US In September, DC Comic will launch 52 new #1 issues starring the World's Greatest Super-Heroes! In December, to commemorate this incredible event, DC is collecting every one of these debut issues in a once-in-a-lifetime massive hardcover that includes: JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee ACTION COMICS #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales BATMAN #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo GREEN LANTERN #1 by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke SWAMP THING #1 by Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette STORMWATCH #1 by Paul Cornell and Miguel Sepulveda TEEN TITANS #1 by Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth And 45 more!

$150.00 $120.00

As Joe pointed out last week, my last newsletter only reached a third of you.

So, I had to re-recommend this. I loved it that much.

Larfleeze is both hilarious and poignant in this touching Christmas tale, and the whole thing is so well put together, with minigames actually worked into the plot. I read it in the summer (because I buy stuff faster than I can read it, so I always have something to read but I'm always catching up) and it stuck with me.

Meanwhile, here's convenient links to the other items I'd recommended -  Sandman Vol 1 and Death Note Vol 1 - for your perusal. (I'm given to understand that I'm getting the last three volumes of Death Note this Christmas, myself. What? Don't judge me, I do all the online ordering in this household, of course I know I got them ahead of time.)

Green Lantern Larfleeze Christmas Special #1

Written by GEOFF JOHNS Art by BRETT BOOTH Cover by GENE HA It's BRIGHTEST (CHRISTMAS) DAY! What do you want for Christmas? Orange Lantern Larfleeze wants everything - including Santa Claus himself! And nothing, not even the heroes of the DC Universe can to stop the Orange Lantern from getting what he wants! Plus, you won't want to miss the strange holiday season shenanigans starring the rest of the Orange Lantern Corps! Superstar writer Geoff Johns and artist Brett Booth team up for an unbelievable sleigh ride adventure! ONE-SHOT On sale DECEMBER 22 32 pg, FC

$3.99 $3.19

Ok, that's it for this week. Don't forget to keep an eye on the sales tab, you never know what might pop up there.

Happy Holidays!!!

- Gus