DC Universe Holiday Special

ARTISTS

Writer: Alan Burnett
Penciller: Kevin Maguire
Inker: Kevin Maguire
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Editors: Eddie Berganza, Dan DiDio

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CHARACTERS & SETTINGS

heroes: Animal Man, Aquaman II, Batman, Beast Boy, Black Canary II, Black Lightning, Booster Gold, Cyborg, Fire, Firestorm VI, Flash I, Flash III, Gold, Green Arrow I, Green Lantern I, Green Lantern II, Green Lantern III, Green Lantern IV, Hawkgirl II, Huntress II, Iron, Kid Devil, Lead, Martian Manhunter, Mercury, Metamorpho, Miss Martian, Nightwing II, Plastic Man, Power Girl, Red Arrow, Red Tornado, Robin III, Starfire III, Superman, Tin, Vixen, Wildcat I, Wonder Woman, Zatanna
villain: Shaggy Man III
supporting: Doc Magnus

Setting: 21st-century JLA Satellite, DCU, Earth orbit

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ISSUE SUMMARY

Cover Description: Clockwise from top left, Blue Beetle III, Superman, Aquaman, Nightwing, Doctor Light II, Huntress, and Robin distribute gifts from the back of Santa Claus' sleigh. (No Booster Gold.)

Brief Synopsis: The Shaggy Man crashes the Justice League holiday party.

Costume Worn: MARK I.v2 power-suit

Story Notes: It's often difficult to pin down when, exactly, in a character's chronology a holiday story takes place, and this story is no exception. This story must take place following the events of Green Arrow and Black Canary Wedding Special #1 due to the status of the third Shaggy Man, and before the events of Final Crisis #2, as indicated by the inclusion of Martian Manhunter.

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ISSUE ANNOTATIONS

Page 57, panel 4
Booster Gold is in attendance of Vixen's holiday party aboard the Justice League's orbiting satellite. Despite Booster's presence, the party is quite dead. Other heroes present include Changeling, Cyborg, Green Lantern II (Hal Jordan), Guy Gardner, Martian Manhunter, Metal Men (Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury), Metamorpho, Nightwing, Plastic Man, Robin III, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

Page 58, panel 3
Booster and Alan Scott watch Flash III decorate a Christmas tree in record time. Metal Man Tin is visible in the foreground.

Page 60, panel 2
At last, after Green Lantern John Stewart and Red Arrow arrive with the Shaggy Man III in tow, the party finally begins in earnest. Booster dances with his old teammate Fire to music provided by Firestorm VI. Other clearly identifiable heroes on the dance floor include Animal Man, Aquaman II, Batman, Black Canary II, Black Lightning, Hawkgirl II, Huntress, Power Girl, Red Tornado, Starfire, and Zatanna.

Page 62, panel 4
The assembled heroes (and 1 villain) gather around the Christmas tree to sing a traditional New Year's Eve song, "Auld Lang Syne." These heroes include Dr. Will Magnus, Flash I, Green Arrow, Kid Devil, Miss Martian, and Wildcat. While the sole female Metal Man, Platinum, is mentioned in the story, she is never seen on panel.

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ISSUE REVIEW

Boosterrific Review: By their very nature, throw away Christmas stories can be either middling or fantastic. Somehow they are never terrible, just forgetable. And odds are that you'll probably forget this middling story as soon as you close the cover.

Boosterrific Rating:

• Currently 3.0/5 Stars.

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