REVIEW: ‘Tis The Season To Be Freezin,’ Issue #1

Tis The Season To Be Freezin #1 is an anthology one-shot published by DC Comics. Continuing the trend of holiday-themed specials from DC, including the Halloween special Are You Afraid of Darkseid? and the Valentine’s Day special Love is a Battlefield, this special features Christmas-themed tales centered on the heroes and villains of the DC Universe. And keeping in line with the title, each tale also features a hero or villain with ice-based powers.

There are eight tales in total. “One Snowy Night” is written by Alan Burnett & Paul Dini, illustrated by Jordan Gibson, colored by Monica Kubina, and lettered by Josh Reed, and takes place in the world of Batman: The Animated Series. “The Syphoning” is written by Tee Franklin, illustrated by Yancy Labat, colored by Tony Avina, and lettered by Taylor Esposito; it features Vixen teaming up with the Super-Pets. Bizarro takes center stage in “Bizarro V. Seasonal Depression: Dawn of Climate Change!” written by Amdeo Turturro, illustrated and colored by Jason Howard, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. “Stay Frosty” is written by Jeff Trammell, illustrated by Justin Mason, colored by Allen Passalaqua, and lettered by Reed; it features an uneasy Christmas Eve team-up between Firestorm and Killer Frost.

“Snow Date” is written by Rick Bernatovech, penciled by Travis Mercer, inked by Norm Rapmjnd, colored by Andrew Dalhouse, and lettered by Dave Sharpe; it features Polar Boy from the Legion of Superheroes. “A Change of Heart” is written by Tara Roberts, illustrated by Eric Battle, colored by Eva de la Cruz, and lettered by Ferran Delgado; it features Harley Quinn teaming up with the Blue Snowman to save Poison Ivy’s life. The Flash and Captain Cold take center stage in “Christmas: Cold and Fast,” which is written by Bobby Moynihan, illustrated by Pop Mhan, colored by Ivan Plascencia, and lettered by Steve Wands. Finally, the JLQ feature in “Break The Ice,” written by Andrew Wheeler, illustrated by Meghan Hetrick, colored by Marissa Louise, and lettered by Becca Carey.

Of all the stories in this anthology, “One Snowy Night” is my favorite, followed closely by “Stay Frosty” and “Christmas: Cold and Fast.” Many people have spoken on how influential Batman: The Animated Series has been over the years, but I think one of the greatest things the show ever did was reinterpret Mister Freeze as a tragic figure. “One Snowy Night” beautifully continues that thread, as an encounter between Freeze and Tim Drake reveals a tragic secret from the villain’s past. Dini and Burnett were writers on Batman: The Animated Series; they know how to capture that show’s balance of pathos and superheroics. Gibson’s art hews extremely close to the Batman: The Animated Series style, and Kubina’s colors set the dark and moody tone the show is known for.

“Stay Frosty” and “Christmas: Cold and Fast” also tackle similar stories, with Firestorm warming up to Killer Frost (pun intended) and the Flash and Captain Cold setting aside their animosity to bring joy to Central City’s younger citizens. However, the biggest surprise of the anthology is “The Syphoning.” Franklin’s script tackles issues of self-esteem and mental health; Vixen is attempting to take the day off and clear her head, while the Penguin has taken the power of the Super-Pets to lash out at a world that’s disrespected him. Labat and Avina take an animated approach to their art, with glowing gold and green energy representing Vixen and Penguin respectively as they tap into the Red.

Tis The Season To Be Freezin #1 will put DC fans in the holiday spirit, as their favorite characters get into the Christmas spirit. I definitely recommend it to readers of all shapes and sizes; at least one of these tales will put a smile on your face.

Tis The Season To Be Freezin #1 is available now wherever comics are sold.