Superhero Shows: Deck the Halls with Batman

24 December 2009

Deck the Halls with Batman

Although Batman has always seemed a better fit with Halloween, in 1992 the grand tradition of presenting Batman with a backdrop of Christmas began in the Tim Burton Nightmare before Christmasesque prototype Batman Returns. You may not remember it being a Christmas movie after all these years of unwatchabilitiy, but you may remember some talk of eating mistletoe and of the tree lighting girl being thrown off of a roof. Definitely at Christmas.

Later in the same year, The Animated Series would get in on the game with Christmas with the Joker.

Not the best episode of the series by any stretch but the Joker does sing the classic, "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells."

The New Batman Adventures would keep tradition alive with an episode titled, Holiday Knights in 1997.

This effort was a lot better than the earlier Joker one, combining three vignettes into a delightful little episode.

Although Batman himself pulled Watchtower duty, his teammates enjoyed Christmas together in the Justice League episode, Comfort and Joy.

In 2008, Batman: The Brave and the Bold rekindled the Christmas tradition when Batman teamed with the android Red Tornado to teach the true spirit of Christmas while destroying an evil army of Fun Haus' Santas and reindeer.

Invasion of the Secret Santas however wasn't the last time that Batman would be punching Santa Claus on Brave and the Bold. In Legends of the Dark Mite, Batman would have to face off against a slew of holiday themed baddies including hog riding Santas, pumpkin heads and deranged Easter Bunnies.

So just because its Christmas Batman wants to remind criminals everywhere (even those dressed like Santa) crime doesn't pay. Oh, and Merry Christmas to all and to all a dark night.

EDIT: See Comments, there was also this jolly cameo in 1966.