DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1 (2016)
🎄✨ A Superpowered Celebration of the Season! ✨🎄
Genre
Holiday Special / Superhero / Anthology / Comedy / Drama
This one-shot blends festive cheer with superhero action, offering an anthology of holiday-themed stories. Expect heart, humor, and holiday hijinks as DC heroes face the spirit of the season in unique ways.
Main Characters
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Harley Quinn 🃏
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The Flash Family ⚡
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Wonder Woman 🦸♀️
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John Constantine 🔥
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Huntress 🎯
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Detective Chimp 🐵🕵️
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Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Batwoman, and more guest appearances 🎁
Writer
✍️ A stellar lineup of DC storytellers crafted this holiday anthology:
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Paul Dini (notably writes the framing Harley Quinn tale)
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Tim Seeley
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Steve Orlando
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James Tynion IV
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Vita Ayala
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James Asmus
Each writer delivers a unique holiday tale set within the Rebirth continuity.
Artist
🎨 Featured artists include:
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Elsa Charretier
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Bilquis Evely
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Robbi Rodriguez
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Andrea Mutti
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Matías Bergara
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David LaFuente
Each story is visually distinct, reflecting the tone of its narrative—from whimsical and cartoony to dark and atmospheric.
Editor Details
📝 Marie Javins served as the lead editor, ensuring the diverse collection of stories blended smoothly. Under her guidance, the issue maintains festive coherence while giving creative freedom to each team.
Publisher and Brand
📚 Published by DC Comics under the DC Rebirth imprint.
Rebirth was DC’s line-wide initiative aimed at restoring legacy and emotional depth to its characters while moving stories forward with modern clarity.
Release Year
📆 2016
Released during the holiday season to bring a blend of cheer, nostalgia, and classic comic book fun to fans.
Brief Plot Summary
This special issue weaves together multiple short stories, each spotlighting a different hero or team celebrating the holidays in their own way:
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Harley Quinn is on a bizarre journey, crashing other heroes' festive tales in a meta-style framing sequence.
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The Flash Family bonds through a joyful, snow-filled Christmas.
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Wonder Woman finds herself at odds with John Constantine’s pagan party.
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Huntress experiences a powerful Hanukkah crisis that touches on identity and heritage.
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Detective Chimp makes a triumphant return with surprising emotional depth.
From heartfelt family moments to absurd magical misadventures, each vignette captures the spirit of giving, redemption, and camaraderie.
Notable Arcs or Storylines
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“A Very Harley Holiday” by Paul Dini: Harley's chaotic travels through other characters' tales serve as the whimsical connective tissue of the special.
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“The Last Minute” (Flash story): Celebrated for its emotional warmth and strong family message.
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“The Night We Saved Christmas”: Batman and Detective Chimp save Santa from interdimensional chaos!
Fan Theories or Interpretations
🔍 Some fans speculate Harley’s journey across different stories hints at her growing self-awareness and narrative flexibility within the DC Universe, possibly touching on multiversal elasticity.
🕯️ Huntress’s story has been interpreted as a metaphor for reconciling personal identity with cultural heritage, especially in diasporic contexts.
🎄 Constantine’s confrontation with Wonder Woman can be seen as commentary on clashing traditions—pagan vs. modern—within superhero mythology.
Review Summary
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5/5)
A festive gem for DC fans.
The art throughout is playful and dynamic, shifting in tone with each story—from Elsa Charretier’s retro stylings to Bilquis Evely’s elegant linework. The writing balances warmth and absurdity, especially in Paul Dini’s Harley-centric narrative that both honors and parodies holiday tropes. Character depth shines particularly in the Flash and Huntress stories, bringing emotional stakes to seasonal tales.
While anthologies can feel disjointed, this one holds strong thanks to a thoughtful editorial vision and charming cross-narrative framing. Whether you’re here for holiday cheer, magical madness, or heartfelt moments, this special delivers it all 🎅📖💥
Comic Resource / Read Online (External Source)
