Second, this, the final entry into Splash Page's inaugural Twelve Days of Comic Book Christmas, features my favorite Christmas themed story to ever grace the pages of comics! I read this as a reprint in the early 90's and immediately fell in love. It's a light-hearted, classic team-up between two great Marvel characters.
Of course, it's only appropriate that it's...
Marvel Team-Up #1
"Have Yourself a Sandman Little Christmas!"
March 1972
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Ross Andru
Inker: Mike Esposito
Letters: Artie Simek
This issue starts out with Peter Parker on assignment for the Daily Bugle at the beach on a cold Christmas Eve. He's there to snap a few pics of the cold-weather-lovin' Polar Bear Clan.
The PBC run and jump in the frigid waters, but are startled when something emerges on the beach.
It's classic Marvel villain and sometimes good guy, Sandman!
The local beach security force, sans Hasslehoff, attempt to bring Sandy to justice, but find it a lot harder than expected. So, Spidey swings in to save the day, but even he is unsuccessful. When he offhandedly mentions it's Christmas Eve, it seems to shock Sandman, whose sole interest suddenly becomes getting away instead of sparring with the Webhead!
Sandman gets away and Spidey's not entirely phased by the whole ordeal. He's got a date with Gwen he doesn't want to break, so he figures since Sandman's not just HIS villain, he might be able to enlist the help of some other heroes: the Fantastic Four!
He travels to the Baxter Building, but finds only one of the FF there: Johnny Storm, the Human Torch!
He gives Johnny the scoop on the Sandman and the two put their heads together to figure out where he might be. They realize they've both tussled with him at the George Washington Bridge, so they figure to start there. He's not there, so they head into New Jersey and, along the way, stop a burglary and a runaway truck!
They finally spot Sandy and engage him. He gets the best of them and ties them up, leaving them to drown in a water tower. Naturally the fellas escape and catch up with Sandman as he's entering an apartment building.
Turns out this is Sandy's mom's place and he comes to visit every Christmas Eve. He pleads with Spidey and Torch to let him see her. She has no clue about his criminal ways, so he asks they leave him be for the time being and he'll turn himself over to them as soon as he's done! The guys agree, but Spidey doesn't let him see her without giving him the gift he was going to give Gwen Stacy on their date. He tells him to give it to his mom.
Well, naturally, Sandman gives them the slip after seeing his dear old mom. Spidey and the ztorch aren't too upset, though, and feel like they've done a good deed regardless after seeing Sandman's mom sleeping peacefully with the gift she was given.
This ones ends on a happy note. I still remember the first time I read it and how it made me feel: warm. To see these two guys, friends and rivals, coming together and actually helping a mutual villain was a great and almost unusual sight for the time I began really reading super hero comics. Back then everything was grim and gritty; big guns, over-the-top art and occasionally vapid stories. Here, though, from a bygone era, we had excellent writing and downright fantastic art.
There've been a million great things said about Roy Thomas and I agree with them all. Ross Andru, unless you're familiar with this era of Marvel and Spider-Man in particular, can be something of a forgotten legend. He was the artist on Amazing Spider-Man for five years, working with Gerry Conway for much of it and co-creating the Punisher. When people talk about Spidey artists, you always hear Ditko and Romita, but I'm telling you, Andru's name shouldn't be lost in that breath. Amazing artist.
That's it for this year's Twelve Days of Comic Book Christmas. It's my intent to make this an annual event, featuring a rotating roster of comics. I'm just happy I made it twelve consecutive days, which is THE record for this blog. I hope that my three readers enjoyed my synopses and occasional stupid observations. I'll be taking a couple days off to truly enjoy the holidays, but I've some more stuff coming up!
Hope everyone's holidays are wonderful!
See you soon!
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