“Jingle Bells! Batman smells! Robin laid an egg! The Batmobile lost a wheel and The Joker got away! Hey!” Nobody knows just how this crude, schoolyard parody of the song “Jingle Bells” got started. However, it has been synonymous with holiday humor ever since. This is why DC Comics adopted it as the title for a new anthology; DC’s Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg #1.
The opening story of this anthology was written by Dorado Quick, with art by M.L. Sanapo. Titled “Santa’s Oath?” it finds John Stewart pondering why, with all he has seen as a Green Lantern, he’s never seen Santa Claus. His reverie is broken, however, by a speeding Toyman, who just robbed a famous flying sleigh. However, the driver of said sleigh, while familiar to Stewart’s eye, turns out to be someone else entirely.
The main cover by Riley Rossmo, title page, and first four pages of DC’s Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg #1 can be viewed below.
DC’s Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg Offers Holiday Hijinks and Drama
The “Santa’s Oath?” story sets the tone for the rest of DC’s Batman Smells Robin Laid an Egg #1. Overall, most of the stories are light-hearted, if not outright comedic. “Ghosts of Christmas Present,” for instance, forces John Constantine to play the love interest in a Hallmark Christmas movie come to life. This is apparently necessary to save a woman named Abigail from the demons that are out to make this Christmas her last. Conversely, “Oh Glowy Night” finds Superman literally glowing, leaving him to figure out which of his enemies is responsible.
Balanced against the comedy is a Deadman story from Marv Wolfman and Paul Pelletier. This heart-warming yet harrowing tale finds Boston Brand creating a Christmas miracle to save a group of trapped miners. Alas, despite the title, there is no story in which the Joker makes a cunning escape thanks to Batman and Robin’s bad gas. However, one story does show Joker an Earth where he never existed, in a parody of It’s A Wonderful Life.
DC’s Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on December 4, 2024.
