Deck the crooks with fist all balled up. Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la. ‘Tis the season to be riled up, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la, la! Down we bring all bad guys plans. Fa-la-la, Fa-la-la, La-la-la-la. Season’s beatings are upon us! Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la! Season’s Beatings #1 from Marvel Comics is out on shelves now, just in time for your holiday shopping! Let’s check it out!

SEASON’S BEATINGS #1

Writer: Jason Latour
Artist: Greg Hinkle, Chris Brunner, Veronica Fish, Mario Del Pennino
Colors: Rico Renzi, Jim Campbell, Veronica Fish
Letters: VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover: Marcos Martin
Publisher:  Marvel Comics
Release Date: December 19th, 2018
Cover Price: $4.99

Previously in SEASON’S BEATINGS: Marvel Comics continues a holiday tradition with yet another holiday-themed issue. This one is a little wonky, in a cute and cuddly… who am I kidding, it stars Deadpool as your host. However, it does make a nice bookend with The Merry X-Men Holiday Special #1 I reviewed a few weeks back. So sit back, pour the eggnog, and make sure the kids are down for the night, this one is a little nutty.

SLAY RIDE, SLAY RIDE…

It’s the holidays, a time of year when we promote peace on Earth and good will toward all. The weather turns colder, and the malls fill up with merrymakers looking to score the latest hot toy gadget for that someone special. The mall Santa is curiously absent and we find a new sign over his. Classic X-Force is making appearing for photos and autographs. Not everyone is happy though. Domino is concerned about the X-Force image, Cannonball is worried about the kids, and Cable, well, he’s late. Time travelers, go figure. Around back, on the loading dock, we find Deadpool in a dumpster, dressed in a bloody Santa costume, unable to remember why he is there. He does remember, however, that he can break the fourth wall, which he begins to do immediately. You see, this is an anthology (YAY!) sort of (oh…) and Deadpool is our host (Uhmm… ok.). As he is trying to host these holiday tales of reflection and giving, we know immediately that it is not your run of the mill book. Over the course of the thirty-two plus pages, Deadpool shares tales of the holidays with us, the reader, in a way only he can do. Let us look them over and see what we have…

First, up, we have Peter and Miles in “Off Duty”.  Is Peter Parker really so responsible that he puts others before everything, even his own family, during the holidays? At what point does he realize he needs help? Maybe it is up to Miles, who is dealing with his own issues, to take the reins and give the elder Spidey a break. Will Peter learn a lesson about sharing and caring?

Then, in “Nutz and Bots!” Doctor Doom rants against the holidays as his oddly well-spoken Doombots reflect in fear for their transistors.  Against his ravings, what could the sudden appearance of Squirrel Girl and Tippy mean to the Scrooge of the super-villain set? You’d have to be nuts to find out.

Lastly, Kate Bishop, Detective March, and Quentin Quire team up to uncover the murderer of the mall Santa. Their suspect, the other mall Santa Helpers who showed up for the same shift. Does the victim’s history of trafficking in stolen toys factor it o the case, and who would beat a mall Santa to death with a giant candy cane?

Did I say lastly? Well, there is a little more to wrap up, like what did Squirrel Girl get Deadpool for Christmas, why was Deadpool wearing a bloody Santa costume, and when the hell did the X-Force team get so popular again? But fear not, all these questions and more are answered before the reindeer hit the roof!

DO YOU FEAR WHAT I FEAR…

This really is a non-traditional, traditional holiday comic book. A loose anthology, all the tales are written by the same writer, Jason Latour (Spider-Gwen, Southern Bastards). Latour has a good voice for sarcasm and provides a great stream of dialogue for the Merc with a Mouth. The whole comic, in fact, seems to have very much a sarcastic and irreverent tone that is fun to read. The most serious of the tales, “Off Duty” works wonderfully while the funniest, “Butz and Bots!” will just about make you laugh aloud. There is even a framing story that contains something for Deadpool to do outside of being the kinda-sorta host. Good work, and pretty entertaining.

The artist in the book varies by the story. For “Off Duty” Chris Brunner (Dark Horse Extra, Sundowners) provides the art with Rico Renzi (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Spider-Gwen) filling in the colors. The team works well together, providing a well-drawn, well-designed excursion that has a nice feel to it.

The visual team for “Nuts and Bots!” seems to mesh equally as well. With Mario Del Pennino (Ultimate Spider-Man Infinite Comic, Marvel Universe Avengers Infinite Comic) on art duties, Jim Campbell (Giant Days, Grimm Fairy Tales) brings his pallet to the forefront. The art works, surprisingly, as Doctor Doom usually brings forth a lot of menace from an artist. But here, interacting with Squirrel Girl, it all just clicks and the whole take is a fun read.

The last of the tales, “Holi-La-La-days, features artwork by Veronica Fish (Archie, The Backstagers) as she tells how the team of Katie Bishop and Quentin Quire work together to uncover a Santa murderer at a local mall. Done in Fish’s unique style that provides a fun-filled tale of Santas, toy trafficking, and interstellar crimes, it is solid and entertaining.

Lastly, the framing sequence has Greg Hinckle (Airboy, Black Cloud)) on art duties.  Hinkle’s style works great with this Deadpool centered tale. It has look that reminds me of old independent, underground comics. Great panel layouts and a good deal of feeling. It just works.

BOTTOM LINE: A NON-TRADITIONAL TAKE ON A HOLIDAY COMIC

Now we go with pretty much what I thought of it, what issues it may have, what was great in general, etc.

Always remember to mention a good thing for every bad. Never have the review without any good.

SEASON’S BEATINGS #1 would be the perfect gift for that sarcastic person in your life. Put it in their stocking right beside the lump of coal.