Celebrating the 55th ANNIVERSARY of one of comics’ greatest Christmas tales… Going all the way back to 13th Dimension’s first holiday season in 2013, we’ve celebrated annually Mike Friedrich and Neal Adams’ 1969 The Silent Night of the Batman, in my mind the most affecting of all Christmas comics stories. We’ve run multiple columns, most recently a 2023 piece by our pal Peter Stone, Neal’s son-in-law, but this year — the eight-page classic’s 55th anniversary — we take you deeper than ever, thanks to Scott Dunbier of Act 4 Publishing. Scott’s final Artist’s Edition for IDW, due in spring 2025, is the Neal Adams DC Classics Artist’s Edition, and it includes all the original art for this wonderfully warm Christmas tale. So, here are the eight pages, along with Scott’s commentary, as well as the published versions. Merry Christmas! — Dan — By SCOTT DUNBIER “The Silent Night of the Batman” Batman #219, cover-dated February 1970, released in November 1969, just in time for the holidays. Mike Friedrich, Writer Neal Adams, Penciller Dick Giordano, Inker Gaspar Saladino, Letterer Julie Schwartz, Editor A short story that features Batman as a supporting character to the spirit of Christmas. It begins with a familiar motif — Batman being summoned by Commissioner Gordon via the Batsignal to police headquarters. It’s Christmas Eve, and rather than Gordon offering the case du jour, his motive is much more personal, inviting the Caped Crusader to be a guest at a holiday party. A somewhat skeptical Batman decides to join in, for the briefest of moments, until the inevitable emergency occurs and he is called away to tend to his duties as the protector of Gotham. Or so he thinks. The story is told on parallel levels; three vignettes that normally might involve Batman, interspersed with shots of our hero, Gordon, and a group of officers singing carols. To me, it harkens back to the perennial Christmas flick, It’s a Wonderful Life, the story of a man who doesn’t realize what a tremendous impact he has had on everyone in his orbit. This story follows a similar conceit; several incidents arise and Batman’s presence, his “spirit,” intervenes. As Gordon offers, it’s almost like Batman’s investment in Gotham City has paid off, allowing him a brief reprieve. But, as an “art guy,” I’d be remiss if I did...