And two surprising last-minute additions to the Christmas story list from Marvel, just out this week:





X-MEN 165, Feb 2005, by Chris Claremont and Sal Larocca, a great offering, filled with scenes of warmth, humor, and holiday magic as only a Claremont-scripted family of mutants could provide.



larger cover, + interior pages

PUNISHER RED X-MAS special, by Justin Gray, Mark Texiera and Jimmy Palmiotti. Which is good in its way, if you like your Santa Claus involved in a mob war with big guns and lots of testosterone.
It's somewhat of a comedy relief when Punisher, with characteristically grim/dark Punisher-brand humor, manages to extort some holiday charity out of those brutally maintaining a hold on their mob profits.