If Santa is a mutant, does that make this Batman team-up an intercompany crossover?: Staff Picks

Each week, ComicsXF staff offer their recommendations for what to read. New DC books come out Tuesdays, everything else Wednesdays.

Chris’ pick: Batman-Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1: A not-so-jolly St. Nick hits Gotham City to investigate a brutal crime in the days leading up to Christmas. With the help of his former student, Batman, Santa will team up with the heroes of the DC Universe to right this wrong, or the world will wake up to coal in their stockings. Written by Jeff Parker and drawn by Michele Bandini. ($3.99) Previously, in BatChat …

Anna’s pick: The Sentry #1: The Sentry is dead, but ordinary people all over the world are suddenly manifesting his powers and experiencing snippets of Bob Reynolds’ memories. Will one of them survive long enough to emerge as the new Sentry? Or will their newfound power destroy them? Written by Jason Loo and drawn by Luigi Zagaria. ($4.99) Listen to Loo talk about the series on this week’s WMQ&A: The ComicsXF Interview Podcast.

Hellboy Winter Special: Yule Cat: Hellboy travels to Reykjavik, where children are disappearing and a giant beast has been spotted. Could it be the infamous Yule Cat of Icelandic lore? By Matt Smith for Dark Horse. ($3.99)

Matt’s pick: Orcs!: The Gift #1: An alliance between Orcs, Crows and Elves is the last thing anyone would expect, but times have changed since the defeat of the Wizard. The adventuring party grows larger as two of the Crows join the gang of miscreant Orcs. But the fun can only last so long as the Wolf King holds a deep grudge against the Orcs, threatening a second War of the Beasts. By Christine Larsen for BOOM Studios. ($5.99)

Dan’s pick: Transformers #3: Outnumbered and overpowered, it’s time for the Autobots to stand their ground, as Optimus Prime goes toe to toe with Skywarp. By Daniel Warren Johnson for Image/Skybound. ($3.99)

Mark’s pick: Usagi Yojimbo Ice and Snow #3: The yokai, Yuki Onna, is on a rampage and attacks a gang of bandits who are searching for Usagi and Yukichi. She kills many of them but comes face to face with their leader, Jei, the Blade of the Gods. Meanwhile, Usagi and Yukichi, suffering from the effects of the fight with Yuki Onna, are holed up in her small hut dreading her return. By Stan Sakai for Dark Horse. ($4.99)

Tony’s pick: Daredevil #4: Bullseye makes his bloody entrance into Matt Murdock’s new life, and Hell’s Kitchen is caught in the crossfire. As the bodies pile up, Daredevil is forced to make an impossible choice between stopping his deadliest enemy and saving the soul of his friend. Written by Saladin Ahmed and drawn by German Peralta. ($4.99)

Austin’s pick: Star Wars #41: With the final mission to rescue Lobot from the terrors of the Scourge underway, galactic ne’er-do-well Lando Calrissian must finally reckon with the sins of his past. Will he be the scoundrel he’s always been or the hero he could be? Written by Charles Soule and drawn by Madibek Musabekov. ($4.99)

Adam’s pick: The Marvel Universe by Art Adams Omnibus HC: Energetic, richly detailed, full of character and just plain fun, Art Adams’ art merged East and West, bringing manga influences to American readers and influencing a generation of future artists. Collecting Longshot #1-6, New Mutants Special Edition #1, Uncanny X-Men Annual #9 and #10, Cloak and Dagger (1985) #9, X-Factor (1986) #41 and #42, Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem and Fantastic Four (1961) #347-349, plus material from Web of Spider-Man Annual #2, X-Men Annual #12 and #14, Fantastic Four (1961) #358 and Marvel Holiday Special (1991) #1.

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Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts WMQ&A: The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.