Maintaining the theme of vitriolic hatred, Radiskull & Devil Doll: Radiskull Hate Christmas is the second one-shot based on the (it says here) popular Shockwave animation featuring a floating demonic skull and his cuddly satanic doll friend.

As you might expect, this is not a plot driven comic.  Radiskull, you see, hates Christmas.  Following an altercation with the evil bone, Santa Claus despatches three ghosts to visit him and instil him with the Christmas spirit in yet another parody of A Christmas Carol.

There is a problem with this structure - it's been done to death.  Of course, that's why they're parodying it, but is there really anything more to say about A Christmas Carol?  Radiskull's refusal to play along with the ghosts isn't all that original - at least until we get to the ghost of Christmas future, which inexplicably turns into an anime parody at the first opportunity.

While the story's a bit prosaic, there are plenty of amusing moments scattered along the way - such as a ridiculously unexplained flashback supposedly showing the origin of the enmity between Radiskull and Santa Claus, which just shows them leading opposing armies in medieval Japan with no further explanation.  It's the bizarrely out of place ideas that raise the most laughs.

Could do with a more original plot (and a stronger story generally, to be honest).  But amusing for all that.

Rating: B

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