This week Andy and Derek present the first of two special year-end, holiday season, best of episodes of The Comics Alternative.  In this week’s show, the Two Guys with PhDs discuss two comics anthologies, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s The Best American Comics 2012, edited by Françoise Mouly, and Eureka Production’s 19th volume in their Graphic Classics series, Christmas Classics. They begin with Mouly’s collection and, while appreciating the comics included in this year's volume, speculate on the selection process and wonder about the kind of democratic inclusion that a series with “Best American Comics” in its title necessitates. The Two Guys then turn their attention to the holidays and discuss the various selections found in Christmas Classics. They point out that much like this year’s Graphic Classics holiday volume, Halloween Classics, the Christmas one delivers clever and well-crafted versions of classic literature that are sure to please both comics fans and literary aficionados.