The Greatest Christmas Movie of All Time Has a Prequel Story Most Fans Missed

by

Most people enjoy cheerful Christmas movies, but the only essential part is that the story takes place during the Christmas season. Because of this, we should stop arguing about whether it deserves to be considered a classic holiday film.

If you still don’t consider the 1988 film Die Hard a Christmas movie, you might enjoy stories set at other times of the year. For example, a comic book called Die Hard: Year One features a younger John McClane fighting crime during the summer.

Die Hard: Year One Follows John McClane As A Rookie Cop

Similar to Frank Miller’s famous Batman story, Die Hard: Year One shows us the beginnings of John McClane. Written by acclaimed comic book author Howard Chaykin, this eight-part series—published by Boom! Studios from 2009 to 2010—tells two stories of McClane’s early days as a new NYPD officer, years before the events at Nakatomi Plaza.

The initial four issues take place in 1976. John McClane is assigned to provide security for a wealthy New Yorker’s yacht during a Fourth of July celebration – making this the second Die Hard story to occur on Independence Day. However, the party is disrupted by corrupt police officers, a self-proclaimed environmental activist, and their accomplices, leaving McClane as the only one who can stop them.

The second part of the series jumps ahead one year to the summer of 1977, a time marked by the crimes of David “Son of Sam” Berkowitz. But Berkowitz isn’t the central threat in this story. Now a detective, John McClane and his partner, Olga Cruces, find themselves juggling two major cases on the same night: a hostage situation at a massage parlor and a city-wide blackout caused by a group of criminals preparing for a bank robbery.

Unlike most prequels – whether they’re movies or comics – that simply retell the story of how a hero became famous, Die Hard: Year One goes in a surprising new direction. In fact, some fans might not even recognize John McClane as he’s portrayed in this version.

Die Hard: Year One Is Not Quite The Prequel Of Fans’ Dreams

As a huge fan of the Die Hard movies, I’ve always been a little disappointed with where the series went, particularly with Live Free or Die Hard and especially A Good Day to Die Hard. They seemed to move away from what made John McClane so relatable and groundbreaking – he was supposed to be an ordinary guy in extraordinary circumstances! Instead, he felt almost invincible, and honestly, the prequel comic book did the same thing. It just wasn’t the same McClane we all fell in love with.

The comic Die Hard: Year One received a mixed reaction from critics. Many found the story unoriginal and the portrayal of John McClane disappointing. The artwork, by Stephen Thompson and Gabriel Andrade Jr., was also criticized for making McClane look more like a modern Bruce Willis wearing a hairpiece than a young 1970s police officer. Ultimately, it seemed Howard Chaykin didn’t quite grasp what made the character so compelling in the first place.

The first Die Hard movie established John McClane as an unlikely hero – a regular guy thrust into a dangerous situation he didn’t ask for. So, in Die Hard: Year One, he should logically be even more scared and overwhelmed when his younger self gets involved. Instead, the new film reimagines him as a Vietnam War veteran – a backstory never revealed before – and gives him a detached, ‘cool’ persona that feels dated. This version of McClane acts and speaks in ways that are very different from the relatable character audiences originally connected with.

The comic hints that John McClane had experience with dangerous situations before the events of Die Hard, despite appearing unprepared in the original 1988 film. However, Die Hard: Year One suffers from cheesy dialogue, excessive narration (both McClane’s thoughts and an outside voice), bland supporting characters, and lackluster action sequences, all compounded by confusing changes to established backstory, making it a disappointing addition to the franchise.

Die Hard: Year One Almost Inspired A Movie

As a critic, I’ve always been fascinated by what-ifs in cinema, and Die Hard: Year One is a prime example. It’s a film that really split audiences, but honestly, I think it could have been something special if the planned adaptation had actually come to fruition. It’s a shame we never got to see that version.

Subscribe for Deep Dives into Movie Lore and Comics

Subscribe for Deep Dives into Movie Lore and Comics

In 2017, Len Wiseman, the director of Live Free or Die Hard, was chosen to direct a Die Hard prequel. The film was initially going to be based on a comic book by Howard Chaykin, but the title was later changed from the original concept to simply McClane.

Bruce Willis agreed to return as the main character in present-day scenes, but only if the script was reworked. This request proved to be an early warning sign of trouble, and the film stalled in development for years. Eventually, when Bruce Willis retired from acting, the movie—and John McClane’s story—was officially canceled.

Hollywood might be wise to avoid making a movie explaining how John McClane became an action hero. We’ve already seen his origin story in Die Hard, and audiences can enjoy it as a holiday tradition – or anytime, really.

Read More

2025-12-22 22:07