Boom! Studios 2016
Created & Written by Grant Morrison
Illustrated by Dan Mora
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire
As the end draw Nigh Klaus has been seemingly killed and the Krampus is running amok in the castle. The children have fled through the castle’s ventilation shafts leaving Lily, her so and her husband to face the demon.
I’ve been a huge fan of this since issue one and that it went from something akin to Rankin/Bass to the Brother’s Grimm and still feels like it should be a modern holiday horror classic thrills me to no end. Even with the ending this issue it has all the hallmarks of everything both great and evil regarding holidays. It’s my humble opinion with the quality of storytelling through both words and pictures that this should be up for limited series of the year.
I really like the writing and characterization here. When Krampus is taunting Lord Magnus while holding his son in his hands it’s some of the best and most villainous stuff around. Even better is that through it all Lord Magnus still refuses to believe he’s been played for a fool. How much proof do you need to see before you understand you’ve been a tool in someone else’s machinations?
Dan’s interiors are utterly amazing. I love his vision of Krampus it’s dastardly demonic and hits all the right chords. Klaus is, well let’s be honest, a beefcake, handsome as can be and all the things you want a hero to be. I have to say these kids are great too they’ve got all that innocence and fear about the situation they are in on their faces. The way the story flows through it’s pages and panels with angles and perspective are smartly done. Then there’s that two page spread of Klaus arriving and yeah wow.
This has been one of those really good stories that feels comfortable and familiar when you start it and then Grant takes you on this magnificent journey through a myriad of emotions, feelings and strangeness that you can’t turn away from.
From the battle between Klaus and Krampus to the living legend that is Santa and the creation of gifts at Yuletime this series has covered all the bases in a darker version of events that could have happened.