Six Comics To Put You In The Holiday Spirit

by Andrea Purcell

It’s the holiday season so celebrate with some comic books and graphic novels perfect for this time of the year. We’ve picked six graphic novels that range the entire spectrum of the holidays, from classic Christmas tales, a retelling of A Christmas Carol in Gotham, and even a cameo from Krampus.

These graphic novels are sure to put you in the holiday spirit and bring lots of good cheer. You can find these and more comics, graphic novels, and merchandise right now at your local comic shop!

Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories

Travel back to a more innocent time with the heartwarming and delightful Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories (SEP100411). This gorgeous hardcover from IDW Publishing collects holiday themed stories from some of comic’s greatest creators like Walt Kelly, John Stanley, Dan Noonan, and many more. These charming stories are full of holiday wonder, with everything from elves and talking snowmen to reindeer and Santa himself! A wonderful collection to read together with the family during the holidays, this graphic novel makes a wonderful gift for young comic readers or classic fans of the genre. 

Klaus Pen and Ink #1

Grant Morrison delves into the mythos surrounding Christmas with a story about Santa Claus like you’ve never seen in Klaus Pen and Ink #1 (FEB161251). This behind the scenes look at the first issue of the sold out BOOM! Studios hit explores the origin of one of the world’s most beloved myths in this Santa Claus year one style story. Giving Santa a wild side and rooting him in Viking and Siberian folklore, this is a young man who is yet to become jolly and stout. Explore the fictional history of the holiday in this fantastic fantasy tale woven by a master of the craft. 

Batman Noel

Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol gets a superhero facelift in DC Comics’ Batman Noel (JUL110245). Packed in a deluxe edition hardcover this story will bring the joy of the holidays even to a place as gloomy as Gotham. Batman steps in to the role of Ebenezer Scrooge as award winning writer and artist Lee Bermejo travels through the different interpretations of The Caped Crusader. Traveling from the Golden Age, to the Swinging Sixties, and even the brooding and dark comics of today; Bermejo takes pride in exploring the different facets that make Batman such an enduring character – all through a holiday themed lens.

Krampus

The holidays aren’t all shiny and bright, as Image Comics unleashes a yuletide demon in the not safe for kids graphic novel, Krampus (SEP140624). This black comedy is perfect for jaded holiday goers looking for a laugh as Krampus is freed from a long imprisonment and tasked with a mission – recover the stolen powers of the Secret Society of Santa Clauses! As this monstrous maven of terror crisscrosses the globe, bumping into other well know figures of holiday myth and legend along the way, he uncovers a sinister plot to rid the world of Santa Claus and change Christmas forever. It’s up to Krampus to save Christmas, but is he up to the job?

Charlie Brown's Christmas Stocking

It wouldn’t be the holidays with Charlie Brown, and now you can share a little more joy with Charlie Brown’s Christmas Stocking (SEP121089). This stocking stuffer sized delight from Fantagraphics Books collects two Christmas themed Peanuts stories originally published in the 1960s for national magazines. The first, which lends its title to the collection features the whole Peanuts gang joking or reflecting on the season and what it means to them while the second story simply titled The Christmas Story, showcases Lucy and Linus as they explain the meaning of the holiday to Snoopy. Perfect for young and old readers alike, there’s nothing like Peanuts on Christmas.

Happy

A hitman on the run from the mob and a tiny blue horse collide in Happy (OCT130491), an unexpected holiday story from Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson. Image Comics has collected the four issue mini-series into an oversized hardcover, perfect for giving as a gift or keeping all to yourself. A holiday tale on par with Die Hard or Long Kiss Goodnight, Happy doesn’t pull any punches with ex-cop turned hitman Nick Sax as he deals with a hit gone wrong. With the cops and the mob on his tail, and a monstrous killer in a Santa suit roaming the streets, it’s up to his cheerful hallucination of a tiny blue horse named Happy to bring the holiday cheer back into his cold heart.

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Andrea Purcell is a Web Content Writer for PREVIEWSworld.com and a part-time assistant to busy comic creators. Her favorite past times are singing karaoke at comic conventions and memorizing obscure trivia about random pop culture.