A Very Unmerry Christmas in Oni Press’ Krampus: A Yuletide Adventure

I love discovering new graphic novels and there is a variety of books for all types of readers. When seeking out graphic novels for the holiday season I decided to check out Krampus: A Yuletide Adventure by Brian Joines. Here are my thoughts on this graphic novel from Oni Press!

Synopsis: When the Secret Society of Santa Clauses are robbed of their holiday magic and rendered powerless by an unknown force, they have no choice but to enlist the infamous yuletide terror known as Krampus to journey from the North Pole to recapture their magic in time to save the day. Oh, SURE–besting a malevolent gang of Sugar Plum Fairies, a holiday-themed gun for hire, and Krampus’s own hatred for the Society (and all of society in general) sounds like a cakewalk, but when a dark secret from the Santas’ past comes to light, Krampus is put to the ultimate test.

Review: As a person who loves all things Christmas, I’m always seeking out holiday-themed reads, and one that recently caught my eye was Krampus: A Yuletide Adventure by Brian Joines. It sparked my interest from the initial cover art on top of the story’s synopsis. It’s not your traditional Christmas story and I found that to be very intriguing since I’m always seeking stories with a different perspective on the holiday season.

For those that are unfamiliar with Krampus, he can best be summed up as a horned figure that originates from Central and Eastern Alpine folklore. He is known as a terrifying creature that during the Christmas season, scares children who have misbehaved. In this story, Joines creatively takes the Krampus tale for a spin and has him taking on a journey to save Christmas by aiding the Secret Society of Santas much to his dismay. It’s a darker and gritty Christmas tale that never has a dull moment.

This graphic novel was so creative to me as the author along with the fantastic artwork from Dean Kotz and Ron Riley. I thought it was interesting that Joines took the concept of a supervillain comic and meshed it with Krampus. There are so many familiar characters in this story from Jack Frost to Sugar Plum Fairies except they are very different from the versions you grew up with. The story has elements of a grand adventure and watching Krampus battle it out with Nutcrackers and more to get to the core of the mystery was exciting. It is constantly action-packed with an overall fast pace. It’s also pretty violent too (a note for some readers who may be sensitive to that).

The artwork is colorful and makes you feel a bit nostalgic as looks similar to the Silver and Bronze Age comics. I love older comic art and I think this nod to this particular style adds to the overall gritty/supervillain tone this comic focuses on. There is much attention to detail all around and the festiveness of it all immerses the reader in this fantasy holiday world.

*Please note: This comic is for Mature Readers.

Final Verdict:

This is a recommended read for readers who are looking for a not-so-traditional holiday tale. Krampus: A Yuletide Adventure gets a 3 out of 5 stars rating from me!


About Rachel Moulden

Rachel is a fandom nerd who loves to create new stories. Outside of Fandom Spotlite you can find her writing books, chatting about all things pop culture related, and gushing about all things bookish on her book blog, Life of a Female Bibliophile. When Rachel is not busy writing you can find her jamming out to anime OSTs, indulging in a good cup of coffee, or watching too many K-Dramas. Check out her middle-grade debut novel (Lost Love: My First Boyfriend) available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. You can follow her on Twitter at @bibliophilelyfe and Instagram at @lifeofafemalebibliophile.

View all posts by Rachel Moulden

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