He is a man with many names: Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle,
Saint Nicholas. He has international fame, but only ever appears once a year to
defy physics and commit the greatest act of breaking-and-entering known to man.
Santa Claus is one of the oldest and most beloved icons around the world, but
he’s rarely thought of as a “superhero.” This November, Grant Morrison (The
Multiversity, All-Star Superman, Batman), one of the most prolific writers in
comics, teams up with homegrown BOOM! Studios artist Dan Mora (Hexed) to change
the way we view Jolly Old Saint Nick in the original limited series Klaus.
Set in a dark fantastic past of myth and magic, Klaus tells
the story of how Santa Claus really came to be. Where did he begin? What was he
like when he was young? And what happens when he faces his greatest challenge?
Drawing on Santa Claus’ wilder roots in Viking lore and Siberian
shamanism—taking in the creepier side of Christmas, and characters like the
sinister Krampus—Klaus is “SantaClaus: Year One.”
“Klaus is the story of our hero’s greatest challenge and how
he overcame it,” said Morrison. “This is the tale of one man and his wolf against
a totalitarian state and the ancient evil that sustains it. Part action
thriller, part sword-and-sorcery, part romance, part science fiction, Klaus has
given us free rein to revamp, reinvent and re-imagine a classic superhero for
the 21st century. He’s making a list and he’s checking it twice. This Christmas
it’s all about psychedelic shamanism, anti-authoritarian guerrilla gift-giving,
and the jingle bells of freedom!”
“Grant has injected new life into superheroes time and again
over the course of his career, so when he said he wanted to reinvent Santa
Claus into a powerful rebel hero, we were immediately onboard,” said BOOM!
Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “This is a huge subject to tackle;
everyone knows some version of Santa Claus. Grant has taken the coolest and
creepiest parts of the Santa Claus legends from all over the world and molded
it into a story that’s mythic and full of visceral wonder. It takes a talented
artist to keep up with Grant’s ideas, and I can tell you that Dan Mora is not
only up to the task, but has run wild with this story.”
Klaus #1 (of 6) arrives in comic shops on November 4th with
a main cover by series artist Dan Mora for the price of $3.99. Also available
in a limited quality is a 10 Years incentive cover by Felipe Smith (All-New
Ghost Rider), a Jackpot variant cover by Frazer Irving (2000 AD), and a retailer
incentive cover by Chris Burnham (Batman Incorporated).
I love Morrison and I love Santa, so I reckon I better pick this one up!
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