Klaus and the Crisis in Xmasville #1 Review

Klaus and the Crisis in Xmasville #1

Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Dan Mora
Publisher: BOOM! Studios

Review by Hafsa Alkhudairi

My favourite part of Christmas is here, and I’m not even Christian. Klaus has always been a breath of fresh air, making the cold seem warm and fuzzy. Seeing “Crisis in Xmasville” in Klaus and the Crisis in Xmasville made me groan thinking it would be a play on the clichés of Marvel and DC. However, like always, Grant Morrison and Dan Mora deliver a great read. It has been a while since I had this much fun reading a comic.

Klaus and the Crisis in Xmasville revolves around how companies use Christmas as a marketing tool without the religious or cultural connotations. It also reflects on how people react negatively when companies do not bank on those things. In this narrative, the Pola-Cola company uses the idea of Christmas to create Xmasville, where it is always winter. As expected, this crisis does not sit well with Klaus and so he becomes the saviour of the human spirit. Klaus doesn’t only save the human spirit in the fictional world, as the narrative can also be inspirational for the reader. Although I enjoyed the earlier iterations of Klaus, the introduction of a powerful female hero shows progressiveness. Furthermore, the narrative reminds us that Christmas, specifically the holiday spirit, is for children. It should be fun!

The well-written narrative in Klaus and the Crisis in Xmasville is paired with amazing art. Although the art maintains the style of the previous comics, it still has this compelling charm, combining the serious with the fun. I seriously appreciated the Sailor-Moon-esque character design. Moreover, I love how Dan Mora can always make blood seem dangerous, yet delicate. I cannot praise the art and style of this comic enough. The art seriously compliments the narrative in a beautiful and unexpected way. Of course, this is true for all the Klaus books, but the balance felt more poignant here.

Verdict: Buy it.

Klaus and the Crisis in Xmasville is a refreshing read. Although it has cliché elements, they are delivered in a smart way. I also really appreciate the new characters we meet here that have expanded the Klaus universe. The best part of the story is that you feel the importance of children and their happiness, without feeling like you are forced to do so. Furthermore, you don’t want to miss the artistic genius of Dan Mora! So, GO! Read it!