Klaus #6

by Ian B on June 15, 2016

Written by: Grant Morrison

Art and Colour by: Dan Mora

Lettered by: Ed Dukeshire

 

 

Going into the series based on nothing other than name recognition for one of my favourite writers, Grant Morrison, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect out of Klaus. What I got was a slightly surreal tale of the creation of Santa Claus, hitting all of the major motifs of the character such as the toy making and the red outfit, while deeply expanding the story and treating it with a seriousness that gives it a rare dignity that I was not expecting. Even its (relatively) all ages concept never feels as though it is in any way talking down to you or shying away from important aspects of the story that it feels unwilling to show, leading to a story that I believe could easily become a Christmas classic.

 

 

The story follows hot on the heels of the last issue, with and injured Klaus being returned to his cabin in the woods by a helpful child. This quickly turns sour, however, when the cabin is attacked, his wolf is injured, and he is left for dead staked on the ice in the wilderness to freeze to death. As this is occurring, back in the town the secondary plot, the coal miners digging towards a mysterious voice and being pushed to exhaustion and death, finally pays off when a sinister red eye peers through a hole made in the coal wall, and a monster crashes his way out. The monster itself, presumably Krampus, is sufficiently frightening while not being so scary that he would not still be suitable for an all ages book, although this shifts a bit when he literally melts a mans face off, making for the only disturbing and not really child friendly scene in the series thus far.

 

 

The artwork is absolutely gorgeous. I can't say enough good things about the artwork in this series, Dan Mora is, quite frankly, a genius. The line work is detailed and expressive, the emotion on the characters faces, from manic excitement to stark terror, is sublime, and even the backgrounds are filled with little touches that add to whatever scene they are in. The colours are where the book really shines, however. The use of colour in this series, this issue in particular, is fantastic. The shading creates a bit of an eerie, mystical feeling while the colour use itself jumps from vibrant and magical greens and blues to bright reds and oranges, all melding together in a visual feast for the eyes that, frankly, I think comes as close to perfection as possible.

 

 

Overall this issue was yet another amazing issue for this series, the artwork in particular being a huge selling point. Every image in this book is stunning, and with a plot that supports the amazing artwork and allows for readers of any age, I could easily see this series being a staple for years to come of how to do a seasonal comic book right. I can not recommend this series more highly, and even though it may be summer, this is a book that everyone should be reading to get into the Christmas spirit all year round.

Our Score:

10/10

A Look Inside