Creepshow: Holiday Special 2023 #1 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW: HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2023 No. 1, December 2023

Most definitely succeeding in its mission “to put the fear in your cheer”, Daniel Kraus’ storyline for “Christmas Man” easily establishes a truly disconcerting foe to murderously stalk Santa Claus during the snow-laden season of giving. Indeed, considering the perfectly plausible background this terrifying tale’s supporting cast make up as to the motivation behind “the Abominable Snowman of the North Pole”, the toe-hungry monster genuinely sounds like something the American author has simply plucked from the mythical stories surrounding Saint Nicholas himself, rather than a foul fiend created specifically for this comic’s ten-page long plot.

In addition, artist Jonathan Wayshak needs a massive pat on the back for his engrossing pencils, which entertainingly incorporate the heavily-stylised sketches of little Esme to help illustrate the child’s traumatised thoughts as to what the fur-covered creature probably looks like in life as it remorselessly follows Father Christmas on foot. These scribblings genuinely help sell the increasing dread flowing through this fairy-tale's impressionable protagonist, and will also doubtless imbue the reader with all the confirmation they need that the child’s mean-spirited siblings have gotten their ‘just rewards’ once the heavily-fanged Yeti has mercilessly devoured all their feet before her very eyes.

Slightly less graphic in its telling, though still containing plenty of removed human body parts, is “Package Thieves” by James Asmus. This “cautionary tale about stealing the wrong parcel” is arguably a little slow in places as Holly becomes increasingly paranoid during her day-to-day thievery, and starts to strongly doubt her life of crime is as victimless as her overbearing partner, Joy, repeatedly claims. But once it becomes clear the pair are specifically being targeted by a homicidal Spirit of Christmas, the pace quite noticeably 'hots up' into a stomach-churning conclusion.

Disappointingly however, “lively” Letizia Cadonici’s layouts probably don’t help with the speed of this predominantly sedentary yarn either, courtesy of the Italian’s somewhat minimalist style (along with Francesco Segala’s colours) making all the figures rather flat-looking and lifeless. Indeed, even the touching despair in the face of a poor father desperate to buy a robot dog back from the woman who stole it from his front-porch, disappointingly lacks a lot of its emotional impact – something which just such a scene should definitely evoke considering its made crystal clear he only wants the toy for his hapless, hospital-bound daughter.

The regular cover art of "CREEPSHOW: HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2023" #1 by Guillem March