He’s making a list. He’s checking it twice. He’s impaling Norse vampires through the heart with a stake. You know, all your regular Santa Claus activities. Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1 introduces a Kris Kringle who is a little more mythical in a light and fun holiday read.
It’s Christmas Eve, and Batman and Robin arrive at a caroling-related crime scene. Their adventure quickly becomes magical with the intervention of Zatanna, vampires, and Santa Claus. The mysterious creatures have escaped their catacombs in the north, and Santa is in Gotham to find out why.
Silent Knight #1 is like a holiday special of your favorite show. Unsurprisng as writer Jeff Parker is also the writer behind Batman ’66, Batman ’66 Meets the Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Batman ’66 Meets Wonder Woman ’77. The issue is light, quick-paced, and full of fun interactions (Batman is on a first-name basis with Santa?). Parker nails the balance between the notion of holiday magic and the action and pace of a superhero story, creating a delightful first issue.
DC Comics
The issue is elevated thanks to the great work of the art team. Michele Bandini creates some eye-catching layouts throughout the book, with each character getting their moment in the spotlight. There is also a pair of back-to-back splash pages that are used to great effect in getting a lot of information to the reader quickly.
Colorist Alex Sinclair does a great job of bringing the holiday season to the page. There is a particular look a city has when it’s snowing before Christmas, and the lights hit that perfect golden hue. Sinclair skillfully brings that feeling to life by tapping into the contrasting warm and cold colours, creating a solid atmosphere for the story.
DC Comics
Letterer Pat Brosseau creates a dynamic read throughout the book. The paths between dialogue bubbles are clear and fluid, and there are some great onomatopoeia when those pesky vampires appear. Plus, there is a lot of tension built up to the villain reveal, thanks to their unique speech design.
With design in mind, it’s also important to shout out Dan Mora, who did the fantastic cover and designed the look of Santa Claus. The Klaus co-creator gave Santa the perfect blend of familiarity meets superheroes.
Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1 is a delightfully charming first issue. Like a holiday episode of your favorite show, Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1 is a fun read wrapped in great artwork. With an issue each week leading to Christmas, it’s a series that will surely put you in the holiday spirit.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.