SCARY CHRISTMAS (VOL. 2) #1, from American Mythology on December 22nd, 2021, tells three tales of horror centered around Santa Claus and the power of belief. When the forces of evil threaten the childlike wonder of Christmas Eve, what will Santa’s magic do to restore children’s faith?
The Details
- Written By: James Kuhoric, Alexander Banchitta, G.D. Parsons, S.A. Check
- Art By: Puis Calzada, Horacio Domingues
- Letters By: Natalie Jane
- Cover Art By: Buz Hasson, Ken Haeser
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: December 22, 2021
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Was It Good?
American Mythology is one of the better-to-best small publishers out there tackling an under-served genre – Horror. In SCARY CHRISTMAS (VOL. 2) #1, readers are treated to a collection of short Christmas tales with a horror twist, and by and large, they all work.
The tone and style of each short falls somewhere between Tales From The Crypt and Tales From The Darkside. The violence and gore rise to the level of a PG-13 film but nothing so gruesome that younger readers will be shocked. That’s not to say the stories are bland or tame. They have an ironic bite to them that makes each one satisfying in its way.
In general, this was a thoroughly entertaining horror anthology to ring in the Holiday season. More details on each short can be found below.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
The introductory prologue is performed by American Mythology’s resident hostess witch who’s arrived to read some spooky Christmas tales for Satan’s little helpers. The punny dialog is amusing and Calzada excels at using hatching lines to give each character memorable contours that work well in a B&W comic.
Frankenclaus
Young Victor Frankenstein Jr. has lost his belief in Santa Claus when the bullies at pick on him for believing in fairytales. Spurred on to restore his son’s faith, Dr. Frankenstein hatches a plan to use his unique “medical” talents to prove his son’s bullies wrong.
No one expects an intersection between Santa Claus and Frankenstein, yet here we are. The art is good, although it would have been more effective t make Frankenclaus a little more bizarre-looking. The story works generally, but there are a few disconnected plot points that were confusing. When do the opening deaths happen in the timeline? Why would the bullies conclude confirmation of a monstrous Santa means there must also be a real Santa? Of the three shorts, this is the weakest story.
The Gift of Death
A vicious girl, Crimson J. Stokes, with a reputation for receiving coal on Christmas has decided to give jolly St. Nick a little payback. Speaking directly to the readers, Crimson demonstrates a series of booby traps she’s set throughout the house, each with a gruesomely nasty effect when it catches Santa. However, when the Midnight hour arrives, Santa’s the one to get the last laugh.
Parsons creates an amusingly macabre tale where the main character’s imagination is gruesome than the actual events in the story. It’s a cute (in a vicious way) story that’s the most imaginative of the bunch.
I Saw Mommy Kissing Nosferatu
A young boy sneaks out of bed on Christmas Eve to snap a photo of Santa in his red suit. Unfortunately, the only red he finds is a vampire draining the life of his mother. When the boy’s attempts at escape fall short, Santa arrives to go toe-to-toe with the undead.
This story is the most action-packed of the three with the leanest, clearest plot. The theme is a straightforward one – What happens when the Prince of Darkness clashes with the Spirit of Christmas? There’s nothing deeper to the story than to see what happens when two legendary forces fight. It’s pure, entertaining eye candy.
Final Thoughts
SCARY CHRISTMAS (VOL. 2) #1 is a fun, original horror anthology. Each story has a Santa-centric premise, pitting the jolly old elf against evil children, vampires, and school bullies. The stories are light on gore or overt shock value, but they each contain an appreciable amount of bite (no pun intended) in their twists and turns.
Score: 8/10
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