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Klaus #3
Klaus: The Life & Times of Santa Claus
The smash-hit from superstars Grant Morrison (Green Lantern, Happy!) and Dan Mora (Once & Future) returns with this special collection of holiday-themed stories.
The smash-hit from superstars Grant Morrison (Green Lantern, Happy!) and Dan Mora (Once & Future) returns with this special collection of holiday-themed stories. Klaus must help an absentee dad-turned-snowman make amends before melting away for good. And probably before he's defeated by a pantheon of Norse Gods and their minions. All in a day's work for Santa Claus. And then see Klaus in the role of father himself, as he takes in Joe Christmas as an infant and guides him through all of life's wild adventures in a holiday calendar-inspired comic, presented in a special widescreen format. Collects Klaus and the Crying Snowman #1 and Klaus and the Life & Times of Joe Christmas #1.
The smash-hit from superstars Grant Morrison (Green Lantern, Happy!) and Dan Mora (Once & Future) returns with this special collection of holiday-themed stories. Klaus must help an absentee dad-turned-snowman make amends before melting away for good. And probably before he's defeated by a pantheon of Norse Gods and their minions. All in a day's work for Santa Claus. And then see Klaus in the role of father himself, as he takes in Joe Christmas as an infant and guides him through all of life's wild adventures in a holiday calendar-inspired comic, presented in a special widescreen format. Collects Klaus and the Crying Snowman #1 and Klaus and the Life & Times of Joe Christmas #1.
128 pages, Hardcover
Published January 5, 2021
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,795 books4,325 followersGrant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning their American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then they have written such best-selling series as JLA, BATMAN and New X-Men, as well as such creator-owned works as THE INVISIBLES, SEAGUY, THE FILTH, WE3 and JOE THE BARBARIAN. In addition to expanding the DC Universe through titles ranging from the Eisner Award-winning SEVEN SOLDIERS and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN to the reality-shattering epic of FINAL CRISIS, they have also reinvented the worlds of the Dark Knight Detective in BATMAN AND ROBIN and BATMAN, INCORPORATED and the Man of Steel in The New 52 ACTION COMICS.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 14, 2021
Only in a Grant Morrison book can you have Santa Klaus and a Snowman preventing Ragnarok from occurring while traveling through space. This story was 10 tons of crazy and I loved it. The second story was a bit of a novelty. Twenty-five two page spreads turned vertically, almost no words, just Dan Mora's gorgeous art telling the story. Each page rewinds 3 years back in Klaus's sidekick, Joe Christmas's life on Christmas day. It's a quick read but a very neat idea.
April 11, 2023
Another fun volume of Klaus. The main reason to check this out is for Dan Mora's illustrations. Thankfully Morrison gives him lots of cool stuff to draw.
There's not really much to this. Just one short story then a mostly silent comic.
Worth checking out for fans of Dan Mora and fans of this series.
There's not really much to this. Just one short story then a mostly silent comic.
Worth checking out for fans of Dan Mora and fans of this series.
January 9, 2024
Grant Morrison surpasses expectations, outshining even the previous volumes.
In this retelling, Morrison weaves a captivating narrative around the Jack Frost story, seamlessly integrating it into the Klaus lore. The storyline is solid, and even better than its predecessors. As anticipated, the artwork is a visual feast, maintaining the consistently high standard set by the series.
What sets this volume apart is the warmth exuded by the narrative. Klaus and the Snowman face a formidable adversary, but I won't spoil the surprise. For those familiar with the earlier volumes, the payoff is satisfying. A heartwarming tale that resonates, especially when read during Christmas.
This one truly deserved 3 stars, but I can't yet again give +1 star just for the art.
In this retelling, Morrison weaves a captivating narrative around the Jack Frost story, seamlessly integrating it into the Klaus lore. The storyline is solid, and even better than its predecessors. As anticipated, the artwork is a visual feast, maintaining the consistently high standard set by the series.
What sets this volume apart is the warmth exuded by the narrative. Klaus and the Snowman face a formidable adversary, but I won't spoil the surprise. For those familiar with the earlier volumes, the payoff is satisfying. A heartwarming tale that resonates, especially when read during Christmas.
This one truly deserved 3 stars, but I can't yet again give +1 star just for the art.
July 1, 2024
If "Santa Claus fighting Surtr on Jupiter's moon, Titan," isn't a phrase that gets you going, this is not the book for you.
I just have to point out that clowns are sometimes scary, like Pennywise, sure. But snowmen and scarecrows are WAY more terrifying than the average clown! If a clown started talking to you, you'd be like, "Hey, a clown! Can I have a balloon animal?" If a half melted snowman started talking to you, you would wet yourself, and don't try to claim otherwise!
I just have to point out that clowns are sometimes scary, like Pennywise, sure. But snowmen and scarecrows are WAY more terrifying than the average clown! If a clown started talking to you, you'd be like, "Hey, a clown! Can I have a balloon animal?" If a half melted snowman started talking to you, you would wet yourself, and don't try to claim otherwise!
July 11, 2021
It seemed really familiar and I thought it was just the setting coming back to me, and then it seemed too familiar and I checked, this is just a shitty combined edition reskinned with a new title to gyp the rubes out of their money with old material in a new wrapper. Nowhere on the cover do they clue in the public to this, which just underlines the slimy, thieving nature of all involved. Avoid at all costs.
**Same review being posted for the other combined edition I was tricked into getting.
**Same review being posted for the other combined edition I was tricked into getting.
December 2, 2023
Interesting!
Well… this was… different! Different in a fun way! The graphic novel consisted of two stories. The first story had Klaus (the Norse version of Santa Claus) traveling through space with a snowman and a team of wolves to help stop Ragnarok 😅 and the second story had no dialogue just gorgeous artwork that told the story. 4 unique stars! 😁
Well… this was… different! Different in a fun way! The graphic novel consisted of two stories. The first story had Klaus (the Norse version of Santa Claus) traveling through space with a snowman and a team of wolves to help stop Ragnarok 😅 and the second story had no dialogue just gorgeous artwork that told the story. 4 unique stars! 😁
December 18, 2021
I just love Klaus so much! The whole world is incredible. Each new story is better than the last.
The Crying Snowman has Klaus taking on Ragnarok and Norse mythology, working in the idea of "naughty and nice" while teaming up with a talking snowman. It's this huge myth, full of beautiful designs by Dan Mora, about redemption and the time-space continuum and all that other cool stuff.
And then you have the Life & Times of Joe Christmas, which is definitely the best Klaus story yet. Told entirely through 25 big splash pages, with no words or dialogue save the little subtitle that tells you teh year and age, it's a lifetime of Christmases in the hands of Klaus' Robin/Jimmy Olsen. The clock slowly ticks backwards over the years as you see Joe go from an old man in a Santa costume at the mall, to a middle-aged man in the 80s going on adventures with Klaus and his wife, to a young man at the edge of World War II full of energy and fire. It's the sort of story you read once, then read it in reverse, then read it again. I can't help myself! Watching their life in reverse, then watching it forward, then watching it in reverse again. It's beautiful, it's heart-breaking, it's full of small details that bring together all the past Klaus adventures while providing a whole advent calendar of new stories we barely get to see.
Some people will complain that Joe Christmas is a let-down because there are no words, and it's a quick read. But it's a quality read! Comics don't need words, honestly. The beauty of these pages is your ability to craft your own stories around them. It's not a formal narrative, your eye isn't being guided by speech bubbles and panel transitions, it's a grand tapestry of Christmas throughout our lives. What it can mean to everyone, how it changes, and how exicting it is.
The Crying Snowman has Klaus taking on Ragnarok and Norse mythology, working in the idea of "naughty and nice" while teaming up with a talking snowman. It's this huge myth, full of beautiful designs by Dan Mora, about redemption and the time-space continuum and all that other cool stuff.
And then you have the Life & Times of Joe Christmas, which is definitely the best Klaus story yet. Told entirely through 25 big splash pages, with no words or dialogue save the little subtitle that tells you teh year and age, it's a lifetime of Christmases in the hands of Klaus' Robin/Jimmy Olsen. The clock slowly ticks backwards over the years as you see Joe go from an old man in a Santa costume at the mall, to a middle-aged man in the 80s going on adventures with Klaus and his wife, to a young man at the edge of World War II full of energy and fire. It's the sort of story you read once, then read it in reverse, then read it again. I can't help myself! Watching their life in reverse, then watching it forward, then watching it in reverse again. It's beautiful, it's heart-breaking, it's full of small details that bring together all the past Klaus adventures while providing a whole advent calendar of new stories we barely get to see.
Some people will complain that Joe Christmas is a let-down because there are no words, and it's a quick read. But it's a quality read! Comics don't need words, honestly. The beauty of these pages is your ability to craft your own stories around them. It's not a formal narrative, your eye isn't being guided by speech bubbles and panel transitions, it's a grand tapestry of Christmas throughout our lives. What it can mean to everyone, how it changes, and how exicting it is.
January 3, 2021
You can't go wrong with Klaus. These two holiday themed one-shots will sit well on your shelf next to the other collections, and there's nary a drop in quality to be seen.
The Crying Snowman is more of a straight forward fantasy epic, but that's kind of Klaus' bread and butter at this point now which always surprises me since it's Morrison doing the writing. Meanwhile Joe Christmas is a 'Nuff Said type book with almost no words in it at all, and all presented out of chronological order (which is a strange choice that oddly works) and horizontally (which would irritate the fuck out of me usually, but it's all drawn by the incomparable Dan Mora as always, so I can't complain).
Reads well, looks better, and just in time for the holidays. Lovely.
The Crying Snowman is more of a straight forward fantasy epic, but that's kind of Klaus' bread and butter at this point now which always surprises me since it's Morrison doing the writing. Meanwhile Joe Christmas is a 'Nuff Said type book with almost no words in it at all, and all presented out of chronological order (which is a strange choice that oddly works) and horizontally (which would irritate the fuck out of me usually, but it's all drawn by the incomparable Dan Mora as always, so I can't complain).
Reads well, looks better, and just in time for the holidays. Lovely.
January 2, 2023
Um. What?
So, Santa Claus and a depressed snowman fly to space to prevent ragnarok.
Yes, you heard me right. That's the plot.
And as much as I'm a fan of a crazy plot once and a while, this was just way to out there for me. And at times I felt lost just because of the bizarre nature of it all. That being said, I did enjoy it, thanks to Dan Mora's artwork.
This book is actually split in half. One half with the snowman stuff, the other showcasing the life of Klaus through art with no dialogue from Dan Mora.
Overall, it's an enjoyable enough comic mainly due to the art.
So, Santa Claus and a depressed snowman fly to space to prevent ragnarok.
Yes, you heard me right. That's the plot.
And as much as I'm a fan of a crazy plot once and a while, this was just way to out there for me. And at times I felt lost just because of the bizarre nature of it all. That being said, I did enjoy it, thanks to Dan Mora's artwork.
This book is actually split in half. One half with the snowman stuff, the other showcasing the life of Klaus through art with no dialogue from Dan Mora.
Overall, it's an enjoyable enough comic mainly due to the art.
January 15, 2022
Four stars... AT LEAST.
The usual GM trip, with perfect comic book sensibility.
The second story, wordless, going backward in time, because, of course, may feel like a let down.
Meanwhile, the first story was the real tour de force. Imagine taking so many drugs that you didn't watch Santa Claus versus the Martians ironically.
(JK about the drugs. Grant Morrison is a genius.)
Merry Christmas.
The usual GM trip, with perfect comic book sensibility.
The second story, wordless, going backward in time, because, of course, may feel like a let down.
Meanwhile, the first story was the real tour de force. Imagine taking so many drugs that you didn't watch Santa Claus versus the Martians ironically.
(JK about the drugs. Grant Morrison is a genius.)
Merry Christmas.
January 10, 2022
You can see our full review here: https://youtu.be/HirdwHy-TLw
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January 6, 2021
The Klaus universe keeps getting bigger and better. 'Crying Snowman' is amazing, but Life & Times of Joe Christmas is even better, showcasing Dan Mora's art at it's best. I will be reading this, and the rest of the Klaus books, every Christmas!
December 26, 2022
While not as weird as some of the other additional stories, this collection of two one shots reads way faster, mainly because the second 'story' is a history told as comic covers retreating through time (jumping back three years each time), leaving most of the story to the reader's imagination (the cat's cute, though). The sentient snowman story is your traditional Christmas story of a father regretting his life choices, albeit intermingled with a Norse gods as invaders but not story. It's all really weird in different ways, but the art is beautiful throughout.
Klaus was one of the least 'Grant Morrison'y Grant Morrison books I've ever read, so these one-offs feel a bit more like a return to form for him, moving toward the very weird, but still being relatively enjoyable.
Klaus was one of the least 'Grant Morrison'y Grant Morrison books I've ever read, so these one-offs feel a bit more like a return to form for him, moving toward the very weird, but still being relatively enjoyable.
December 17, 2023
KLAUS: THE LIFE & TIMES OF SANTA CLAUS - Volume 3, crafted by the dynamic duo Grant Morrison and Dan Mora, unfolds in a festive medley of holiday tales. In this graphic novel, Klaus faces diverse challenges, from aiding an absentee dad-snowman seeking redemption to delving into Norse mythology against extraterrestrial foes. While not as eccentric as previous Klaus stories, the collection offers a brisk pace, with the second narrative adopting a unique format of comic covers retracing history. The sentient snowman tale weaves a traditional Christmas narrative intertwined with Norse mythology, creating a delightful yet peculiar blend. Although a departure from Morrison's typical style, these one-offs evoke a return to his whimsically weird roots, making for an intriguing and visually stunning holiday read.
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December 16, 2023
The final installment (so far) of Grant Morrison's reworking of the Santa Klaus mythos. Just like the previous volume, the stories here are both one-off plots. In the first one, a man finds himself transformed into a snowman. Klaus is willing to help him find redemption for the actions that caused his transformation, but there is also a potential Earth invasion by supernatural forces seeking out revenge after a savage incident that occurred many millennia ago. The second one is a calendar sequence in the life of Joe Christmas, and his association with Klaus, along with their adventures from when they first met.
The stories were pleasant and easy to delve into more. However, just like with most one-offs in this series, there isn't much to go on for both the side characters and villains, with only brief backstories presented for them both. At least with the first volume, it takes it's time to develop the story. With one-offs, things tend to get rushed and resolved rather quick. And it's no exception here, for both stories. However, like Klaus' character, he brings holly & jolly to all he meets, and seeing the best in all people. In which, there is much more wholesome feel in this volume than in the predecessor. Additionally, a lot more of the panels are on show, not tell, which kind of works for this series, I guess, as many of them are pretty vibrant while holding a lot of detail into the scenery. So while it doesn't match up to the first volume of Klaus' origins, it is still a decent comic overall to get into during the holidays. Hopefully, this won't be the last time we see Morrison's Klaus either!
The stories were pleasant and easy to delve into more. However, just like with most one-offs in this series, there isn't much to go on for both the side characters and villains, with only brief backstories presented for them both. At least with the first volume, it takes it's time to develop the story. With one-offs, things tend to get rushed and resolved rather quick. And it's no exception here, for both stories. However, like Klaus' character, he brings holly & jolly to all he meets, and seeing the best in all people. In which, there is much more wholesome feel in this volume than in the predecessor. Additionally, a lot more of the panels are on show, not tell, which kind of works for this series, I guess, as many of them are pretty vibrant while holding a lot of detail into the scenery. So while it doesn't match up to the first volume of Klaus' origins, it is still a decent comic overall to get into during the holidays. Hopefully, this won't be the last time we see Morrison's Klaus either!
July 28, 2022
"Klaus, the life & times of Santa Claus" escrito por Grant Morrison e ilustrado por Dan Mora, es un cómic publicado bajo el sello BOOM! Studios en el que Klaus tiene que ayudar a un padre ausente a enmendar sus errores antes de que se muera; pero antes debe arreglar un pequeño problema con algunos dioses nórdicos. Este es el único cómic en el que veo a Santa Claus y un muñeco de nieve evitando que ocurra el fin del mundo mientras viajan a la velocidad de la luz hacia otros planetas. 🤯 El cómic como tal es un poco corto, pero esta edición contiene un calendario de diciembre con increíbles ilustraciones. Tan solo con eso vale la pena conseguir esta edición. Si te gustan las historias poco convencionales y llenas de acción, redención y perdón, esta historia puede que sea de tu agrado.
February 11, 2024
Klaus blends Norse myth with Santa Claus for a surprisingly fun tale. It centers on a man turned snowman who ends up helping Klaus, a superpowered Santa, take on Surtr. Who is hellbent on annihilating others and stealing the power of the sun. This is a special of the Klaus series; but as a newcomer I didn't feel all that lost reading it. The action is great, story good, and Dan Mora's art is phenomenal. The second part of this comic is a 25 page horizontal day in the life of Klaus tale. It is cute, but not much substance beyond cute art/situations. The horizontal page layouts also were a bit wonky in hardcover, but I am sure they would look better digitally with the crease.
Klaus delivers a fun 4 1/2 out of 5 star tale.
Klaus delivers a fun 4 1/2 out of 5 star tale.
February 6, 2021
I already read Klaus and the Crying Snowman a few years ago so I skipped that. The Life of Joe Christmas was actually very good. The last page of the book (his birth. It goes backwards) was beautiful. What a touching way to end it! Also, the story is well told without any words. Just by each page with the year and age written, you can tell what is going on enough. And I think that is perfect. As the old saying goes, “less is more”, right?
November 15, 2021
Klaus and the Crying Snowman was probably the most entertaining Klaus story yet. The Life and Times of Joe Christmas is really a series of loosely connected 2 page spreads covering a December day every 3 years in the life of Joe Christmas. It looks nice but enjoyment will vary based on how much of a Mora fan you are as the story is only a story in the vaguest sense.
February 2, 2023
I didn't really understand what was going on, the transitions weren't great and the story itself was blah. Not to mention that half the book is just a calender so all u really get is one ok story. Dan Mora's art is great though although I wonder if my issue with the transitions is his fault or Morrison who I have my own separate issues with. Probably won't ever read this again.
Shelved as 'read-comix'
February 2, 2024Crying Snowman — This story included a lot more mythology and lore. There were lots of bright colors and fantasy elements used to tell the story.
Life and Times of Joe Christmas — A very unique story because it is told without words, and each calendar day of December was an image that told this man’s story, from end to beginning.
Life and Times of Joe Christmas — A very unique story because it is told without words, and each calendar day of December was an image that told this man’s story, from end to beginning.
December 27, 2021
The Santa mythos evolving to fill out space alien wars and conflict is honestly incredible. And how did they make a whole book in double layouts with no dialogue and have me crying by the end… beautiful stuff here.
December 19, 2022
More of a one-shot concept outline than a full-fledged volume, but it’s an intriguing idea—like a sort of Spider-verse for Santas. A Santa-verse. Maybe the next collection has something interesting to dive into. I liked Dan Mora’s art, anyway. It reminded me of Greg Capullo’s work on Batman.
December 20, 2023
Klaus tries to prevent Ragnarok while travelling through space - it's bonkers but a great time! I just wish that there was a bit more to each story, covering Klaus' adventures between the written one-shotes.
TW for violence, blood, mentions of affairs, grief, mentions of death/death of a father.
TW for violence, blood, mentions of affairs, grief, mentions of death/death of a father.
December 25, 2023
This volume consists of 2 stories. The first is a little wacky where Earth is on the verge of being invaded from tree aliens. The second story contains no dialogue and and we learn a little about Santa's helpers.
January 24, 2024
More interesting adventures and a tale told in a way similar to an advent calendar, but with reverse chronology. I liked the attempt, though it didn't grab me too much, since I felt like I was missing some critical knowledge about a side character.
May 23, 2021
The artwork is amazing. The stories are a little weird, but still pretty good.
November 20, 2021
Ummmmm I’m so confused
It was Santa fighting during Rangorak
With a snowman who cheated on his wife
To a planet of clock people
Through space
With other Santa people
Strange
It was Santa fighting during Rangorak
With a snowman who cheated on his wife
To a planet of clock people
Through space
With other Santa people
Strange
December 14, 2021
A complete rejection of the idea that comics should be grim and dark.
December 15, 2021
Good time to read it
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews