BOOM! Studios announced on Friday that the Eisner-nominated Klaus will return for an oversized special in December. Reuniting Grant Morrison and Dan Mora, Klaus and the Life & Times of Joe Christmas #1 will be a completely wordless issue that introduces Joe Christmas to readers old and new.
Joe Christmas is a regular, human man who’s known Klaus all his life, and fought beside him for most of it too. In the Klaus special, 25 two-page vertical spreads will feature 25 new Christmas adventures illustrated by Mora. Each one represents a day in the life of Joe Christmas. This release continues BOOM! Studios’ annual holiday tradition of new Klaus releases with a glimpse into Klaus’ past, including monster battles, special guest appearances from friends and foes, and more.
“As ever, working with Dan Mora on a new Klaus story is a highlight of my year,” Morrison said in a statement. “For this year’s special we decided to do something a little different by creating a Christmas advent calendar story featuring 25 iconic scenes from the adventures of Klaus. We wanted to give Dan free rein for his remarkable creativity and imagination while also providing a narrative element that allows the images to tell the exciting, poignant and completely wordless life story of one Joe Christmas, from his humble beginnings to his inevitable end, as we see how that life has been affected and changed by his encounters and adventures with Klaus.”
Mora said, “Every year I look forward to working with Grant on a brand new issue of Klaus. I love visiting this world and drawing all new characters, monsters, and planets, but this year is going to be very special because the entire issue is silent! That means I’ve worked overtime to capture every nuance of storytelling, character, and action to bring this Klaus story to life and introduce everyone to The Life & Times of Joe Christmas, making this a very exciting challenge for me and hopefully a very exciting issue for fans.”
The oversized issue features 50 pages of new art from Mora, following a story scripted by Morrison. In a statement, BOOM! Senior Editor Eric Harburn said, “Just when you think there’s nothing special left to say about Santa Claus, Grant and Dan rise to the challenge. With over fifty pages of Dan Mora’s art and Grant’s masterfully minimalist storytelling, this year’s special may be our most powerful yet. Grant and Dan have truly outdone themselves with this wordless issue of KLAUS that will delight longtime fans and astonish new readers.”
Klaus and the Life & Times of Joe Christmas #1 hits shelves December 18. Klaus: How Santa Claus Began is currently available everywhere books are sold.
