Every year fans look forward to a new installment in Grant Morrison and Dan Mora‘s Klaus series, and BOOM! Studios is not going to disappoint in 2019. We’ve got your first look at the newest addition to the Klaus series, which is a delightful reimagining of Santa Claus and gives fans some insight into what he does the other 364 days of the year. The new entry is titled Klaus and the Life & Times of Joe Christmas, and it will be a special oversized issue that will hit stores this December. In addition to being oversized, the book will also have another element setting it apart from other stories, as it will be completely free of text. That’s right, the whole issue will be silent and will tell the story of Joe Christmas.
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The book will be separated out into 25 two page splashes, each one recounting a different day in the life of Joe Christmas, a young boy who will eventually become one of Santa’s greatest and most important allies. It’s definitely a different sort of undertaking, but Morrison says Mora was more than up to the challenge.
“As ever, working with Dan Mora on a new KLAUS story is a highlight of my year. 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,” said writer Grant Morrison. “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.”
“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!” said artist Dan Mora. “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.”
For a taste of what’s to come, you can check out Mora’s main cover to Klaus and the Life & Times of Joe Christmas #1 above.
“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,” said Eric Harburn, Senior Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Grant and Dan have truly outdone themselves with this wordless issue of KLAUS that will delight longtime fans and astonish new readers.”
You can check out the official description for the book below.
“Nothing’s calm but all is bright in this once-in-a-lifetime special KLAUS eventโa completely silent issue! Meet Joe Christmas, a regular human man who’s known Klaus all his life, and fought beside him for most of it. Each of the 25 two-page vertical spreads will feature a new Christmas adventure with stunning illustrations by Dan Mora depicting a day in the incredible life of Joe Christmas, a very special young boy who grows up to become one of Klaus’ staunchest allies and closest friends.”
Klaus and the Life & Times of Joe Christmas #1 hits comic stores on December 18th, and Klaus: How Santa Claus Began is now available in softcover everywhere.