I Saw Santa #1 Is Definitely Not on the Naughty List (Early Review)

When it comes to Santa Claus, there are a few things we know to be absolute truths. One is that he makes his list of which children have been naughty or nice and he checks that list twice. Another is that nice children get toys and treats and the things they’ve asked for on their list while the naughty children get a lump of coal. But while there are certain known things about Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick, there’s one things no one has ever really thought too much about: how does the job actually affect Santa, especially when it comes to those naughty children that just can’t ever be redeemed? And, if one of those unredeemable naughty children take Santa’s stocking full of coal a little too hard, what happens then?

That’s the general premise of I Saw Santa #1 out November 26th from Image Comics. ComicBook has an early review of the upcoming title set in the Spawn Universe with a story from Chris Killian and Andrew Sanders with art from Thomas Nachlik. While we won’t be sharing any spoilers — that’s like opening your presents before Christmas and we can’t have that — we can reveal that it’s a holiday book like no other, combining a bit of horror, a lot of mystery, and a surprising amount of heart in a story that you don’t have to be a Spawn fan to enjoy.

Rating: 4 out of 5

I Saw Santa Shows The Holiday Icon In a Surprising New Light

Now, as we jump into this early review, a little full disclosure: this book is written by ComicBook’s own Chris Killian along with his brother, Andrew Sanders. However, the book stands on its own merits and it stands on solid footing. I Saw Santa starts on Christmas Even when Detectives Sam and Twitch are called out to a grisly murder scene involving the horrible killing of an entire family. It’s a gruesome scene and certainly not something one wants to encounter during the holidays and it’s a crime that comes with a lot of awful questions — including what Santa’s role might be in everything. It’s then that we get into some deeper questions about Father Christmas, what his centuries old role in the holiday is and how much of his work he takes home with him — and of course the larger question of what responsibility does Santa have when it comes to the fate of good children at the hands of the bad.

Story-wise, I Saw Santa works well. For those familiar with Spawn and who are fans of the overall Spawn universe, there are plenty of references in the issue to remind what sandbox we’re playing in, however, that does not make this book inaccessible to those unfamiliar with Spawn. One of the things that Killian and Sanders does well here is that they’ve built a story that you don’t have to know anything about Spawn or the lore to appreciate the story. It’s very self-contained. The story also moves at a very good pace. While we begin with a crime scene, we move rather quickly to Santa, getting his reaction to what has happened as well as getting a glimpse into how we got here in the first place, as well as a tease that whatever is next will certainly be anything but holly and jolly.

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What is particularly strong about the story is how Santa is humanized. There are some great moments where readers are let in on what it is like to be Santa, his joy at bringing gifts and treats to the good children, but also the pain he feels when they die or have bad things befall them. It’s a side of the character that most people never think about. If Santa knows all the children who have been both bad and good, it should follow that he has some sort of feelings about what happens to them. By leaning into that and asking the question of what his responsibility is, Killian and Sanders have created a story that isn’t just a holiday slasher, but something a bit more intimate. Not everything in the book works — some of the dialogue between Sam and Twitch in the opening is a bit tedious — but they nail the emotional center of the story.

And the art backs it up beautifully. Despite the very gory and gruesome nature of things, Nachlik has created some fantastic images to support the story. Even the murder scene has a strange serenity to it while the details of Santa’s expression are equal parts haunting and heartbreaking.  Everything works together here to create a strong, unified creation that honestly makes the more difficult aspects of the story a little easier to digest.

Overall, I Saw Santa #1 is a strong book with a unique take on a holiday tale. Even with its horror tones and supernatural elements, the story has a well-crafted emotional core that gives readers more than a dark Christmas scare to instead challenge some of our ideas and perceptions about the holiday, the naughty list, and what impact Santa actually has. It will be very interesting to see where the rest of the story takes us, but it’s off to a great start.

I Saw Santa #1 goes on sale November 26th.