Klaus Review

   

Rating: 5/5 

Synopsis: Not to be confused with the namesake 2019 animated film on Netflix, Klaus tells the origin story of the one and only Santa Claus.

 

 My Thoughts:Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro’ the village,

                        Not a denizen was delighted, not even a ludic lad;

                        The stocking were empty to the core

                        For the Lord Magnus deprived all of holiday cheer like a cad,

                        His son Jonas fastidiously whines, oh what a bore.

                        His mother Dagmar lamented the bedraggled plight.

                        And a trapper trader known as Klaus trails not expecting a fight

                        When the guards arouse a clatter;

                        His benevolence was the matter

                        Into the woods escaped he.    

                        Encountered he spirits of yore,

                        Bestowed upon him lied toys,

                       Toys for the children of destitution

                       Alas mangy Magnus could not tolerate the cheers of peasantry;

                       Thus their confiscation as soon as their conferment.

                        Away birdies, away butterflies, away foxies,

                        Away froggies, away fishies, away horsies,

                        And away happiness.             

                        All were bequeathed to the judgy Jonas

                        Who excoriated them without forethought

                        Anguish not, for Klaus returneth  

                        And brought he more holiday cheer into the roofs of boys and girls.

                        Alack, Lord Magnus’s attention is stirred once more,

                        Yet jolly contagion spread to the paupers and Jonas forsooth

                        With Jonas and Dagmar to avail, Klaus vanquishes the dastardly entity,

                       Teeming from Magnus’s invocation and trepidation.

                        A feat immortalizing ol’ Saint Nick,

                        Who was no Dick.

                        Last words he uttered were “Watch for me,

                        When the nights are long and the days grow cold”.

Leaving aside my middling riff off the proverbial “Twas the Night Before Christmas”,  this book was a pretty badass take on the origins of Santa who in this story is a muscular stud with an impressive six-pack and handsome ponytail and beard. The lushly drawn and colored backgrounds including the naturalistic landscape and village scenery were vibrant in beauty and painstaking detail.

                     

As seen here, illustrator Dan Mora has an adept hand at lighting and shading and perspective which makes each scene jump out of the page, sweeping the reader off their feet at the realism. Furthermore, the character designs contained a brilliant mix of realism and slight cartoony exaggeration. The body proportions remained mostly down-to-earth but the facial expression during the more evocative moments every so often veered towards the exaggerated angle without being overly far-fetched.

 

Final Thoughts: Overall, Klaus was an exciting and touching origin tale worth sitting down to read for the holiday season if you’re in the mood for something not too sappy but not incredibly mean or cynical either. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year to all and may 2021 bring better tidings.