5 Best Christmas Comics You Have to Read This Season, Ranked

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It’s that time of year again – the holidays! People are starting to celebrate with cherished traditions, spreading joy and good cheer to loved ones. While many enjoy revisiting classic Christmas stories through movies and TV, comics also offer a lot of festive fun. Over the years, there have been plenty of Christmas-themed comics to keep readers entertained during the holidays.

Comics offer a wide range of Christmas stories, from superhero versions of classic tales to heartwarming stories about finding the spirit of the season. Whether it’s a fresh take on Santa or a character discovering the joy of the holidays, there’s something for everyone. Here are five Christmas-themed comics you should check out this year—they might even become a new holiday tradition for you and your family!

5) “The MBC Wintertime Winter Friends Winter Fun Special” (Hawkeye Vol. 4 #17)

If you haven’t already, Matt Fraction and David Aja’s run on Hawkeye is essential reading. And specifically, issue #17, “The MBC Wintertime Winter Friends Winter Fun Special,” should become a yearly tradition. The story begins with Clint Barton (Hawkeye) falling asleep while watching TV, and his dreams quickly turn into an adventure. He dreams he and his friends are dogs tasked with saving the day when a villain named Mr. Sun threatens to melt all the snow and snowmen.

Beyond the fun premise – imagining the Avengers as dogs and the Tracksuit Mafia as dingoes – this story uses the classic Christmas special format to explore Steve’s personal growth. His canine hero is the only pup without superpowers, and spends much of the story stubbornly refusing help, before ultimately realizing he needs it. It delivers a feel-good life lesson in a delightfully quirky and unexpected way.

4) Marvel Holiday Special (1991)

I recently dove into the Marvel Holiday Special collection, and it’s a total blast! It was a yearly tradition back in the ’90s – a bunch of short stories featuring Marvel heroes getting into the holiday spirit. While the series evolved over time with some reprints, the very first special from 1991 is the one everyone talks about. It’s legendary because it officially confirmed that Santa Claus is real in the Marvel Universe… and not just real, but a mutant! Apparently, he’s the most powerful mutant of them all – an Omega-level mutant, no less. It’s a must-read for any Marvel fan, honestly.

This fun story, written by Scott Lobdell, begins with the X-Men preparing for Christmas when Cerebro detects the strongest mutant ever. Their search leads them to Rockefeller Center, where they discover the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants also trying to find this incredibly powerful individual – hoping to turn him to their side. But things take a surprising turn when the Brotherhood is magically transformed into toys! That’s when the source of the mutant power is revealed: it’s Santa Claus! Suddenly, Santa’s ability to deliver presents worldwide in a single night makes perfect sense. It’s a charming, if somewhat silly, story.

3) Batman: Noel

Imagine Batman reimagined as a dark and gritty take on A Christmas Carol. This story, written and illustrated by Lee Bermejo, centers around a man named Bob who’s making a delivery for the Joker on Christmas Eve in Gotham. Batman stops him, demanding to know the Joker’s location. Though Bob claims innocence, Batman secretly follows him home to his sick son, Tim. Batman plans to use them as bait to catch the Joker, but falls ill with a virus and begins experiencing a series of haunting visions, much like those in Dickens’ classic. Ultimately, the Joker is captured, Bob gets a chance to rebuild his life, Bruce Wayne recovers from his illness, and Bob shares the story of A Christmas Carol with Tim. There’s more to the story, but it’s best experienced firsthand.

This is a fresh and engaging take on A Christmas Carol. If you’re not a fan of the original Dickens story or other adaptations, this version offers a delightful alternative. While a few moments feel a bit obvious, it’s a genuinely good Christmas story – and a solid Batman adventure as well.

2) Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special

In my opinion, Larfleeze is the most interesting of the Lantern characters, but he doesn’t show up often enough. Luckily, he has a fantastic Christmas special that makes up for it. In the Larfleeze Christmas Special, the sole member of the Orange Lantern Corps discovers who Santa Claus is. But, because Orange Lanterns are powered by greed, Larfleeze wants Santa to give him everything he wants, so he starts making a list.

The Larfleeze Christmas Special might seem like a lighthearted, silly story about a quirky character, but it’s actually quite touching. Geoff Johns does a great job of developing Larfleeze’s personality. While the story doesn’t turn him into a hero, Larfleeze does experience some growth by learning about the meaning of Christmas. It’s a really wonderful story overall.

1) Klaus and the Crying Snowman

As a total comic book and movie buff, I have to recommend Grant Morrison’s Klaus, especially if you’re looking for something with a Christmas feel. While the whole series is fantastic, Klaus and the Crying Snowman really leans into the holiday spirit. The story started as a seven-issue comic from BOOM! Studios, with Morrison writing and Dan Mora doing the art. Honestly, it’s like a Christmas origin story – think Batman: Year One, but for Santa Claus. It reimagines Santa (named Klaus) as this rugged, almost mystical trapper in the 16th century who’s on a quest to bring the magic back to the old Yuletide festival.

In Klaus and the Crying Snowman, Klaus helps a snowman—who also happens to be a distant father—try to repair his relationship with his family before he melts. Their adventure includes fighting off aliens linked to Norse mythology. While it’s not a traditional Christmas story, it captures the heart of the season, and it’s classic Grant Morrison—you’re guaranteed to enjoy it.

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2025-12-06 02:44