Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1: Santa Claus is Coming to Gotham

Twas’ the night before Christmas, and all throughout Gotham

Not a criminal was stirring, since Batman and Robin had caught them 

With old Yule logs burning, and caroler’s song’s churning

It became time for old St. Nick to give in to children’s yearning

But with Arkham full of crooks, and Gotham’s citizens at bay

St. Nick may want to pay a visit to his old protege

Because while kids require presents and all the way up to 4th, and down to 6th Lane 

Santa‘s journey begins as he stumbles across Mr. Wayne

Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1 begins like most Batman and Robin adventures, with the dynamic duo stumbling across a gruesome murder within the streets of Gotham. Batman is quick to determine that all of Gotham’s major criminals are locked away, firmly establishing that this new threat is not familiar to anyone. The story then pivots to a magical angle with the introduction of Zatanna. This change in typical Batman storytelling makes way for the biggest introduction to the DC Universe in the last decade, Kris Kringle himself, Santa Claus. 

While this book is titled, Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight, it quickly becomes clear that the use of Batman is only present within the story telling in order to bring readers into a more Santa focused story. In actuality, this issue makes it apparent that this story is more or less The DC Universe Featuring Santa Claus. This oversized issue spends a large chunk of its page real estate establishing the continuity in order for the mythology behind Santa to mix in with what is more commonly known about the DC Universe. While a lot of this is done vaguely enough to not raise too many questions, a huge implication is created when Batman reveals that Santa was one of the individuals who had trained him while he was on the pilgrimage to learn the skills he needed to become Batman. There is even a fun moment where Nightwing is shocked to hear that Bruce had been telling him the truth about working with Santa, thinking that those were only tall tales. This large piece of work with the confines of continuity truly creates a well rounded mythos that looks to further grow as this four issue mini-series continues throughout the month of December.

The biggest issue holding back Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1 from being a perfect Christmas story is how Batman and Robin are written. Batman more or less reads like he is a caricature of himself, spouting lines and one-liners that seem to harken back to the Golden Age, despite the series being firmly grounded in today’s continuity. Robin, on the other hand, reads more like a mix between Tim Drake and Dick Grayson than the Damian Wayne version being depicted. He is much less cynical than his other portrayals and falls victim to ignorance more often than he ever has before. This starts the issue off in an odd way; however, once the focus shifts over to Santa’s story, it all quickly becomes forgotten.

Michele Bandini’s art here does a great job in capturing both the darker and grittier elements of Gotham and this version of Santa, as well as the lighter tone that arises while the Christmas elements start creeping in. Once the big bad is revealed towards the end of the issue, it becomes clear that Bandini was an excellent choice to draw this series. The design for Santa has ties back to Norse mythology, while also taking elements from the more traditional approach to the mythical figure from popular culture. This strong connection between both of these mythologies creates something wholly unique for the DC Universe that can hopefully be carried over and expanded upon for years and years to come.

Colorist Alex Sinclair also plays a big part in establishing this issue’s tone, especially when it comes to the colors within the background imagery. The sky never feels like a blank feature, with Sinclair always giving it some sort of blue undertone to capture that warm Christmas feel on a cold winter night. Sinclair also doesn’t go too overboard with the red on Santa’s suit, giving it a more muted tone to make it work better when compared to the super suits that Batman, Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl wear. Overall, this coloring truly adds a lot to this world and makes it feel as full of life as the world Jeff Parker is writing.

Rounding out the creative team is the always fantastic, Eisner Award winning letterer, Pat Brosseau. Brosseau does a great job spreading out the dialogue bubbles while also giving unique dialogue boxes to the creatures that Batman and Santa fight throughout the issue. Batman / Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1 is also full of a lot of exposition, yet Brosseau is able to make this all palatable with the way he organizes everything.