Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #3: Golly Gee, It’s Santa Claus

Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #3, the penultimate issue of this year’s DC holiday spectacular, picks up with Krampus’s minions attacking earth, requiring most of DC’s pantheon to interfere in order to save the day. More so than the first two issues, Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #3 opts to focus more on the action of the event, showcasing many DC heroes instead of just Batman. By the end, the stage is set for the conclusion to really ramp things up and set this mystery ablaze. Although this issue doesn’t add as much to the mythos as prior issues, the interactions from everyone in the DC universe  make this a contender for one of the best team ups of the year.

Jeff Parker definitely set out to make this story the must read of the holiday season, and has so far succeeded in almost every capacity. The world he has developed around this iteration of Santa is as thought provoking as it is contained in the modern DC universe. Although this issue has that growing mythology take a back seat, it excels in making sure that this feels first and foremost like a DC book. The best interactions by far have to be between Superman and Santa Claus, something that was teased on the last page of Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #2. Superman approaches Santa Claus with the same gitty reaction that a child would, practically unable to control his emotions as he stumbled through his words. Seeing Superman react this way is a stark reminder of how he is the most human out of any DC character despite his alien origins. Although this was not likely his intention, the level of care shown to Superman’s core character shows that Parker would make an excellent writer on an ongoing Superman story once Williamson’s tenure ends.

Michele Bandini and Alex Sinclair’s pages are full of a ton of fun as they draw and color a plethora of DC characters joining the fight. Seeing different heroes such as Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Wonder Woman join the fray genuinely looks great, especially when they are up against the Christmas aesthetic filled world. This series has slowly gotten on everyone’s radars as each issue has come out, which will definitely lead to some interviews with this creative team. It will be interesting to see how these creators decided who was going to headline this series, especially since some oddballs like Miss Martian are picked over Martian Manhunter and more popular heroes. Regardless of why, it is great to see smaller characters get a time to shine alongside the regular heavy hitters.

Rounding out the creative team is Pat Brosseau on letters, who always delivers the standard of what lettering should look like on a major title. Brosseau gives every character a unique voice while also enfusing onomatopoeia that blends well into the art style of the issue. This all creates a fun and enjoyable reading experience.