Krampus #4 Review

What will happen now that the traitor’s revealed? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

The traitor stands revealed! With his identity exposed, the mole within the Secret Society of Santa Clauses launches his master plan. Only the Krampus stands ready to oppose him, but an offer of freedom from the Santas’ reign may trigger the start of a sinister partnership.

When I started reading this series I honestly never expected it to last long, as despite it’s fun quirky nature I was dubious as to whether it could last more than a few issues. It has however gladly proved me wrong, as though it’s not the best series that Image has on the shelves at the moment, it is one of the most enjoyable being extremely fun.

Brian Joines takes the series one step further in this issue, revealing who the traitor is and giving intriguing back story to this marvellous tale. He also yet again sets the tone of the story perfectly, with the overall flow being very smooth and dynamic. Add to this the wonderful dialogue and tense scenarios and it’s hard not to love this wacky Christmas themed series that keeps getting better and better. In saying that I did find the twist near the end of the issue to be ever so slightly predictable, and though this doesn’t take much away from the overall brilliance of this issue it’s always nicer if surprises are unexpected.

Having now read four issues I honestly can’t think of a more suited artist for this series than the wonderful Dean Kotz, who’s realistic sketch like art gives a gripping look to this saga. Kotz shows his experience through his wonderful layouts, which give a suspenseful overtone to the issue. He also gives a tense atmosphere through the facial expressions, with Krampus and Doc Holiday’s encounter in particular being very gripping. Kotz art is also given the perfect finishing touches as Ron Riley’s colours manage to vary from gritty to vibrant depending on the tone of the panel.

Krampus remains an energetic and enjoyable series and I for one can’t get enough of it. If you love Christmas related things, or just enjoy a fun escapade then this is for you and anyone who just loves great stories will also not regret giving this a try. Highly recommended.