Forget Blade: Santa Claus Slays Vampires This Christmas In DC's Silent Knight [EXCLUSIVE]
Contains spoilers for "Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight" #1 (by Jeff Parker, Michele Bandini, Alex Sinclair, and Pat Brosseau)
Santa is coming to the DC Universe and is doing much more than delivering presents to those who made his nice list. In the upcoming "Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight" #1 from DC Comics, Kris Kringle arrives in Gotham City, investigating a brutal crime alongside his former student, Batman. The new four-issue Christmas-themed miniseries reveals St. Nick's student-teacher relationship with The Dark Knight, features several other fan-favorite characters, including Zatanna, and sees Santa Claus get an all-new costume from superstar artist Dan Mora to take on evildoers.
Looper has an exclusive two-page preview of "Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight" #1, showing Santa touching down in Gotham City on top of his trusted reindeer, Prancer. Instead of wielding a bag of presents, he comes with a crossbow ready to fire at vicious vampires.
DC Comics/Michele Bandini-Alex Sinclair
Zatanna and Robin can't believe their eyes seeing Santa as Batman reveals his shared history with a man he refers to as Kris. The Caped Crusader mentions Santa taught him a few things during his years abroad. Damian Wayne is mystified to learn about his dad's connection to a figure he says he doesn't believe in, despite him standing right in front of him. However, before full introductions can be made, the quartet is called into action.
DC Comics/Michele Bandini-Alex Sinclair
Batman and Santa are facing dangerous foes
The new miniseries fits the darker vibe of modern "Batman" comics as additional preview pages from DC Comics showcase a Gotham City getting ready for Christmas as attackers make themselves known. As carolers try to spread holiday cheer, winged creatures strike, diving from the air, biting their necks and killing them. Batman and Robin arrive at the murder scene with Bruce Wayne telling Damian to keep his more insensitive thoughts about what transpired to himself. The Dark Knight admits he's unsure what's happening as all of the usual suspects are locked up — hence, the killer monsters are possibly something they haven't dealt with before.
DC Comics/Michele Bandini-Alex Sinclair
DC Comics/Michele Bandini-Alex Sinclair
DC Comics/Michele Bandini-Alex Sinclair
Batman notes something punctured the neck of the victims and drained them of blood — with Robin reporting it doesn't appear to be the work of Man-Bat. Batman tells his son he called upon an expert in the occult to help, with Zatanna making a grand entrance through a magical portal. She casts a spell to see the last thing one of the victims saw, with the heroes suspecting some kind of vampires are the cause of the bloody scene.
DC Comics/Michele Bandini-Alex Sinclair
DC Comics/Michele Bandini-Alex Sinclair
Santa in the DC Universe will be great fun
DC Comics is no stranger to telling holiday stories featuring heroes and villains. However, turning Santa into a vampire hunter while teaming him up with Batman, Robin, Zatanna, and other characters in the DC Universe should make "Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight" a can't-miss miniseries. Batman and Santa having a shared history is hilarious — but, considering how badass this version of Santa appears to be, it seems The Dark Knight learned quite a bit from Kris Kringle. Check out Dan Mora's cover for issue one (alongside the text synopsis) featuring Superman reading a comic to a youngster with the rest of the Trinity getting ready for action.
DC Comics/Dan Mora
THE DARK KNIGHT PARTNERS WITH A NOT-SO-JOLLY ST. NICK AS SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN! The four-part crossover event of a generation begins when a not-so-jolly St. Nick hits Gotham City to investigate a brutal crime in the days leading up to Christmas... What manner of man or beast could have committed such atrocities?! With the help of his former student, Batman, Santa will team up with the heroes of the DC Universe to right this wrong—or the world wakes up to coal in their stockings! A brutal, two-fisted holiday tale of hope, wonder, and monster hunting is the perfect treat to ring in the holidays—it's Claus in canon!
"Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight" #1 from DC Comics arrives in comic book stores and online retailers on December 5, 2023. All Four issues will be released weekly throughout December.