YULETIDE

In Christmas, Pennsylvania, the holiday season is a riot of overblown consumerism—and the efforts of a group of disillusioned teens to expose its true origins lead them to unleash forces of evil.

Ever since brown-skinned Jake’s dad died, Christmas has been his “own personal waking nightmare”—which is tricky, since his family owns Valverde Evergreens, a Christmas tree farm. With the help of friends Abe (who’s Jewish) and Wyn (who has dark brown skin), he’s determined to prove that the truth of Christmas is, as Wyn informs him, “much darker than the mainstream media wants you to believe.” Drawn to an old box in the Midwinter Monster Museum that whispers an ominous plea only he can hear (“Use the knife. Set us free”), Jake accidentally releases the trapped spirits of the witch-queen Perchta and her “strange, monstrous Yuletide beasts” who feed on humanity’s fear, anger, and pain and seek to vanquish the light of the warrior-mage the Yulefather. This quippy, energetically illustrated story includes Yule lore from various European cultures, including Iceland’s Yule Cat, Jólakötturinn, and the Welsh Gray Mare, Mari Lwyd. This lighthearted series opener will appeal to readers looking for fast-paced, not-too-scary thrills. The work is elevated by the skillful, beautifully colored artwork, which makes strong use of light and shadow and expresses the emotions of the wide-eyed human characters and the panoply of Yuletide creatures.

Enjoyable festive fare.