Jingle Belle Gift-Wrapped (One-Shot)
Publisher: Image/Top Cow
Story: Paul Dini
Art: Stephanie Gladden
Some comics aren’t for everyone. I was sure hoping this would be for me. It’s Christmas time and it has a Christmas theme. Paul Dini wrote it. The art in the previews by Stephanie Gladden looked fun. The story “Grounded,” which is the main chunk of this book, was originally nominated for a Harvey before it was reprinted here. All-ages, but really for adults in disguise fun, right?
You should always read a comic for yourself to decide on if you like it or not, but for this review I thought this was a let down, and honestly, reader, you can pass this up and go get a fix somewhere else.
Terrible. Bottom line.
The story “Grounded” starts off with Krampus, a demon whom Santa used to work with to kind of scare kids into being good, right? Well, Santa doesn’t use those tactics anymore, and Krampus thinks he has grown “soft.” Meanwhile, in the North Pole Santa and his daughter Jingle Belle, who’s this buxom elf-esque woman, are having their own troubles with each other. The Mrs. decides to call in Krampus to help mediate the sitaution, and after hearing both sides of the story, the solution is simple: the Kringles are forbidden to ever leave the North Pole. After a little outsmarting, this is fixed and Christmas is saved.
I appreciate the whole vibe that reminds me of the 1959 Mexican film Santa Claus, where Santa fights the Devil. That’s cool. The coolness stopped there for me.
We then get a backup story about Jingle Belle on a date and the shenanigans that go on there. Archie does this stuff right, the Jingle Belle one-shot does not.
For as nice as the art looks and the words sound, when you read them, added together they still do not equal a good package. Check it out for yourself to come to your own decision; may be worth waiting for the dollar rack, though.
Drew McCabe
drew@comicattack.net
