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Santa’s origin story comes to life in this inventive tale of two saints battling for the true spirit of Christmas. Former toymaker Saint Nick is a familiar character checking his naughty and nice list and doling out presents accordingly after the gods have endowed him with his unique powers. Saint Bakura arises out of personal sorrow to become an alternative Santa that believes everyone deserves a chance at happiness and gifts despite behavior. As these two saints establish their bases of operation in separate poles, they get caught up in a clash of ideology and personality that eventually descends into violence and mayhem among the elves.
With multiple narrative perspectives from each Santa and various elves, this wildly imaginative story fully displays the deep mythology of Santa and Christmas. Peel spares no details as he builds the world of Saint Nick in the North Pole and Saint Bakura and his sled of leopard seals in the South Pole. Immersive and character-driven, this addition to the Christmas canon is a dark and dangerous story filled with conflict and betrayal. The rivalry between Saint Nick and Saint Bakura is a layered exploration of power and preference. The elves are caught in the middle, and the conflict eventually spawns rogue actors who dramatically propel the action toward a shocking conclusion. It’s a wild spiral that twists and turns as the elves tell their stories and the two saints explain their dueling Christmas missions. The spirit of Christmas takes a hostile turn in Peel’s rendering of two strong personalities who can’t seem to reign over the season in a congenial counterbalance. As their conflict grows, the tension mounts between the north and the south. The holidays will never be the same.