In the world of Dark Horse Comics, Mike Magnolia is no stranger to the lore; he’s penned stories where Hellboy has crossed paths with him in Hellboy Krampusnacht! and so has Spawn–both one-shots were published back in 2017!
What I offer here is what I feel is definitive for this season, with some good news on where to find certain releases! The summaries are from Goodreads or Amazon, and I follow up with notes where appropriate.
Krampus,
The Devil of Christmas
(2010; Last Gasp)
By Monte Beauchamp
In the early Christmas traditions of Europe, the “Krampus” was St. Nicholas’ dark servant — a hairy, horned, supernatural beast whose pointed ears and long slithering tongue gave misbehavers the creeps! This new and improved edition includes an introduction, a historical survey of the character, and over 180 lavish pre-World War 1 Krampus postcard images.
A Tale of St. Nicholas (2013)
By Tim Baron and Ben Avery
You’ve heard the legend of “”jolly ol’ St. Nicholas,”” but do you know the truth? St. Nick is real. And he ain’t jolly. An endless cosmic brawl between Nicholas and his vile Holiday counterpart, Krampus, will come to a cataclysmic head this snowy Christmas Eve. But this year, only one will emerge victorious. Can St. Nicholas save Christmas Day? Or will this Eve forever be known as “”The Night Before Krampus””?
The cool part of this collection is that it is available as a free download from the writer himself! It’s available at http://www.timbaron.com/krampus
(2015; HarperCollins)
Story and Art by Brom
When a failed songwriter witnesses a strange encounter on Christmas Eve: seven figures cloaked in black beating up a man in a red Santa suit and a sleigh. When Jesse steps in, all the strange denizens disappear, leaving only a large sack. He soon discovers that Santa has stolen the magical bag of Krampus, the ancient trickster demon who punishes evildoers, and by picking it up, now he has become one of Krampus’s followers. And the former Yule Lord will stop at nothing to reclaim his holiday, and return wild magic to the desperately poor denizens of Boone County.
Saint Nicholas Graphic Novel
(Image; Legendary Comics)
Also reprinted as Krampus: A Yuletide Adventure Paperback (2022; Oni Press)
By Brian Joines and Dean Kotz
From the official summary: Meet the Krampus, yuletide terror and punisher of wicked children. Long imprisoned for his outdated methods, the holiday horror suddenly finds himself freed and tasked with a mission: recover the stolen power of the Secret Society of Santa Clauses! With his flying wolf Stutgaard, the Krampus crosses the globe, encountering various figures of winter lore and uncovering a sinister scheme to topple the Santas and change Christmas as we know it forever.
The good news concerning this popular take is that creators Brian Joines and Dean Kotz confirm they’re working on a sequel, slated to be published in 2024!