Christmas 365 #2 Review

 

Writers: Mikey Way & Jonathan Rivera

Artist: Piotr Kowalski

Colorist: Brad Simpson

Letterer: Joshua Reed

Cover Artists: Piotr Kowalski with Brad Simpson

Special Thanks: Ian Sattler

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 8, 2025

 

Peter Rockwell was depressed. Overworked and mourning his father, every day was a struggle to get by. Without Peter at the helm, his family started to mutiny. Peter's relationship with his eldest daughter grew frosty when he missed her play. But Santa Claus put him right. The Mall Santa (“A total pro”) suggested Peter “Live each day like it is Christmas.” Can Peter harness the joy of Christmas all year round? And how are the Rockwells celebrating Christmas on the 25^th of each month? Let's grab a glass of eggnog, leap into Christmas 365 #2, and find out!

 

Story

The Doctor isn't fond of Peter's plan. Burning down the Christmas tree was just the start. Peter's over-the-top celebrations bring unexpected dangers. The Doctor also worries about Peter's cholesterol due to all the holiday yummies. Nor is the Doctor alone. Red may look good on Santa, but the bank isn't happy with Peter's overspending. Still, after five months, Peter is achieving his goal of bringing his family together. So, Peter wonders how he can make his Christmas Year more feasible.

 

Avoiding holiday overeating is hard. Creation and innovation entail danger. So, in Christmas 365 #2, Peter focuses on making the holidays more affordable. People are noticing what the Rockwells are doing. When the family gathers around a plate of holiday cookies, Tina's suggestion inspires Peter. Building a Memorial Day Christmas Village necessitates a significant investment in their time and finances. If their online fans don’t support them, the Rockwells could go bankrupt. But like Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella, Peter suspects that if he builds it, people will come.

 

Amid all the fun and celebrations, Mikey Way and Jonathan Rivera’s story showcases Peter’s love for his family. As Alice said, Steven, Susan, and Tina are the gifts that matter. Steven no longer torments Susan with gory visions on his tablet. Tina is channeling her social media prowess and her set design skills to bolster her father's plans. As Peter's eldest daughter starts to feel the joy of Christmas, she realizes this year of celebrating won't go on forever. While his father's death still haunts him, Peter finds ways to close the distance with his eldest daughter in Christmas 365 #2.

 

Art

Peter's waist looks thicker without his shirt on. Peter covers his face when he wonders how to Make Christmas Great Always. Piotr Kowalski’s

flashbacks reveal Steven's mischievous nature, the Rockwells' first four monthly celebrations, and possibly how Tina sought revenge on her father. After Brad Simpson colors the April celebrations red and imbues the family with green eyes, gingerbread men with red and green buttons gather next to bills with red late payment stickers. “No, not the gumdrop buttons!”

 

As Peter and Alice study Tina's phone, bold colors fill the background, hinting at the Rockwells' online coverage. Spectators watch festive holiday displays as Tina and greenbacks fill the foreground. While Alice looks worried, Peter brainstorms colorful building projects in his red long-sleeve shirt. Then a gray shark threatens to swallow Peter's red-clothed Christmas totem, men gather beneath red palm fronds, and customers smile when yellow fries rise from a brown bun.

 

Amid Piotr Kowalski's detailed art and Brad Simpson's vibrant coloring, Joshua Reed conveys Mikey Way and Jonathan Rivera's heartwarming and energetic story. The black uppercase letters in balloons and red-bordered boxes grow bold and swell but never shrink. A stylized red, green, and white logo adorns online articles in Christmas 365 #2. Snapping and thwipping signal injury. Chugging eases Alice's tensions. Yet barely discernable clicking endangers Peter's dream. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Peter Rockwell's crusade to unite his family and celebrate their love for each other wins people over. But just as Peter discovers how to make Santa's suggestion profitable, someone threatens to steal his dream in Christmas 365 #2.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Christmas 365 #1 Review

 

Writers: Mikey Way & Jonathan Rivera

Artist: Piotr Kowalski

Colorist: Brad Simpson

Letterer: Joshua Reed

Cover Artists: Piotr Kowalski with Brad Simpson

Special Thanks: Ian Sattler

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 4, 2024

 

Peter Rockwell is depressed. Overworked and mourning his father, every day is a struggle to get by. While he is losing touch with his family, Christmas looms. Can Peter get through the holidays and get back in touch with his family? Let's grab a glass of eggnog, leap into Christmas 365 #1, and find out!

 

Story

The kitchen in Peter's house is a hive of activity. Alice steers little Steven and Susan through breakfast while arguing with Tina about propriety in teenage relationships. Steven is more interested in terrorizing Susan than eating. Peter's oldest child is upset with her dad for missing her high school play. Alice reminds Peter that he's letting them down. Peter vows to be better. But her loving suggestion feels like another demand.

 

Before Peter enters the office, the assault begins in Christmas 365 #1. His manager insinuates Peter must step up. Victor increases the pressure by purchasing the boss a gift over the proposed spending limit for employees. Then Victor promises a proposal revision by day’s end, despite shorter holiday hours. Once again, Peter arrives late to be with his family.

 

In Mikey Way and Jonathan Rivera’s story, Peter and his father always made a big deal out of Christmas. But Peter couldn't face celebrating the holidays without his dad. Steven preys on Susan's fears that their dad will skip Christmas this year. So when they get to the mall, Peter lifts Susan onto his shoulders while they wait to see Santa. Walking alongside, Steven may be more interested in his tablet than Santa. But Peter notices the wonder in his youngest daughter's eyes.

 

In Christmas 365 #1, Peter Rockwell struggles with the demands of parenthood. His daughter’s joy helps him remember how Christmas used to make him feel. So, Peter lets go of his inhibitions and notions of respectability. Instead, he does something to reawaken the child inside him and revive his love for the holiday season. Other adults won’t understand, but Peter wants to turn his life around for his family.

 

Art

Piotr Kowalski kicks off Christmas 365 #1 with a dream sequence. As Peter walks through a storybook town, trying to return home, a malicious snowman and other outdoor decorations pursue him. The inking captures details and shadows, whether caught in folds of fabric or shimmers on glass. The boss’s office evokes M’s in classic James Bond movies. Amid the fine woodwork, loaded bookshelves, and an upholstered door, a portrait of a frowning woman hangs behind the boss. Later, Peter pulls open a drawer in his cubicle, removes a framed childhood photo with his father, and replaces it on a bookshelf.

 

Brad Simpson contrasts muted colors with their brighter cousins to give Piotr Kowalkski’s art a lived-in quality. He intensifies Peter's nightmare by tinging the surrounding outdoor Christmas decorations in red. Simpson brightens the beige, brown, and gray home with plants and the undecorated Christmas tree. Tan, beige, and maroon warm the boss's office. Gray, lavender, and blue cool Peter’s cubicle. The same bright red, green, and yellow in the gold framed photo surround Santa at the mall, helping Peter associate Christmas with happiness and familial celebration.  

 

Joshua Reed decorates sugar cookie dialogue balloons with coal-colored uppercase letters. He adorns a radio news report with scalloped cookie-cutter edges. After crowning domestic chaos with a yellow sound effect, he outlines white narrative boxes with red and green to enhance Peter’s Yuletide eureka in Christmas 365 #1. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Christmas 365 #1 tackles the difficulties of navigating the depression accompanying the holiday season with sitcom humor and a reminder that the best gifts are the times we share with those we love.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.