Yuletide is one of those holiday comics that surprised me by going much deeper than spooky decorations and festive monsters. Let’s go back to the Christmas season and talk about this one!

Yuletide
Publisher: Oni Press
Writer: George Northy
Artist: Rachele Aragno
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Letterers: Richard Starkings, Tyler Smith
Cover Artist: Ito
Release dates: October – December 2025

Yuletide comes from writer George Northy and artist Rachele Aragno, a creative duo that feels perfectly matched for this kind of story. Northy clearly loves folklore and myth, and that passion shows in how carefully the legends are woven into the narrative instead of feeling like random references.

The series opens by digging into the ancient roots of Yuletide, with a long forgotten conflict between forces of light led by the Yulefather and darker powers ruled by the witch queen Perchta. In the present day, the story moves to Christmas, Pennsylvania, a town that lives and breathes Christmas all year long. The main character, Jake, is a kid who hates the holiday, partly because of family loss and partly because of everything the town represents to him. Along with his friends Abe and Wyn, his curiosity about the darker side of Christmas folklore leads them to an old relic tied directly to those ancient legends. Once that relic is opened, long banished creatures begin to return, and the cheerful surface of the town starts to crack as old magic, monsters, and buried truths push their way back into the world.

I loved this series way more than I expected (and I already had high expectations when it was announced). I already love Christmas, and a town that is obsessed with it year round honestly sounds like my dream, but Yuletide made that setting feel fresh by giving it a darker origin. I really enjoyed how the series leans into folklore, mixing something almost magical with just enough horror to keep it unsettling. The idea that Christmas might have a much darker origin beneath all the lights and decorations is what really hooked me. It gives the story a unique mood, like a twisted fairytale that still feels deeply tied to the holiday rather than trying to tear it apart.

The folklore elements are fantastic, especially seeing creatures like Perchta, the Yule Cat, and the Yule Lads (these lil’ guys were my favorite) treated with real respect instead of just being fun Easter eggs. The final issue really sold me emotionally, tying Jake’s personal trauma to the mythology in a way that felt sincere and earned. The series plays with the contrast between forced cheer and what gets pushed aside, and that tension stuck with me long after I finished reading. I also really appreciated the behind the scenes, explaining that many of these creatures actually come from real myths and their origins.

Yuletide is a smart, heartfelt Christmas horror story that understands both the comfort and the shadows hiding inside the holiday. It was truly the gift that kept on giving!