Manga Claus [Hardcover]

Nathaniel Marunas (Author), Erik Craddock (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Manga Claus

A disgruntled employee, dark elven magic, and a horde of cursed toys threaten to put an end to Christmas just as the North Pole is getting ready for the hap-hap-happiest time of year. The only things standing between the destruction of the workshop and the happiness of millions of kids around the world are Santa and his ancient samurai swords, imbued with the spirit of the season. His blades are keen and his bujitsu unmatched, but will they be enough to save the season?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8–With an eye-catching cover–Santa (aka Manga Claus) stands bare-chested wielding two samurai swords–and a ludicrous plot, this graphic novel is sure to attract manga lovers. 'Tis the night before the night before Christmas and all is well in the North Pole–until a disgruntled elf places an evil spell on a ninja nutcracker. He in turn infects a roomful of teddy bears, causing them to wreak havoc in Santa's factory, threatening to disrupt the holiday. Only Santa and his Blade of Kringle, a gift from a displaced samurai a century and a half earlier, can slice the stuffing out of these terrible teddies, saving the factory and Christmas Day. Black, white, and red illustrations are action-packed and full of comic fun, making this a satisfying choice for kids who've tired of sugarplums.–Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

It's December 23, and Fritz, a disgruntled elf, is sick of life in the laundry room. When he is passed over for a promotion to Santa's workshop, he decides to use a little magic to prove that he has what it takes to make toys. His enchanted ninja nutcracker wreaks havoc in the workshop, infecting the teddy bears with its evil ninja spirit, and Santa must call upon his samurai past to stop the teddies before they take out the generator and ruin Christmas for everyone. Marunas delivers an entertaining send-up of Christmas, with its heart in the right place, and Craddock's energetic graphic-novel art heightens the tale with plenty of movement. Limiting the color to high-contrast red lends a moodiness that adds to the running joke. There's some cartoon violence (with teddy stuffing flying everywhere), but this is funny and kid-friendly without being saccharine. Tina Coleman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (September 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595141340
• ISBN-13: 978-1595141347
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,294,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect gift for kids 8-14., December 6, 2006

By 

Basil Nestor - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Manga Claus (Hardcover)

Santa Claus becomes an action hero in this clever tale that blends the traditional Santa legend with the fast-paced story structure of an action movie, and then delivers it all in a comic book layout. Although Santa holds two swords on the cover, most of the novel is edge-of-the-seat suspense rather than violence.

Manga Claus is about a horde of marauding ninja teddy bears who take over Santa's factory at the North Pole. Their nefarious plot is inadvertently set in motion by a jealous elf with a grudge. The resulting struggle for control of the factory features multiple action scenes occurring simultaneously, and is reminiscent of the first Die Hard movie (a mega-hit in 1988 largely due to its story structure). Author Nathaniel Marunas has adapted this classic formula and given it an even better protagonist, Santa Claus!

Most youngsters these days play ultra-sophisticated video games and read "manga-style" graphic novels. So it's fun to see Santa Claus make the jump into a contemporary role for kids.

In addition to action, Manga Claus is a story with a moral. It includes poignant examples of redemption and forgiveness. Manga Claus is a perfect gift for boys 8-14 (and some girls may like it, too).

4.0 out of 5 stars Premise of samurai Santa makes for a seasonal conversation piece, December 16, 2010

By 

Gagewyn (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manga Claus (Hardcover)

Manga Claus is a funny name. Yep, there you go: funny clever name/concept/premise. That premise is the whole of the entertainment value, although that exact same premise stretches out over 80 pages of Santa talking to his sensei, then ripped shirtless Santa fighting with samurai swords against possessed ninja toys.

The story is adequate. Santa received Samurai training hundreds of years ago. Today, at the North Pole, an elf seeks new ways to get Santa's attention so as to get a promotion. The elf uses black magic, but looses control, which results in an army of ninja toys who Santa has to fight in big sweeping battles with samurai swords.

The graphics are better than the story. Frames are drawn in black, white, and red and in a similar style as the cover illustration (but without as much detail). The graphics are solid. There is no substitute for a visual when it comes to fight scenes of possessed demonic Teddy bear ninjas versus a shirtless extremely muscular and sword wielding Santa Claus.

Overall, this book is a one-liner joke spread out over 80 pages. The art and pace are pretty consistent and it's not badly done. This is what it is: a seasonal joke and conversation piece.

5.0 out of 5 stars The best 15 minutes you will spend reading this book, February 7, 2009

By 

Monkey "Monkey Moniker" (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Manga Claus (Hardcover)

The best fifteen minutes I have ever spent reading a book centers around mutant ninja teddy bears conjured by an elf who just wanted to be noticed, and oh how was he noticed. Warning: Spoilers most likely. Go by the book, it's cheap, there are a ton of copies available and it is funny as all get out.

The premise goes like this, elf wants to move up in the world, move away from laundry room, but just isn't ready to be promoted yet. Conjuring some magical mayhem, our down and out angry elf decided to bring to life a nut cracker to destroy something that only our angry disgruntled non-promotable elf could fix. Bring on the tragic yet comical series of events that makes Manga Claus one of the funniest things you will read this week.

The nut cracker gets kicked into a fire, and from there the evil ninja soul proceeds to inhabit many of the fine teddy bears that Santa Makes. Ninja Teddy Bears, very good ninja teddy bears, who then proceed to wreak havoc across Santa's work shop. That is until Santa decides (and deadlines demand) an end to the mayhem, and proceeds to go totally ninja on a horde of teddy bears. In all good clean fun for everyone, kids will laugh, parents will laugh, and even casual passersby will laugh. This is one book that is completely worth picking up and enjoying, regardless of your age.