A satisfyingly finale, “Wraith: Welcome To Christmasland” #7 delivers one last final scare that will leave readers wanting more. Based on Joe Hill’s critically acclaimed novel, “NOS4A2,” readers get a brand new chapter about its chilling antagonist, Charlie Manx. If you love the novel, you definitely need this prequel comic added to your collection. 
WRITTEN BY: Joe Hill
ART BY: Charles Paul Wilson III
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: June 11, 2013
Reviewed by Jorge Solis
Charlie Manx, the tortured driver of the haunted 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith, was not the mastermind behind Christmasland. Someone else had to come up with the never-ending winter fantasy. Now, readers will finally meet the smooth liar who ultimately sold Manx on the idea of a wonderful place where being unhappy is against the law. Find out how this sweet and innocent concept twisted itself into becoming a new place in Hell.
Writer Joe Hill takes readers into the mind of a different character. We see how Charlie Manx eventually became involved with Christmasland and what led to his inevitable downfall. Was Charlie always destined to arrive at Christmasland? Or did someone had to steer him into that hellish destination? I liked that this installment is an origin story, and that the narrative also serves as an connecting piece to the entire comic series.
Hill divides the well-developed storyline into different sections. We first start off with a coming-of-age tale that ignites into a crime tale. After one heist after another, the main protagonists need to feed their temptations with more money. The consumption of greed is never enough for the flawed characters.
Artist Charles Paul Wilson III succeeds in delivering a visual experiment that captures surrealism and magic realism. Each page looks like something out of a comic strip from the 1950s. You feel like you’ve taken a trip to the past but the themes are still modern today. The decorations of Christmas, with the tall trees and wreaths, are still the same no matter how many decades have passed. I’m impressed with how Wilson is able to deliver facial expressions with such little detail. It’s about saying so much by doing just a small tweak to the smile and eyes. Jay Fotos also adds to the ’50s look with his vibrant colors. The primary colors, such as orange and blue, are faded enough to resemble some lost children’s book.
“Wraith: Welcome To Christmasland” #7 closes its last chapter on a thrilling note. I can’t wait to read the prequel comic and the novel back-to-back.