Brian Posehn is a unique talent in Hollywood. In a world in which surface always seems to triumph over substance, Posehn has managed to creep into the pop-culture consciousness with his nerdy voice and appearance. He's an inspiration to us geeks, so I was pleased to hear he was turning his attention to comics storytelling with this farcical limited series. I was confused by the timing of the book, though, as May hardly seems like the time to launch a Christmas-themed story, and after reading the book, I remain confused. To my dismay, The Last Christmas turns out to be a low-brow orgy of violence and obvious gags. I was hoping for something more like the energetic and naughtily whimsical Jingle Belle, but that's not to be found here.
A history of war and hatred has finally caught up with mankind, as nuclear missiles rain down on warring nations, throwing a post-apocalyptic pall over the entire planet. Anarchist marauders roam the countryside looking for victims while zombie-like irradiated monsters seek flesh to consume. But despite the diseased and corrupt world order, a few little boys and girls continue to believe in Santa Claus, who rewards them with gifts. But now that the marauders have found the North Pole and the elven community that still thrives there, it may be that we've seen... the last Christmas.
It's not surprising that Remender's art here is highly reminiscent of that of Kieron (Remains) Dwyer. He and Remender are frequent collaborators, and the overall tone of the over-the-top story is in keeping with some of Dwyer's zanier and more taboo efforts. Generally, there was little in Remender and Barta's linework that really grabbed me. They tell the story clearly enough, but none of the designs were all that eye-catching. The colors, on the other hand, are really vibrant. When circumstances clal for eerie, dark tones, they're there, and Santa Claus's work is vibrant and alive in primary colors.
One of the problems with the book is that the setup early on takes far too long to get to the point. Furthermore, the rhyming narration doesn't seem to follow any meter, so it fails to capture the twisted Frosty the Snowman riff for which it aims.
The story ultimately leads to the image of a despondent and abusive Kris Kringle seeking to end his own life, and I realize that we're meant to see the humor in a concept that's synonymous with innocence and wonder immersed in such self-pity and darkness. And the idea of an immortal trying to commit suicide is a bit funny... for a minute or so. But this book takes ideas that might have made for an amusing short story in a comics anthology or a four-minute comedy sketch and stretches it beyond that. It's just not enough to hold my attention for an entire issue, let alone more than one. 3/10
