This week, Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis wish readers a Merry Hyde Street Christmas with Issue #3.

And in typical Hyde Street fashion, this yuletide cheer comes with a fair amount of horror. The series is part of the new Ghost Machine imprint at Image Comics. Hyde Street certainly earns its scares, but its stories often feel like gothic dark fairytales. Each issue has also served to explore the origins of the two main characters, Mr. X-Ray and Pranky. Both were chosen by the scorekeeper to capture the souls of the corrupt people who find themselves drawn into Hyde Street. Once their tally reaches ten thousand souls, they are free to leave.

Johns’ characters here are severely flawed and just as twisted as their victims and, of course, a blast to read. What makes them rise above typical horror villains is that they aren’t portrayed as strictly evil demons. Yes, what they inflict on the unfortunate who wander into Hyde Street is brutal and cruel. Mr. X-Ray and even Pranky act under a personal code and possess deeper motivations then merely deriving joy from the torture they inflict. Mr. X-Ray desperately seeks to return to the real world in order to reunite with a daughter he had neglected and will do anything to raise his tally. Pranky has a personal vendetta against those who would harm children and sees himself as an avenger, bringing justice to the victims of those whose souls he steals. It’s this duality within the characters that keeps me coming back each week.

Okay that, and Ivan Reis’ gorgeous artwork. Reis is one of my favorite artists, and he is once again at his best with Johns. Most comic fans know how well this creative team works together from their work on Green Lantern for DC Comics. I will always buy a book with these two attached. One horizontal panel in particular stood out in how much was conveyed in a close-up of Pranky’s mouth. Just one little smirk oozed sinister and foreshadowed the dark turn that was to come. Reis paints each scene with the eye of a horror director. We are introduced to a new character in this issue, the Matinee Monster, and Reis’ design work and Johns’ script subverts the reader’s expectations for the character and its perceived motivations.

Issue three is a Christmas issue and, in many ways, a re-imagining of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. In the last issue, it was revealed that Pranky had far surpassed the necessary ten thousand souls needed to leave Hyde Street, but he refused to leave, much to the scorekeeper’s chagrin. Pranky relished in the role of the dark avenger and didn’t have any interest in relinquishing his position. Angry, the scorekeeper ordered Pranky to help the other residents of Hyde Street raise their tallies. In this issue, the latest soul to lose themselves on Hyde Street is a thief dressed as Santa Claus. In the opening pages, we see that this man has already stolen the presents from multiple homes and told a young boy that Santa Claus doesn’t exist. Pranky is the first of the denizens of Hyde Street to notice the thief but instead of plucking the soul himself, he lets Mr. X-Ray come along in order to appease the scorekeeper. In the end, Pranky and Mr. X-Ray discover that they aren’t the only hunters out, as the Matinee Monster emerges as a competitor for the thieving Santa Claus’ soul.

This issue further explores the motivations of Mr. X-Ray and Pranky. There is a great final twist involving the Matinee Monster that I won’t spoil here. This new character hints at a different angle to the scorekeeper’s game that I can’t wait to see explored in future issues. Johns and Reis also seem to be planting the seeds for an inevitable confrontation between Mr. X-Ray and Pranky. Pranky is clearly an obstacle to Mr. X-Ray’s plans to escape, and these two residents can’t coexist together. Another must read from Ghost Machine.

Creative Team: Geoff Johns (Writer), Ivan Reis (Artist), Danny Miki (Inker), Brad Anderson (Colorist), and Rob Leigh (Letterer)
Publisher: Ghost Machine/Image Comics
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