Death Comes For The Toymaker, Vol 1

by Dakota Brown, Ryan Cody (Illustrator), Micah Myers (Letterer)

Death comes for us all. But for Gil the Toymaker, the visit is a real tragedy. Every year, the holiday gift giver is forced to do the work of Death, carrying a list of ready-to-harvest souls alongside his naughty list and nice list. As the Toymaker reflects on the relationship he's had with Death for several millennia, an associate reveals a scheme that may just put an end to Death's contract (and, perhaps, Death himself).

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mythology

144 pages, Paperback

Published November 26, 2024

Reviews

[Michael J.]

While the names of Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, etc. are never mentioned in this graphic novel ("The Toymaker" is as close as it comes) I still consider this an inventive spin on the story of Santa Claus, the naughty and nice lists, and how he manages to not only cover the entire globe in a single night but also how he manages to squeeze down chimneys.

Writer Dakota Brown incorporates Mesopotamian mythology into the story and establishes "The Toymaker" as the Sumerian king Gilgamesh. It seems that Gilgamesh sought immortality but the gods declined until they relented provided certain conditions were met: that Gilgamesh would become the holiday gift giver and visit children all over the world on a special night (not mentioned as "Christmas" either, by the way). The art by Ryan Cody is appealing and will remind readers of young adult fantasy graphic novels of various styles (TinTin, etc).

Before he can begin his task, Gilgamesh loses the one thing that grants him immortality. Desperate, he makes a deal with Death (the Grim Reaper), a former associate also assigned a special task by the gods. Death can postpone Gilgamesh's final day (thereby getting his immortality back) provided Gilgamesh does a task for Death. So the gift-giving day becomes a vacation day for Death. While Santa is dispatching gifts based on his naughty and nice lists, he also carries a list of ready-to-harvest souls and picks them up for Death on his day off.

After centuries of doing this Gilgamesh is unhappy with that relationship and schemes to put an end to Death, thereby freeing him of the contract. The story of how he attempts to do that is interspersed with flashback scenes of key moments in the lives of both.

Unfamiliar with Babylonian myth, I found this a fascinating blend of drama, politics among the gods, fantasy and horror, with a splash of humor.

[Laura]

This book starts off as being the story of an alternative Santa Clause, that is strong and immortal, but in order to stay that way, the one day ayear he delivers gifts, he also delivers death, for that is the one day Death does't work. That part is kind of cool, but from there, we entered into the world of the first epic poem. The Epic of Gilgamesh.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story written thousands of years ago. It is found in tablets, and tells the story of a king who sought immortality. And so that is what this story becomes, taking aspects of the Epic story, and moving away from the Santa Clause aspect, and more into the ancient gods and goddesses, and their complex history. I have no problem with them doing that, but to hang on to th aspect of him being a toymaker, because that is what this graphic novel is called, makes you think you are going to get one thing, and instead you get another one.

So, while this is a good rendition of the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is not an alternative version of Santa, and if you goin in realizing that, you are better for it, and will enjoy reading this more.

Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book avaiable for an honest review. This book is coming out November 19, 2024

[PanelsAndPages 1]

This book is a twist on the traditional Christmas story that we all know.

Every year “the toymaker” delivers toys to the kids on the nice list. But he also has to spend 1 day doing the work of death himself. That is the deal he closed with death for his immortality
One day he’s had enough and tries to figure out a plan how to cheat Death.

This was a fun book, with Santa being a character that has an unsatiable thirst for ambition and power.
That is how he transcended from being a king to become the toy maker.
A fun book, but nothing more : 3/5

[Ryan]

Death Comes for the Toymaker by Dakota Brown is a graphic novel about the Toymaker and his deal with Death. In this story, Death and the Toymaker were once friends. Their relationship now revolves around a bargain: the Toymaker is granted eternal life, while Death gets a vacation. One day out of the year, the Toymaker delivers both gifts and death while Death takes a holiday.

The story feels like American Gods meets Clash of the Titans. Set in an alternate world filled with gods and monsters, the mythology blends Christian, Greek, and Roman traditions. The gods have different names, but their stories echo familiar legends. Brown’s deep knowledge of mythology is evident, and the writing is sharp and thoughtful. The story explores universal themes such as ego, youthful ambition, friendship, regret, and aging.

The artwork by Ryan Cody is excellent. The emotions are palpable on the page, and he clearly enjoys illustrating the mythological creatures scattered throughout the story. The relationship between Death and the Toymaker is the emotional core of the book and easily my favorite aspect.

The story takes place in the present day, just after the annual holiday when the Toymaker delivers both presents and death. The Toymaker is broken and desperate to end both his suffering and the deal he made with Death. Through flashbacks, we see how the world of gods began, the friendship and rivalry between Death and the Toymaker, and finally the deal that sets the plot in motion. The storytelling is fun and well-paced. There were a couple of moments where I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but the story quickly clarified itself.

Death Comes for the Toymaker was published on November 26, 2024, by Magma Comix.

Why Did I Read Death Comes for the Toymaker?

The cover and the premise—Death battling Santa Claus—immediately grabbed my attention. I’ve known Dakota Brown, the writer, for over 12 years. Long ago, I directed him in a Western segment for a web series. I had seen him promoting this comic and graphic novel online and loved both the cover art and the concept.

I try to support the local art scene whenever I can. I bought a ticket to the Chattanooga Comic Con, saw that Dakota was attending, met him there, and purchased a signed copy of the book. I went in hoping it would be good since a friend wrote it,but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book is genuinely excellent. I didn’t have to question whether I was being too harsh or too generous.

Plot Summary:

Gil is hundreds of years old and is known as the Toymaker. He loves toys and the joy they bring. Once every year, the Toymaker delivers both gifts and death. He hates killing children, but the deal he made forces him to continue. During this time, Death takes a holiday, leaving the Toymaker to fill in.

Once close friends, Death and the Toymaker are now rivals who coexist uneasily. Gil is done with the deal and is willing to do anything to end it, even if that means killing Death himself. He believes he has found a way, but it involves killing a god.

What I Liked:

The writing is very strong. It doesn’t hold the reader’s hand, it’s smart and expects the reader to keep up. There were moments where I wondered what was happening, but the story takes its time connecting the dots, and when it does, it’s brilliant.

The humor is excellent. Seeing Death and the Toymaker casually going for coffee together is genuinely funny. The action scenes are well-paced and intense, and the artwork makes every panel feel epic. I loved how deeply the mythology is woven into the story. The Toymaker being Gil, short for Gilgamesh, is a fantastic reveal, and anyone familiar with that myth will appreciate the layers added here.

I also picked this up hoping for a bit of a Christmas vibe. I wasn’t sure I’d get that from a story involving Death, but by the end, the book absolutely delivers a powerful and satisfying Christmas moment.

What I Disliked:

There is one obvious plot point where a character gets everything they want, takes a nap, and then loses the very thing they needed. While this mirrors the story of Gilgamesh, it felt like a case of sticking too closely to the source material.

I also wish I’d known going in that this story takes place entirely in an alternate world. I kept waiting for it to transition to our Earth, but that never happens.

Recommendation:

Death Comes for the Toymaker is a hidden-gem graphic novel. If you want a fun and accessible way to engage with the story of Gilgamesh, this book is perfect. If you enjoy epic tales of mythological gods, monsters, and rivalries, this is for you. And if you just want a great story with humor, heart, and epic fight scenes, this delivers. I’m genuinely excited for my friend he absolutely knocked it out of the park, and this book blew past my expectations.

Rating:

Death Comes for the Toymaker by Dakota Brown. I rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Richard Derus]

Real  Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Death comes for us all. But for Gil the Toymaker, the visit is an eternal tragedy!

Every year the holiday gift giver visits children all over the world on a special night, but Gil’s immortality comes at a cost. Forced to do the work of Death, carrying a list of ready-to-harvest souls alongside his naughty and nice lists, Gil gives toys AND takes souls all in one night! But as the Toymaker reflects on the relationship he’s had with Death for several millennia, an associate reveals a scheme that may just put an end to Death’s contract (and, perhaps, Death himself!)

An epic twist on the traditional Christmas legend from writer Dakota Brown and artist Ryan Cody, for fans of original tales featuring familiar characters from mythology & folklore like Neil Gaiman’s American Gods or Bill Willingham’s Fables!

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: It's #Booksgiving, so I man up and look through publishers' options for gifting to the comics fans on all y'all's lists. I usually enjoy it about as much as dentistry...and I am *mortally*afraid* of the dentist...but am occasionally pleasantly surprised. Those are the ones y'all hear about.

Like this really interesting take on the Spirit of Giving that my mother sold me on after I figured out that Santa was Dad in a weird suit in 1965. It takes the idea of personified Death, which is one of the few things in the Pratchettverse I really like a lot, and applies it to the idea of ritualized gift-giving.

total Hogfather vibes, no?

I'm not sure I really *got* the art, in that it seemed to me to be more somber than really called for in the story itself.


There's something...elemental...that I resonated with in these panels, however, so in the end I landed on a solid, happy four-and-a-half stars for a story that gives new heft to a deeply commercial holiday.

Have a teen giftee who's got an anti-capitalist 'tude? A seriously Goth kid not into the whole "ho-ho-ho" and "holly-jolly christmas" b.s.? Here's them a story that agrees with their world-view. It might also excite them to get curious about ancient myths and legends, which can only be a good thing. It's one I would buy for myself, and only misses five stars because it feels like it left off but didn't end.

That being a feature not a bug in sequential-art storytelling, I record it purely as an explanation not a cavil.

[Brian Bullen]

When I read the one shot of this series it really hit me how the whole concept of the story was so well considered and thought out. Taking Santa and Death and intermingling them with middle eastern mythological stories and characters works so well. The trade expands on that a lot more and we see more myths brought to life as the book continues. The trade carries with it the same humour and heart that was in the one shot. We get to see a much fuller story of Gil and Death, we only got a glimpse of it in the one shot but this allows for us to see the friendship grow throughout the years and the trials and tribulations that come with that relationship.

The way the story is told works really well, flitting back and forth between flashbacks and the present. Each flashback gives us more details of Gil And Deaths time together and how they became who they are today. The use of the myths to tell this story works so well, it gives a lot of gravity to the whole tale. The main story itself would have made a great read but the tales in the flashbacks add so much to the whole thing. I know they are integral to the whole plot of the book but I would have read and enjoyed reading just the myths or just the present day portions. This book could have been quite a heavy read but there are a lot of moments of humour throughout, especially from Death, he seems quite the comedian. Those moments of levity really endears the story to the reader that much more.

The artwork throughout the trade has a really great look to it all, it really matches the feel of the story nicely. While depicting fanciful and mythological creatures and events never goes too far so that you are pulled out of the experience of reading, the illustration enhances the experience allowing you to enjoy the word and images in unison rather than one overpowering the other. Death is such a standout in his design, though simple and fairly traditional in his appearance for some reason he stands out every time he appears in the pages.

I really enjoyed reading this trade/OGN, it had such a rich backstory to it. The relationship between Gil and Death was a joy to see begin and build and to see how their existences intertwined throughout the years, and how that friendship became strain as time went on. The other characters we meet along the way are all so unique and each enhances the story in their own way, especially Gils Mother and the God Ea. This was a fairly long read at 134 pages but I did it all in one sitting as I could not put it down. It is a full and well crafted tale, you can tell a lot went into this creatively, the effort of the whole team shines through. I would give this a score of 8 out of 10

[Theediscerning]

Unusual graphic novel, that takes characters from Babylonian myth – Gilgamesh, for one, and an Ishtar that looks like a young Orson Welles gone wrong – and puts them in weird, semi-Gaimanesque situations. Principally, Death has a contract whereby he sits idling at the North Pole for one day every year, while someone whose job normally is to sort the naughty and the nice kids out and give them presents accordingly, must hop on his giant flying wild boar-styled chimera, and do the rounds to collect their dying souls as well.

Unfortunately the book, having set up that scenario, then reverts to the backstory that led everyone to that stage, in most uninteresting ways. If you know nothing of the Epic of Gilgamesh you'll garner no knowledge of it from these pages, and so talk of Tiamat's this and thingummy's the other and a certain gate made from a certain wood will count as but nothing. I don't know that it works as a kind of sequel, alternative continuance or indeed anything in relation to the original. Meaning all we get is a mediocre mish-mash of gods and mortals and those halfway in between, doing what they've done for millennia, and not in a particularly interesting manner. Two and a half stars.

[Chad]

An alternative version of Santa Claus based on Mesopotamian mythology combining him with Gilgamesh. Even though the setup is that he's Santa, this isn't really a Christmas story. After the initial setup, it goes full in on Gilgamesh's story instead. This version of Santa has made a deal with Death for his immortality. He takes over for Death on Christmas while Death takes the day off. So while Santa has a naughty and nice list, there's also a third death list. After those initial revelations, this swerves into Gilgamesh's history of how he got there and how he tries to get out of the deal he's made. It's interesting and definitely original.

[Holly]

Once a year, Death gets a break. He puts his feet up by the fire in the cozy chair of the Toymaker. That night, the Toymaker gives gifts to those on his nice list, ignoring those on his naughty list. However, he also gives out death to those on Death's list. This exchange is what has granted the Toymaker his immortality. Yet how did these two beings come to be? What led them to their eternal paths? And can they ever deviate from them?

This twist on a Christmas tale is creative, is mythological, and features engaging artwork.

[Nicolette Rothwell]

Good alternative to Santa Clause, smothered (in a good way) in mythology and gorgeous art. I can see myself reading this again and again

[Gina Heaney]

Enjoyed the Babylonian myth lens on the legend of Santa Claus.