To celebrate this festive time of year we have compiled a list of 10 essential Christmas digital comics for you to enjoy this yuletide. They include everything from Christmas classics and wintery slices of life, to child hating demons and some truly unique takes on the big FC – so there really is something for everyone!

1. A Christmas Carol (Markosia)

The greatest Christmas story of all-time, turned into a comic form courtesy of Markosia comics. Writer Stephen L. Stern, (who also produced Markosia’s Beowulf Graphic Novel), and artist Douglas A. Sirois, give you a faithful adaptation of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic.
A Christmas Carol is available from Markosia on ComiXology for £1.99/$2.99

2. Masks and Mobsters #5 (MonkeyBrain Comics)

Taking their cue from Dickens’ christmas classic, Josh Williamson and Mike Henderson’s pulp inspired gangsters and superheroes series takes a superb festive diversion as two mobsters are sent out to kill an old man at Christmas and get more they bargained for thanks to some familiar spirits. Henderson’s black and white ink splattered artwork gives this slice of pulp gothic noir the perfect mix of bleakness and wintery chill while Henderson manage to perfectly balance a homage to Dickens classic tale without losing sight of what makes the series work in the first place.
Masks & Mobsters#5 – Xmas Special is available from MonkeyBrain Comics on ComiXology for £0.69/$0.99

3. Krampus (Image Comics)

If you like your Christmas spirits a bit more malevolent and macabre, then you need to discover the world of Krampus – and we’re not just talking about the recent movie here! For centuries the Secret Society of Santa Clauses have magically distributed Christmas cheer to children around the world, but when the source of their power is stolen, they turn to an usual source for help – Krampus, a child-punishing demon of holiday lore. It’s part Hellboy, all humbug in this superb comedy Christmas adventure..
Krampus #1 is available from Image Comics on ComiXology and the Image Comics Store for £1.99/$2.99

4. Johnny Zombie Christmas (Thrillbent)

If you can imagine The Night Before Christmas, mixed with The Walking Dead and a kick ass Evil Dead Ash-style hero then you are getting somewhere close to the twisted genius that is Johnny Zombie Christmas. A man and his son are hiding from the undead hordes when he realises it’s Christmas Eve. As he goes out to find his son a present he accidentally riles up the local walkers, but the enigmatic Johnny Zombie comes to his rescue and saves Christmas, while punching off some zombie faces! Told in slick rhyming couplets and with Thrillbent’s awesome guided view, it’s the perfect balance of festive bon homie and undead head splitting action!
Johnny Zombie Christmas is available with a Thrillbent subscription for $3.99 per month

5. Santa Claus vs. The Nazis (Aces Weekly)

Saint Nick vs. Hitler may sound like the recipe for a cheesy schmaltz fest, but Benjamin Dickson and Gavin Mitchell’s tale of the German invasion of Santa’s lapland headquarter is anything but. When the Nazis accidentally discover Santa’s workshop, and in it an experimental present replicator, it’s up to chief elf Reggie and a young slave boy called Peter, to return to Lapland and rescue Father Christmas. They’re helped by a crack team of commandos from the British Army, led by a very familiar looking Captain Windsor, not to mention a certain red nosed reindeer. Reminiscent of classic British war comics like Eagle and Commando, but with a very knowing British sense of humour and a generous dose of festive goodwill, Santa Claus vs. the Nazis is a great example of the kind of unique story telling you only get in David Lloyd’s digital exclusive web comic, Aces Weekly.
Santa Claus vs. The Nazis is available in volumes 2, 3, 6, and 7 of Aces Weekly

6. Holidaze #1 (Dandy Press)

Ever wondered what Santa gets up to on the other 364 days of the years? Well you can find out in Dave Dellecese and Andrew Cieslinksi’s tale of a pub frequented by cultural icons. In this first issue Santa gets so drunk that he passes out and his fellow Holidaze patrons have to club together to help save Christmas. While in the second story he is sent on sensitivity training after making an inappropriate comment about an elf in his workshop. It’s like a weird cocktail made of drinks from the back of your liqour cabinet and is packed full of humour that makes it feel like a mix of Cheers and Animal House, but with the tooth fairy serving drinks and is the perfect antidote to all that seasonal schmaltz.    
Purchase Holidaze #1 from ComiXology for £1.49/$1.99

7. Thoughts on a Winter Morning (MonkeyBrain Comics)

Although not strictly Christmas, Kurt Busiek and Steve Lieber’s delightful wintery one-shot perfectly captures that tranquility of a Christmas-like morning. This autobiographical slice of life sees Busiek musing on memory, childhood, and being a parent as Lieber beautifully renders this delightfully simple tale to create a truly sublime story.
Thought on a Winter Morning is available via ComiXology for £0.69/$0.99

8. Klaus (Boom! Studios)

The incomparable Grant Morrison’s unique take on the origins of Father Christmas sees him reimagined as a gruff Germanic action hero. But don’t worry, this is no grim and gritty, anti-Christmas swear-fest like Morrison’s other Christmasy tale Happy, instead this is a smart all ages tale which see the rough and ready woodsman stand up of the downtrodden of his village, but not before he has had a drink and hunted some reindeer. With stunning art from Dan Mora, it’s a refreshing new look at this ultimate festive story but also a reminder of Morrison’s range as a writer.
Klaus #1-2 are available from ComiXology  for £2.49 per issue

9. Hellboy Christmas Special (Dark Horse)

Mike Mignola’s Hellboy has often had that Victorian Ghost Story feel to it, so this full-length story sees Hellboy spends Christmas underground with dead guys in a 48-page special full of weird yuletide cheer with backup features from Gary Gianni’s Corpus Monstrum, Steve Purcell’s Toy Box characters, as well as Geof Darrow’s a special holiday surprise.
Hellboy Christmas Special is available from Dark Horse Digital for £1.99/$2.99

10. Charlie Brown Christmas (Loud Crow Interactive)

Although not strictly speaking a comic, it is still a compulsory piece of Christmas comic-related reading. Transforming the classic story of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and co attempting to find the true meaning Christmas into an interactive book it eprfectly capture the look and feel of the classic animation series with a generous dose of interactivity alongside animation and songs. It truly makes your iPad come to life this Christmas and is perfect for those who remember the story from childhood or for kids experiencing it for the first time.
A Charlie Brown Christmas is available from the iTunes Store for £2.99/£3.99