As Todd McFarlane continues to innovate the franchise with new stories, Spawn is growing yet again with I Saw Santa. Penned by ComicBook.com mainstay Chris Killian and his brother Andrew Sanders, the two-part series centers on Sam and Twitch, the iconic detectives who frequently found their cases crossing paths with the undead warrior.
The duo discover a terrifying homicide on Christmas Eve, in which a family is killed and left in a horrific display, and subsequently determine Santa was witness to it all. From there, as I Saw Santa delivers new Spawn lore and Easter eggs, the comic series also reveals Claus to be a figure haunted by the children he couldn’t save, including the one who grew up to become the focus murderer.
After initially debuting at 2025’s San Diego Comic-Con, Todd McFarlane Productions has now unveiled the full details for I Saw Santa, which is also being illustrated by Thomas Nachlik. The two-part comic series, whose first issue hits comic shops on Wednesday, November 26, is set to debut with four variant covers, including a special wraparound featuring never-before-seen artwork from Spawn Universe veteran Greg Capullo, as well as Marco Failla, Todor Hristov and a blank sketch variant.
In addition to the new details, ScreenRant is proud to exclusively debut the first five pages of I Saw Santa, which sees Sam and Twitch arriving on the aforementioned crime scene. After a few ominous panels of the dark scene to come, it culminates with a double splash page of the terrifying murder. Check out the images below:
In honor of the announcement, McFarlane wrote a statement celebrating I Saw Santa joining the Spawn Universe, describing it as a “crazy, seasonal story”, recalling his “dubious” initial response to Killian and Sanders wanting to pitch him on the subject, only for them to “put a smile on my face for the wicked path” they had in mind:
This will be a crazy, seasonal story that will shed a light on Spawn and Santa like I’ve never presented. This isn’t a fun-filled adventure… quite the opposite, as we will explore one of the mythologies that we’ve all been taught about the “rules” of getting our presents. Chris and Andrew wanted to pitch this to me, and I was dubious, until I heard it. And it put a smile on my face for the wicked path they wanted to travel down. Thomas’ art also set the mood for this bizarre storyline. So, buckle up.
Killian also shared some insight for how I Saw Santa will be a mix of being a “love letter” to fans of McFarlane’s iconic character, as well as offering an “in-universe” twist on the titular character that will keep readers guessing across both issues. Check out Killian’s statement below:
This is a love letter (Christmas gift?) to Spawn fans. A holiday horror tale that’s part murder mystery, part demented folklore—and completely in-universe. What if Santa Claus really existed in the dark world of Spawn?
What I Saw Santa Means For The Spawn Universe
Though the original version of the character, Al Simmons, still pops up in certain stories, the Spawn Universe has seen McFarlane and his team expanding with a wide variety of stories, ranging from exploring the origins of Medieval Spawn to the origins of the iconic villain Violator. However, I Saw Santa almost acts as a full-circle story for The New U after it kicked off in 2024 with Sam and Twitch: Case Files.
What’s more interesting, however, is that with the Spawn Universe now growing to showcase Santa Claus’ existence, the door now seems open for other iconic folklore characters to get their own stories. Whether it’s as part of a Sam and Twitch case, or even part of a solo storyline with Nyx, McFarlane could very well find himself further inspired by Killian and Sanders’ story to tackle the likes of the Tooth Fairy, Cupid or Jack Frost.
Regardless of what the future may hold for the pair and for McFarlane, the one thing that is clear from I Saw Santa’s plot and first pages is that Killian and Sanders are pulling no punches with their Spawn spinoff. Between the brutal death scene, and the tease of Santa having past ties with the killer, the two-part miniseries is sure to only get more intense from its first five pages.
Our Take On I Saw Santa’s First Pages