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Stranger Things: Graphic Novels #5.5
Stranger Things: Holiday Specials
Get all three Stranger Things holiday specials in one package!
In the Halloween Special, Will, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin gather in Castle Byers to eat candy and scare each other with a spooky story, revealing the quaint town’s darkest secret: the Child-Eater of Hawkins.
In the Winter Special, Eleven and the kids of Hawkins are getting into the full spirit of the season. As they recall their favorite stories from their childhoods to teach Eleven about Christmas, tensions run high as Dustin swears he saw something spooky lurking in the forest outside.
In the Summer Special, Officers Powell and Callahan patrol the “mean” streets of Hawkins, Indiana with the enthusiasm of two hefty dachshunds pretending to be bloodhounds. Typically they don’t have to chase down more than the occasional petty theft and teenagers smoking refer but lately, the town has been getting weirder, and while they might not get to the bottom of it they just might be lucky enough to survive.
In the Halloween Special, Will, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin gather in Castle Byers to eat candy and scare each other with a spooky story, revealing the quaint town’s darkest secret: the Child-Eater of Hawkins.
In the Winter Special, Eleven and the kids of Hawkins are getting into the full spirit of the season. As they recall their favorite stories from their childhoods to teach Eleven about Christmas, tensions run high as Dustin swears he saw something spooky lurking in the forest outside.
In the Summer Special, Officers Powell and Callahan patrol the “mean” streets of Hawkins, Indiana with the enthusiasm of two hefty dachshunds pretending to be bloodhounds. Typically they don’t have to chase down more than the occasional petty theft and teenagers smoking refer but lately, the town has been getting weirder, and while they might not get to the bottom of it they just might be lucky enough to survive.
112 pages, Paperback
First published December 20, 2022
29 people are currently reading
327 people want to read
About the author
Michael Moreci
434 books212 followersMichael Moreci is a bestselling comics author and novelist. His original works include the space adventure novels Black Star Renegades and We Are Mayhem, as well as the comic series Wasted Space, The Plot, Hexagon, Curse, Archangel 8, and more. The Plot appeared on numerous best of 2019 lists, and Wasted Space has been hailed as one of the best comics of the past decade. Moreci's comic trilogy Roche Limit was called one of the best sci-fi comics of all-time by Paste Magazine, and Black Star Renegades was an Audie Award finalist for best sci-fi of 2018.
Moreci has also written for Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the DC universe--including the YA graphic novel The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Story. He's also adapted Eoin Colfer's bestselling Artemis Fowl series into graphic novels.
He lives outside Chicago with his family.
Moreci has also written for Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the DC universe--including the YA graphic novel The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Story. He's also adapted Eoin Colfer's bestselling Artemis Fowl series into graphic novels.
He lives outside Chicago with his family.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 19, 2022
Another great graphic novel featuring stories based on Stranger Things. The writing and illustrations in this novel are both excellent. I an anxiously awaiting more graphic novels based on one of my favorite series!
January 21, 2026
Solidly mid
March 11, 2023
(4 of 5 for very nice, good and rather poor stories)
Holiday special consist of 3 shorter stories. First is Halloween and it's about scary stories. And it is quite great. And looks very good, in the art way. The second is not that great in the art way, I didn't like it that much, but the story is pleasing, even if there isn't much of a story. This has better art again, but the story is a variation of how some side characters live their day and the events of the main story happen in the background. Which is usually fun for me, but this time it doesn't work much. It lacks the spark and the two characters are not really attention-worthy, I didn't like them and I didn't care about them a bit. The whole book was quite fine, only the last story felt long and tedious.
Holiday special consist of 3 shorter stories. First is Halloween and it's about scary stories. And it is quite great. And looks very good, in the art way. The second is not that great in the art way, I didn't like it that much, but the story is pleasing, even if there isn't much of a story. This has better art again, but the story is a variation of how some side characters live their day and the events of the main story happen in the background. Which is usually fun for me, but this time it doesn't work much. It lacks the spark and the two characters are not really attention-worthy, I didn't like them and I didn't care about them a bit. The whole book was quite fine, only the last story felt long and tedious.
December 8, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
January 12, 2024
The last part, summer, was the best one out of the three
August 26, 2023
The Christmas one was so cute <3
November 21, 2023
The hooligans are up to no good again!
January 5, 2026
i just cannot believe that joyce would let steve be alone on christmas
October 18, 2022
trigger warning
Three short stories from various points of the series. While there are allusions to what happens in the series you could read this without fear of being spoilered of major plot points.
In the first story, set at Halloween, the gang from the beginning is sitting around a campfire and telling stories in the dark. As you do. The second one is about two cops not being happy about their job, because in Hawkins, strange shit happens. And the last one is about El’s first Christmas with family and friends.
As usual, these provide background for the characters and add more details in a way that would not necessarily have fit into the main series, so telling them but putting them in comic format is a great choice.
I am still not sick of these and will totally read on.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
Three short stories from various points of the series. While there are allusions to what happens in the series you could read this without fear of being spoilered of major plot points.
In the first story, set at Halloween, the gang from the beginning is sitting around a campfire and telling stories in the dark. As you do. The second one is about two cops not being happy about their job, because in Hawkins, strange shit happens. And the last one is about El’s first Christmas with family and friends.
As usual, these provide background for the characters and add more details in a way that would not necessarily have fit into the main series, so telling them but putting them in comic format is a great choice.
I am still not sick of these and will totally read on.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
Read
December 25, 2022I loved when all the kids were trying to explain the plots of various Christmas specials that Eleven has never heard of - those pages were my favorite and made me laugh. It was great! I kinda want to build a lesson around it at school.
This was a little mash up of several seasons/characters in the show and some of the volumes were more holiday seasoned than others, but thoroughly enjoyable!
Starts with a spooky campfire/Halloween story, moves into a Christmas story and then ends with Billy and the mall (the last part of this one didn't flow/fit with the others...
This was a little mash up of several seasons/characters in the show and some of the volumes were more holiday seasoned than others, but thoroughly enjoyable!
Starts with a spooky campfire/Halloween story, moves into a Christmas story and then ends with Billy and the mall (the last part of this one didn't flow/fit with the others...
May 19, 2023
I liked it a lot! I really enjoy being in the Stranger Things universe, and this was the first comic/graphic novel of them that I read. I really liked the Halloween story, and I enjoyed the storyline with Powell and Callahan. I think they're great side characters, and I like that they get their own moment and see the events from their perspective.
I didn't expect a grand storyline and anything crazy good for this book. I was happy with how the characterization was spot-on, and I thought the art was fun.
Didn't take much to please me as I'm already a big fan of the show. 5/5
I didn't expect a grand storyline and anything crazy good for this book. I was happy with how the characterization was spot-on, and I thought the art was fun.
Didn't take much to please me as I'm already a big fan of the show. 5/5
July 5, 2023
Who doesn't love a good holiday special, amiright? This issue covers 3 holidays in Hawkins; Halloween, Christmas, and 4th of July. I love the way each of them are represented, with some creepy flair. If they made an actual episode of the show based on this book, I suspect it would flow a lot like Treehouse of Horrors on The Simpsons (which is also another favorite). As with the rest of the books in the series, it was a great addition to the universe that is Stranger Things. If you are a super fan that wants extra content, definitely check them out.
April 7, 2023
We are definitely getting into the better writing with this issue as well as a couple of the ones just before. The dialogue is more authentic to the characters, the plots seem to make more sense and matter more, and the way these stories are either filling in gaps or connecting to the ST universe in a better way all make me want more.
I had fun with all the pieces of this issue, but my favorite was when all the kids are describing classic Christmas movies to El. Good stuff!
I had fun with all the pieces of this issue, but my favorite was when all the kids are describing classic Christmas movies to El. Good stuff!
February 9, 2023
ohhhh this one was so sweet 😭🫶🏻
July 23, 2024
okay the christmas one was really cute
February 3, 2026
Good comic
Read
December 31, 2024I saved this volume for December, and I'm glad I did! Even though only one of the stories in here is Christmas-centric, this was still a great holiday read.
The first story in here was a Halloween one, featuring some Byers-brother-bonding and a scary story with a nice twist. It's a fun little glimpse at the OG gang.
The second one is the Christmas story, with the family introducing El to the wild and wonderful world of Christmas TV specials. The boys all take turns describing their favorite ones to El - stories familiar to us, but not to her. So they're all portrayed in the style of different characters and ST plotlines. It's great fun!
The last story is about the other two Hawkins cops just missing all of the crazy crap going on in town during season 3. It toes the line between amusing and frustrating, but it's a fun time all the same!
4/5 stars!
The first story in here was a Halloween one, featuring some Byers-brother-bonding and a scary story with a nice twist. It's a fun little glimpse at the OG gang.
The second one is the Christmas story, with the family introducing El to the wild and wonderful world of Christmas TV specials. The boys all take turns describing their favorite ones to El - stories familiar to us, but not to her. So they're all portrayed in the style of different characters and ST plotlines. It's great fun!
The last story is about the other two Hawkins cops just missing all of the crazy crap going on in town during season 3. It toes the line between amusing and frustrating, but it's a fun time all the same!
4/5 stars!
December 13, 2024
Okay, this was a great little collection. I wasn't sure it would be but it was! I especially liked the Christmas one where El was just picturing all of the classic movies completely wrong. As she would. Why wouldn't she picture something like a demogorgon when someone describes the Grinch as a "monster"? But it made for fun reading to see the stories illustrated out like that.
I also thought the July 4th one was really interesting too. Showing what the other police officers were up to while all the main plotline stuff went down. They were on the right track and doing their jobs, they were just one step away from all of the danger and that was kind of funny but fits in perfectly with what we know of the characters from the show.
I also thought the July 4th one was really interesting too. Showing what the other police officers were up to while all the main plotline stuff went down. They were on the right track and doing their jobs, they were just one step away from all of the danger and that was kind of funny but fits in perfectly with what we know of the characters from the show.
December 20, 2022
Po ostatnim sezonie ST, mam lekką urazę do tej franczyzy. Jednak po komiksy ze tego świata jeszcze nie sięgałem. Wreszcie się zdecydowałem i jestem zachwycony, przynajmniej tym jednym. Cudowna paleta barw i pochłaniające opowieści, które udowadniają mi, że Stranger Things dużo lepiej sprawdza się na kartach komiksu. Zaś sama historia świąteczna jest świetna i polecam każdemu fanowi serii, bo twórcy fajnie wykorzystali pewne postacie czy elementy fabuły serialu do przekształcenia ich w archetypowe opowieści świąteczne.
December 23, 2022
A nice, quick read! The three short tales weren’t anything crazy, but it was nice to see all these characters having a much-deserved breather from all the other-worldly terrors they’ve encountered. The highlight was probably the third comic as it gave Powell and Callahan, the two bumbling police officers, a chance to shine through and take center stage in the narrative. Overall, I’d recommend it to any Stranger Things fan. Just know going in that it’s meant to be more of a “fun side thing” than anything important for the world or the characters.
October 30, 2023
I enjoyed two of the three specials. The Halloween one was very endearing, with the boys and their spooky stories! The Christmas one was so wholesome, with everyone talking about their favourite special and El imagining it but with different people from her life as the characters! So cute. The summer one I didn't like too much as I find the one cop with glasses INCREDIBLY ANNOYING and I really can't stand his character. It was interesting seeing their pov of that season, knowing what was happening with our main group at the same time as what was going on here. Alexi!
December 2, 2024
I’ll admit, I was expecting a Christmas-themed story when I picked up this graphic novel, but it turns out it’s a collection of stories centered around VARIOUS holidays. Even though it wasn’t the Christmas book I had in mind, it was still a blast! The art style really stands out and each story is unique. The illustrations really bring out the world of Stranger Things. I found each tale entertaining and different. All in all, I’m excited to see more Stranger Things graphic novels in the future! If you’re a fan of the Stranger Things universe, this graphic novel is a fun dive back into Hawkins.
August 30, 2023
More Stranger Things fluff with these Holiday Specials. In the Halloween one, they tell some ghost stories. In the Christmas one, we get some quick but lame Stranger Things versions of Christmas movies. The last one is about two of Hopper's dumbass deputies operating around the scenes of Season 3. If I bought any of these at my LCS, I would have considered it money flushed down the toilet. Bring back Jody Houser.
December 24, 2024
Stranger Things: Holiday Specials collects three Stranger Things stories that take place on different holidays: Halloween, Christmas, and the Fourth of July. Though I thoroughly enjoyed them all, my favorite of the three stories would probably have to be the Halloween story. I loved the artwork for all three stories. Each story was just really fun and I would highly recommend this collection to any Stranger Things fan.
December 31, 2022
This is a cute collection - the Halloween story is unique and can take place at pretty much any time during the series, the Christmas story takes place right after season 2 ends and the summer story takes place during season 3. It's a pretty good mix of original content and adding on to the original series.
March 8, 2025
Stranger Things hasn't had a bad comic yet. This one features the three holiday specials. The Halloween Special has the crew telling scary stories around the fire, the Winter Special focuses on Eleven's "first" Christmas, and the Summer Special focuses on the police officers of Hawkins as strange things happen at the mall.
April 29, 2023
This collection of three holiday-themed short stories is set in Hawkins. The stories themselves are not very entertaining, but I enjoyed spotting all of the subtle connections to events in the TV shows.
August 12, 2023
I can’t decide what I love most - the party dressing as Star Wars characters for Halloween, El imagining all the people she knows in Christmas specials as the boys describe the stories to her, or the cops just barely missing all major events of season three.
January 7, 2024
Collection of three Stranger Things holliday specials: Halloween, Christmas, and Summer. All of the stories are somewhat enjoyable but none of the three are all that good. This is enjoyable reading for Stranger Things fans but is ultimately pretty unessential and unremarkable stuff.
July 17, 2023
A fun collection of three holiday comics. Halloween, Christmas, and Fourth of July. Christmas was my favorite, but they were all enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews