Author: Stonie Williams
Artist: Jef Sadziski
Colorist: Joana Lafuente
Letterer: Justin Birch
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Released: May 4^th, 2021
Received: Edelweiss

Villainous is the start of an all-new and utterly quirky series, one that promises to have heroes, villains, and anti-heroes galore. How could I possibly resist picking it up and giving it a go?

Tilly is the newest in a long line of new recruits for the Coalition of Heroes. Only, it didn’t take long before she realized that the entire company is a farce. These are not heroes she’s working for. Worse, her realization came at a cost, and now she’s on the run.

Or rather, she would be if she hadn’t gotten caught up with the ‘villains’ of the world. Said villains have been keeping busy trying to save the lives of those that get in the path of the Coalition of Heroes. Ironic.

Villainous is published by Mad Cave Studios, with a creative team that includes Stonie Williams (writer), Jef Sadziski (art), Joana Lafuente (colors), and Justin Birch (letters.)

Villainous is one of those series with so much potential! Look at that cover! It’s stunning. I fell in love with it the second I saw it, and overall I absolutely adored all of the artwork inside as well. However, I will be the first to admit that the series as a whole seemed to lack…bite.

Don’t get me wrong; I enjoyed the story enough, especially Tilly’s perspective on this whole warped world. It just felt like nothing real was at stake. Honestly, the series could have used a bit more character development before throwing us to the wolves.

Still, it’s an entertaining idea, having the whole hero/villain trope flipped upon its head, and that alone makes it worth reading. Actually, so does the artwork, which I’ve already mentioned a bit. I’m especially fond of Lafuente’s vibrant colors (seriously, look at that pink). It sets the series apart from the rest and also gives Tilly a fantastic look, if I may say so.

Thanks to Mad Cave Studios and #Edelweiss for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.