Early Book Review: Villainous by Stonie Williams, Jef Sadzinski

Villainous is a graphic novel by Stonie Williams and Jef Sadzinski that is currently scheduled for release on May 4 2021. Tilly, one of the newest super-powered people to join the Coalition of Heroes, is doing her best to navigate the dizzying world of superheroes. Working with her idols should be a dream come true, but when she learns the truth, Tilly's dream quickly becomes a nightmare. Now, Tilly has to make a choice - Get in line and stand with her heroes, or take a stand and risk becoming something more Villainous. 


Villainous is a take on the superhero genre that is becoming more popular now, questioning if the heroes are really as good as people expect them to be. I like this idea, and it can be done very well. I think the story idea and the path the story takes is good. However, I would have liked more character development. Tilly and her family making sacrifices keeps being brought up, but not the what or why. How the good guys slid into wanting power is not covered, although some of the why's of the separation of the two groups came about is briefly touched on. The action and plot was good, but I really enjoy knowing characters better. Similarly, the art style has the color and bold lines that I like. However, I thought some of the choices made with facial expressions and body movements were a bit over the top. Sometimes a calm and quite reaction can be more frightening than the extreme yelling, surprise, or tantrum throwing. I think it was a decent read; it was bright, bold, and a quick read. I think there was more potential than made it through in the execution but it is worth a read. 

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