REVIEW: ‘Villainous,’ Issue #1

Villainous #1 follows Matilda “Rep-Tilly” Anderson, a new super-powered recruit joining the Sidekick Program in the Coalition of Heroes. Being a part of and working with her team of idols is a dream come true but Tilly stumbles upon a secret in the Coalition of Heroes and her dreams become a literal nightmare. As she continues to learn about the heroes she once looked up to and the Coalition, Tilly has a tough choice to make: to either stand in line with her heroes or turn against them. Villainous #1 is published by Mad Cave Studios, written by Stonie Williams and art by Jeferson Sadzinski, with Joana LaFuente on colors, and Justin Birch on letters.

Jumping into this issue, I love how Williams sets the tone of the world and characters he’s creating. From reading the first few panels, you find that there has been a devastating murder and the local authorities are investigating. Two partner detectives are running over the clues and talking amongst themselves about how the murder could have happened. There are name drops and you immediately get a sense of who the top heroes and villains are in this series.

We soon meet Matilda Anderson, who goes by superhero designation “Rep-Tilly,” who is eager to be apart of the Sidekick Program. Her tag name is due to looking exactly like a lizard, with a tail to boot. Unfortunately in this issue, we don’t see what her powers are but from a panel near the end, we can see she can spring into action and move extremely fast. Aside from hero-ing, she can multitask by using her tail to hold things which was really cool to see.

This issue is definitely how you set up a world and story, especially in the superhero genre. It was easy to follow and comprehend, with Birch’s lettering being a comfortable size and legible. Panels are large and reasonably spaced on the page, and there are only a few panels per page so readers are able to take everything in easily, from conversations to the characters and the action.

Sadzinski’s art is pretty awesome and the detail of the heroes and villains is amazing to boot. Each character looks different, diverse, and stand out. I am excited to see what each hero and villain looks like on the page showcasing their abilities and the huge fights yet to come. With the explosive cliffhanger at the end of this issue, I am excited for all that is to come.

With an amazing first issue, Villainous is for sure the comic to be on the lookout for and add to your pull list. Taking place in the greatest city in the world (New York City), Williams seems set on continuing to build upon this world laced with mystery and deceit. Coupled with Sadzinski’s and LaFuente’s arts and color, scenes will be a blast to marvel at.

Villainous #1 is available where comic books are sold.