“Disney Villains: Maleficent” Vol 2 Issue 1 Surpassed Expectations – Comic Book Review

From writer Paulina Ganucheau and artist Theo Stultz, Disney Villains Maleficent Volume 2 issue 1 exceeded my expectations with the iconic dark witch undertaking a fantastical journey to gain more power.

When I talked about the release of Disney Villains Maleficent Volume 2 issue 1 back in August, I mentioned that even though I enjoyed the live-action Maleficent movie starring Angelina Jolie, I’m not the biggest fan of turning iconic villains into misunderstood people with hearts of gold. That’s why when the comic book series starring Maleficent was announced, I was interested in seeing how Ganucheau would handle a character who, as many of us know, didn’t undergo a redemption arc and was killed during the finale of the animated Sleeping Beauty.

While my expectations were realistic considering this was a comic book published by Disney and was aimed at a younger audience, I have to say that I was impressed by the debut chapter. Ganucheau is all in on portraying Maleficent as the power-hungry dark sorceress she’s supposed to be. And though I know that certain heartfelt moments might arise during her current adventure, I’m okay with such instances as long as by the end of it all Maleficent stays true to her core.

The first issue, titled ‘The Twins’, opened with Maleficent having already cursed a baby Aurora due to the King and Queen not inviting her. With the dark witch needing to wait sixteen years for Aurora to prick her finger, it’s a good thing Maleficent’s got other things to do, primarily continuing to increase her already mighty magical prowess. However, there’s a snag. It looks like she’s acquired all the power sources and knowledge from her current land and certain surrounding areas.

I liked how Ganucheau and Stultz portrayed Maleficent. Her boredom and frustration were quite evident from her speech, facial expressions, and body language. This is a woman who thirsts for knowledge and feels stuck ruling a territory whose inhabitants aren’t so stimulating.

Luckily, Maleficent’s headlining a solo series. So, of course, opportunity presented itself in the form of a mysterious, magical grimoire her goblin minions brought from a neighboring territory. Upon unsealing the tome, Maleficent was greeted by mischievous twin ghouls.

Again, I would like to appreciate Maleficent’s characterization. She’s clearly amused by the twins. However, due to being who she was, the dark witch wasn’t going to allow the cheeky spirits to disrespect her. I liked how the ghouls were ever so ready to grant Maleficent’s wish to find a source of great power in the Fae Realm, but the upcoming journey had rules.

To accomplish her goal, the Mistress of Evil had to acquire the essence of an old tree, iron from a forgotten hero, the glittering hair from a fair maiden, and the vicious tears of a great dragon (which I assume would likely be Maleficent’s tears after transforming into a dragon).

And yes, I noticed how the twins mentioned the need to tether their magic and said magic being visualized by a golden thread felt similar to Aurora’s inevitable fate with a spindle.

A caution to the witch by the ghouls involved how time passed quite quickly in the Fae Realm. Years would have passed upon Maleficent’s return to her kingdom. I mean, that’s a clever way to explain what she was up to instead of simply waiting 16 years in her castle for Aurora to prick her finger on the spindle.

All in all, I’m quite excited about the second chapter. This is the type of villain-centric stories I want to read, where bad people are allowed to be bad people. I might find myself becoming a Maleficent stan by the end of her adventure.

Did you read Disney Villains Maleficent Volume 2 issue 1? What did you think of it?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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