I really liked this one. I've begun reading more graphic novels and I enjoy nearly every one I read. The illustrations in this one are beautiful, like the variety of the characters expressions. The story is unique too, to see the definition of a hero from a "villain" point of vue. I really liked it.

Many thanks to Diamond Book Distributors and Mad Cave Studios for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Story was a bit too familiar with others I have read, but I enjoyed it! The main character Tilly is a lizard type girl who really wants to use her powers for good rather than evil. However, she learns a secret that makes her think twice about whether she really wants to be one of the heroes or not. The art in this graphic novel was phenomenal and the characters were great! Tilly was absolutely my favorite!

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.

'Villainous' by Stonie Williams with art by Jef Sadzinski is a graphic novel about a young woman who wants to join a group of superheroes.

Tilly, a lizard-girl, wants to use her powers to fight evil, so she joins the Coalition of Heroes. She gets assigned to be the sidekick of the big super, but finds out a big secret: maybe the good guys aren't so good after all. Now she has to decide to cover up what she knows or to become the thing she hates.

The idea seems hardly original in the era of hero deconstruction. I would have liked something different than the type. The art is pretty good, and Tilly is a pretty interesting character. I'd like to see more of her.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Mad Cave Studios, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this eARC in exchange for a honest review.

'Villainous' is a graphic novel about Matilda, or Tilly as people call her. She is a reptilian and a superhero. We follow her when she is going to start a new job, with the rolemodels that she's had since she was a child, called the coalition of heroes. But she starts ro realize that her heroes arent so innocent....

I likes this book! at first it was kind off predictable but i really liked how fast things escalated! Other than that I wished to have more of Tilly's backstory like who is she? and the other characters, who are they? hopefully that will be discussed in other novels. The reason i gave this 3/5 star is because i simply felt that it wasnt really there for me to rate it 4/5 stars.

I think that people who like morally grey heroes and the book ' renegades ' by marissa meyer will like this one, since its a very quick read and it wasnt boring.

This was not the most exciting story. It rreminded me of something else. It was enjoyable while reading, but not memorable.

This title was not downloaded in time. The ranking given was to not hurt the general rankings and sales of this graphic novel.

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Review

Wow. Such a fun and engaging graphic novel, the author finds the perfect balance in the tone of the narrative immediately, settling somewhere in-between a more mild version of the Boys meet Marvel’s X-Factor and DC Comics Suicide Squad. The author does a great job of building the world early on as well as the mythos of the world of Villainous.

The theme of the line between hero and villain is blurred or gray has been around for a long time, but the author brings a fresh voice and the illustrators bring a dynamic artwork to the pages that make this story feel fresh and original. The characters pop off the page, from the meathead hero Showdown to the hopeful hero turned forced “villain” and protagonist Tilly and even the world itself, which allows the shadowy figures behind the scenes to perpetuate the lies of the “heroes” are telling.

The Verdict

A memorable, visually stunning, and entertaining read, author Stonie Williams and Mad Cave Studios “Villainous” is a fantastic work of comic book and graphic novel magic. The action is fast-paced and the characters are multi-layered and complex, and by the first volume’s end, the story takes a dramatic turn that sets the pace for the rest of the series. Be sure to grab your copy on May 4th, 2021!

I enjoy reading graphic novels, but am not one who follows world arcs or particular characters or has read everything that has come out, I read what appeals to me and to broaden my knowledge of comic books. I can have a discussion about comic books, but I am NOT claiming to be either well-read or an authority on comic books/graphic novels in general.

My lack of a lot of experience in this genre is possibly why I don't understand the less than five star reviews, because I absolutely LOVED THIS BOOK.

I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved that last line from the "villain" to the "hero", I liked the artwork, there were a few times I was slightly confused as to what was going on, but action IRL when you are experiencing it is never 100% clear, so I guess it's realistic in that way. It was pretty though, very colorful, so not hard on the eyes.

I would guess to age this at older middle reader on up, as the violence is often and at times graphic, and the MC isn't afraid to do spoilery things that makes sense. I was kind of bummed that one of my favorite characters died. I wanted to see more of them.

Definitely one I will be recommending at the store.

5, that last line was SO AWESOME, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors/Mad Cave Studios for an eARC copy of this to read and review.

Villianous was a great story to get into when I was in lack of Marvel/DC needs and this graphic novel gave exactly what it intended. It gave a great narrative how the bad guys are really the good guys and ect. While I liked the plot and pacing, I felt like there was too much going on in one novel that could've been seperated into a "part two." The characters as well just didn't do me justice, and I couldn't really connect with them. However since this graphic novel is more aimed at teens, I can definitely see where teens would enjoy this. It has just the right amount of violence but action, but not too much blood and gore.

I do love a hero/villain origin story. This one does not disappoint. I also love when the good guys are the actually the bad guys and the bad guys turn out to be the good guys. The premise of this graphic novel reminds me a lot of a PG version of The Boys (Amazon show). Tilly scores what she thought was her dream internship: working for the heroes - but it wasn't just the menial internship tasks that she was given that set her on edge - it was the overheard conversation about an attack on an innocent diplomat that set her on the task to join the other side - the "villains". She teams up with three others who saw the wrong of the coalition. I found the characters to be suitably villainous and heroic. Tilly's transformation into a less innocent and more badass character was fun to witness. I enjoyed Two-Spirits and December the most.
The art style was in-line with a typical superhero comic.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of Villainous in exchange for an honest review!

Well...that was too short. Villainous could be so much better if the story was a bit longer. It's was too cliché too.

I loved the graphics. Tilly is a real queen.

Ah, this one had so much potential. Unfortunately the story was cliche, overdone, nothing new, and the thing I liked the list - although the art style is okay, the movement felt rigid and static and it was really hard to vibe with graphic novel.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Other than the art and the hero to villainess conversion, I did not enjoy it much. The story was superficial and the characters were not well developed.

3.5 stars for me! I thought the storyline was interesting, and the character dynamics were great! Also, the graphics were in such high quality, I loved it! It was a good read!

Villainous had me hooked with its tagline. "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." Tilly has powers and just recently joined the Coalition of Heroes. She is excited, but her dream job quickly turns into a nightmare.

I love the art. Tilly looks like a kid who met their idol. She is so expressive in every shot. The story has a similar feel as The Boys. Who are the good guys? The bad? It is not nearly as adult as The Boys, but it has some of the best parts of both a super hero comic and a mystery. You know that things aren't right, but what side is the right side? I read the single issues as they were released and enjoyed it so much I added the trade and the second story arch to my pull list. I have read it numerous times and with every read I fall in love with the characters all over again.

Creative Team:
Writer Stonie Williams
Art: Jef Sadzinski
Colors: Joana Lafuente
Letters: Justin Birch

Good premise but not the book for me. While the art was impressive in the (many) fight scenes, the cartoonish manga-esque reactions took me out of the story. And the story itself was tropey and tried to do too much in too little space, leading to plot holes and silly set pieces (an entire team of super heroes/villains is going to go undetected sitting continuously on a rooftop down the street from their enemies' HQ when those enemies AND the entire world's security apparatus are looking for them?). Seemed derivative of The Boys for a younger audience.

A decent twist on superheroes and supervillains, but I wasn't as keen on Sadzinski's artwork or Williams' trope-y writing (including the cursory worldbuilding).

A huge thank you to Stonie Williams and NetGalley for giving me a review copy.

This book was very confusing for me. The beginning was so fast it was like bam bam bam now you know the basics. And I was like what excuse me. It was way to short for the story line. I didn’t know what was happening most of the time. The characters were really flat. They had no development and I also wasn’t really a fan of the art style. I thought i would like this series because I love superheroes and I love morally grey characters. But this book just didn’t do it for me.

It reminded me of that series the boys and I don’t like that series. So maybe if you like that series you will also like this book.🤔