Villainous (Issues 1-5) - Stonie Williams - 4/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

An exciting twist on what is becoming a classic trope of the superheroes not always being the heroes the world needs or deserves. This take on the trope had many elements I hadn't seen done before. I definitely suggest giving this comic a read.

I want to start off by saying I loved this book. I hadn't heard about this comic before getting the opportunity to read this collection of the first 5 volumes. I now can't wait to get my hands on the 6th issue. There were 2 things that stood out to me that made this book one of the best takes on the bad heroes trope that I've seen.

Firstly is the perspectives that we get to see. In the past, I've seen the hero organization that has a dark secret and the villains that are actually trying to do good, but this book brings in other perspectives as well. We see a newscast, both when the only reliable source of info is the Coalition of Heroes, and later when the public is confused about who is telling the truth. We see a pair of detectives throughout the story as they wrestle with more and more information suggesting the heroes might not be all they say they are. And we also get social media feeds, which are a wonderful way to quickly inform on multiple public opinions. In 2 panels, I knew how the public felt whether they were on the side of the heroes, the villains, or on the fence, not sure what to think.

Secondly, one thing I loved about this take was that the villains didn't have to stay super virtuous to "prove" they were the good guys. As a result, as the series progresses, the villains won't continue to beat their heads against the Coalition in the same form. The Coalition will have to change drastically before issue 6 and I am incredibly excited to see that development take place.

If superhero comics are your thing, definitely give this a read. The art style and text density remind me of a mainline superhero comic a la Marvel or DC. But the subject matter is that of one of a story that started on the fringes and is becoming mainstream, and for a good reason. The heroes secretly being the bad guys isn't new at this point, but I love these stories and every time I read them they're something different.

A toned-down version of The Boys graphic novel.
Follows Tilly who joins the heroes becoming the newest sidekick before discovering the corruption in the people she has always looked up to and is given a choice to leave or join the corrupt... or so she thought. She is blamed for murder and recruited by the so-called villains who show her the truth.

I like the premise of turning from what you thought was good to becoming morally grey for the right reasons, this has the potential to be great, but it is too similar to The Boys.

You'd think a book called Villainous would have a bit more villainous things in it.

From the description of this one: A first time sidekick Tilly learns that not everything is what it seems with good guys vs bad guys, I expected a bit more. I've read lots of bad guys are good guys graphic novels and this was just ok. It' s not bad, per se, I just wouldn't recommend it to fans of "The Boys" who are looking for a more adult story. I

This is very much a young adult, almost kids book, despite the deaths that happen in it. It's very tame. The art is very well done and the story wasn't bad I just wish the characters were a bit more than one dimensional.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't realize that this was only thought netgalley shelf and unfortunately I don't have devices that work with that app so I'm going to be unable to try this novel. I'm sorry I didnt realize this before the request and thank you for the opportunity.

I am a sucker for the villain's side of the story. Sometimes the villains aren't what everyone thinks they are. The heroes aren't as they seem either. A mishmash of good vs evil. The artwork is stunning.
I want to read more, including more backstory for each character. How did they get their powers? What did Tilly's family sacrifice? I feel a chosen one trope coming, but could be wrong.
It was difficult to get attached to any of the characters, as everything happened so fast.

Villainous has a good plot as well as a beautifully sketched main “hero”, but lacks the nuisance of other well known superhero stories to make it stand out from others. The setup of the “good guys” actually being bad is classic, and Villainous doesn’t add anything new to this trope. The story moves too fast to for the reader to have any connections to the characters or world, and the real villains are almost too on the nose. The “twist” of the good guys being bad happens too quickly, and are such caricatures of a villain that they are more laughable than threatening. I wish this had been less rushed, more fleshed out, and more had more nuisance in its reveals and characters.

Tilly has just gotten the opportunity to start her hero career, except things take a turn for the worst on her first few days. The so called “hero” who was mentoring her mentions that he is off to kill an ambassador and when Tilly takes it up with the founder of the company, Tilly is told she either agrees to go along with it or leave completely....except later that night she finds out that the founder has framed Tilly for her own murder! Now she has to join forces with the unlikeliest people and take down the true evil.

A interesting hero story and the artwork is great! A fun read that I would recommend.

*Thanks Netgalley and Diamond Book DistributorsMad Cave Studios for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Villainous was an enjoyable enough tale, if highly predictable since its plot line is one we've all seen many times before. But the illustration was okay and reading it was a pleasant way to pass an entertaining half an hour. This is not a book I'd rush to return to again and again, but it has something to offer fans of the superhero genre, so if you like superhero stories and graphic novels, it is worth checking out. It gets 3.5 stars from me. Good, just nothing new or surprising.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this copy of Villainous in exchange for an honest review.

Villainous is a graphic novel that turns the classic hero and villain tropes on their heads. Our main character Tilly is a sidekick in training and thinks the best news she's ever received is when she's told she's been assigned to the Coalitions big hero Showdown. On her first day as his sidekick, however, Tilly learns of a sinister plot and discovers that maybe her heroes aren't exactly the saviors that the world thinks they are.

Making the choice to do what her heart was telling her was the right thing, Tilly joins up with the stories villains who call themselves The Shadow Order. Together, the story's so called 'Villains' must try to save the world even if that means being the bad guy in the eyes of the people that they're trying to save.

I found this to be such a refreshing twist on what one would usually expect when picking up a comic or graphic novel that centers around the stereotypical superhero. Villainous forces you to consider whether or not the people in power are the ones that should be in power and if everyone who is labeled a 'villain' is truly the bad guy.

Full of art that you could expect from any big name comic publisher, it's hard not to enjoy the atmosphere that you find yourself in while reading. From likable characters to ones you just can't stand, you'll find yourself utterly enthralled by this creative and refreshing take.

My only complaint is that things do happen quite quickly and it's sometimes a bit hard to follow along with all of the characters being introduced. With so many names and people and faces, it's quite difficult to get attached to many of the characters including the main protagonist, Tilly. With this being said, the plot was enjoyable enough that I almost didn't mind the lack of characterization.

Thank you to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read and review this trade paperback.
Naive sidekick realizes her academy wants to use her as a scapegoat joins the villains. The art is classic, the story is pretty straightforward, and more unique characters than usual. Other than that my only issue had to be that there wasn't much more backstory. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I received a free E-ARC of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Spoilers

I'm sorry to say I did not enjoy this book. The premise that the hero organization is secretly corrupt is not a new one and this take on it was rushed at best. We were barely introduced to any of our characters before the "big reveal" so it wasn't as much of a shock as it should have been. Also for a graphic novel this book was very text heavy with most pages drenched in info dumps. It made this a bit tedious to read to the point where at times I'd just skim the text. All in all not my cup of tea.

Read enough comic books from different eras and you'll notice a certain amount of cultural or political commentary (or at least that the era affects how the writers portray certain ideas). The writers put the political commentary front and center in this book, with discussions about hypocritical institutions, media bias and accusations of "fake news." Whether it could have been more subtle is up for debate, and philosophically the idea of the villains turning out to be antiheroes and that being the final solution for what the world needs is a bit much to swallow.
However, the book takes its ideas and goes all-in, so readers who like this approach and its particular vision will be quite pleased.

Villainous the comic/graphic novel is a story of heroes & villains but lines can go either way and be crossed by the supposed good guys just as easy as a villian. Graphics were beautiful, length is just right and storyline was interesting. Contained a curse word or two & blood, gore, violence were also shown. Recommend for teens, YA, adults.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinion from NetGalley.

Interesting take on when what you thought you wanted was something completely different. I liked seeing Tilly's optimism about becoming a superhero and her decendancy/ascendancy to "villainy".