Disney Villains Maleficent

Disney Villains: Maleficent #1-5

by Soo Lee

Queen Maleficent rules the Forbidden Woods…a mysterious realm shrouded in darkness and evil, and all things that go bump in the night. Countless kings of empires far and wide have tried to vanquish the Forbidden Woods where the Forbidden Mountain stands…and in return, making Maleficent their enemy. Instead of being given the chance to co-exist, her dark domain has been misunderstood and shunned, and Maleficent grows all the more powerful defeating those who dare to challenge her and her minions, further isolating herself and seeking revenge. As she grows powerful, so does her hate. Maleficent is not the unloving monster some would make her out to be. In fact, she cherishes her kingdom and embraces her destiny to be the ruler of darkness. But because her lands are ancient and odd, outsiders would see it conquered and her reign overthrown. Includes five standalone tales, featuring Maleficent as either the protagonist or antagonist. The reader will see the different trials and tribulations that Maleficent has faced over her many years.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Witches, Retellings

144 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2024

Reviews

[Alex(Books-In-A-Storm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art was beautiful, but the story didn't really make any sense to me. It's like it was just thrown together.

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Our dark diva Maleficent is back to spin a new yarn of woes for anybody who dares to come at her sideways or fails to see the bad witch in her. Disney Villains: Maleficent ends the mini-series much weaker than it started when Maleficent engages in a magic battle against the Kings Wizard. It does not tell us anything new about Maleficent, nor does it present any new characters of any significance. This is supposed to be set before the events of the Sleeping Beauty movie. It would be much more intriguing if they showed us how Maleficent first encountered King Stefan. It would give us a bit of background into why she was not invited to Auroras christening. The art is gorgeous, and the battle is visually engaging, but its clear Soo Lee did not have a story to tell, so the ending is meaningless. Written and penciled by the same creator is cool as well. Overall this mini-series just felt extremely short but if you have children then you may be interested in picking this up for them.

[Theo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lee's art is always beautiful, and that's 60% of why I picked it up. Sleeping Beauty was based on a questionable fairy tale made into classical music, turned into a ballet, and then Disney-fied. It is my long-time favorite childhood film. But it's the art, music, and dragon. It is a mood. Maleficent will never be as cruel as she was in the original film in today's Disney world.

[Sarospice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty delightful. Glad I read it as a trade - individual issues don't give you enough, but as one big story fans of Maleficent will love how she uses her powers and presence to remind you she's not to be trifled with. ❤️

[Geo Kwnstantinou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the colors of the illustrations.

[Kierston Foutz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Three stars for the art which was wonderful.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this even more than I do. Now, don't get me wrong; I am giving it a 3/5, so I don't dislike it, but I expected this to be an easy 5/5; Maleficent is, after all, my favorite Disney villain, and I was so excited when I found out that there was going to be a comic miniseries. However, my expectation was that this was a prequel to Sleeping Beauty that offered some important backstory (even though Serena Valentino's novel Mistress of All Evil does already do that), and while it does obviously take place before Sleeping Beauty, therefore technically making it a prequel, this is a completely isolated story that doesn't really have anything to do with Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent is, in fact, the only character (besides Diablo and her goons) from the movie who appears. My biggest problem with this miniseries, though, is that the art is quite often very frenetic, making it nearly impossible to tell what is even happening. In fact, to be honest, I don't know how this story ends because I can't tell what happens from the art. If, like me, you are a big fan of the character, then I definitely recommend checking it out, but don't expect tie-ins to Sleeping Beauty because there aren't any.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This miniseries is basically an episode of Maleficent's life, apparently set before the events of Sleeping Beauty. She and her raven are the only characters from the movie to appear here, making this an entirely standalone story. As such, it doesn't really add much to her character. It's just an excuse to see Maleficent being coolly evil and powerful, with great art.

[Liberty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This comic series isn't for everyone. It's kind of slow at times. The timeline of events isn't explicitly clear but from what I've inferred this does take place before the Sleeping Beauty film. I generally go easier on work containing my favorite of the Disney villains because I'm just happy to get something in my collection about her. So you can take my review with a grain of salt but I loved this comic and I love that all the issues were released in this gorgeous little book. Definitely one of my favorites so far this year

[Vail Chester · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just a basic story of fools trying to stand up to the magic fae-lady and failing.
And I guess to really hone in how much a threat prince Phillip was in the canon story, she didn't turn into a dragon at all this time and instead took a page out of Jafar's book and turned into a big ol' snake when it was time to fight with force.

[Brittany Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 Just for the art! The story was lacking, but the art is gorgeous.

I'm hoping this story is expanded on through a series. The single volume didn't have much of an end.

Rating: 2.5/5 🌟 (rated up)

[Eimear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the illustration style, and I love pretty much every malificent story. The storyline was a little basic but still enjoyable.

[Alan D.D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not worth it

Loose, easy, predictable, although the art is beautiful. It's not really worth it unless you're a hardcover fan who detected the live action.

[Adam Endacott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Issue #3 is literally just the crow flying around and avoiding a cat. Issue #5 just ends on a wet fart of a note. It’s like they planned more issues but didn’t get to make them.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a children's graphic novel. Obviously, it's Disney and if you have never read a graphic novel they are thicker than this. The art isn't terrible. I have seen way worse.

Can't wait for vol. 2 gotta find out if Prince Gavin is found and returned to human form or if Maleficent gets more creative(probably not this is Disney and for children)

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five (mostly) unconnected tales featuring Maleficent. Sometimes she's the 'hero', sometimes she's the villain, but you never forget she's the Mistress of all Evil. Not huge on substance, but great on style - Soo Lee's artwork is lovely.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soo Lee's art is fantastic. The story doesn't have a lot to say though. It's just Maleficent not suffering a fool and then beating the people who try and get vengeance for him each issue. Pretty simple plot. One of those things that fails to move the needle even if it looks cool.

[Travis J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art was gorgeous, but plot and dialogue were lacking. An entire issue was wasted on panels for the crow’s side adventure which I found pretty but boring. Was fun as a fan of the character but doesn’t build on anything or create anything new in a meaningful way. (3.5/5)

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the story isn't anything particularly special, the art is absolutely gorgeous and creates an ethereal and menacing atmosphere that captures Maleficent perfectly.

[Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welp, another graphic novel from the Regina Public Library. Good to kill time. The story was pretty straightforward. You know what is going to happen.

[Al Capwned · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soo Lee's art builds the right atmosphere but not all stories are equally good.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, no plot

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too episodic, not much of a story here. There’s one whole issue that just follows a bobcat as it chases Maleficent’s crow.