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The Deviant (Single Issues) #1
The Deviant #1
As snow falls over Milwaukee in 1972, a blood-stained Santa Claus commits unimaginable atrocities against young men. Fifty years later, a troubled young writer interviews this so-called "Deviant Killer," who still maintains his innocence from behind bars. And as Christmas approaches once again, the past returns, wielding a sharpened ax. Eisner-winning writer JAMES TYNION IV (W0RLDTR33, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH) and acclaimed artist JOSHUA HIXSON (The Plot, Children of the Woods) unite for a pitch-black holiday horror story.
Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2023
36 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
About the author
James Tynion IV
1,687 books2,034 followersPrior to his first professional work, Tynion was a student of Scott Snyder's at Sarah Lawrence College. A few years later, he worked as for Vertigo as Fables editor Shelly Bond's intern. In late 2011, with DC deciding to give Batman (written by Snyder) a back up feature, Tynion was brought in by request of Snyder to script the back ups he had plotted. Tynion would later do the same with the Batman Annual #1, which was also co-plotted by Snyder. Beginning in September 2012, with DC's 0 issue month for the New 52, Tynion will be writing Talon, with art by Guillem March. In early 2013 it was announced that he'd take over writing duties for Red Hood and the Outlaws in April.
Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.
Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
November 30, 2023
That was dark.
The Deviant #1 flashes back and forth between different time periods, crimes scenes, and creeps. We open with present day Chicago, move on to 1973 Milwaukee, then shift to a man being interviewed behind bars, and back again. The mystery builds with glimpses of a bloody, axe wielding Santa and gruesome scenes laid out along the way. Blood and pain mixed with holiday lights, bows, and bulbs. It’s disturbing. Especially when you start to hear what the man convicted of the murders has to say. You have to wonder where this is headed? Who is the man interviewing the killer? And is the right man behind bars for the crime?
The color on the page is astonishing! To go from the dark cover to the glowing colors of the first few pages inside, snaps a reader right into focus. The greens and reds are deep and beautiful. And I just had to keep flipping. The deserted department store panels were my favorite though. The emptiness and “GRGGGLLLL”s echoed through my room and make me shiver even now writing this. Nicely done!
I’ll be right here waiting for issue #2 on December 20th. I mean really…is there anything better than horror for the holidays?
December 10, 2023
This was a creepy ride! Right in time for the holidays. Boo hahaha.
November 20, 2023
Ooooh this was great! A Santa Clause killer - yes please! What a joyful time of year.
This was set up really well, and the artwork matches the words beautifully. I loved the story and the info to mystery ratio.
Wasn't sure how it was gonna go but I think I might be hooked!
This was set up really well, and the artwork matches the words beautifully. I loved the story and the info to mystery ratio.
Wasn't sure how it was gonna go but I think I might be hooked!
September 25, 2025
OH this is a dark one.....
I need volume 2 immediately.
I need volume 2 immediately.
March 22, 2024
wait i'm actually so invested. the art is incredible - the textures!!! the moody coloring!!
the deviant examines how gay people are drawn to and see themselves in monsters and deviants even though we might not want to. suprisingly nuanced and respectfully done seeing as gay men have been categorized as predators (in every sense..) by homophobes since forever- tynion dissects and explores this idea from all angles, from a wrongfully(?) convicted serial murderer to a gay comic artist whose sexuality was first realized alongside those crimes. i cant wait to see where this goes.
the deviant examines how gay people are drawn to and see themselves in monsters and deviants even though we might not want to. suprisingly nuanced and respectfully done seeing as gay men have been categorized as predators (in every sense..) by homophobes since forever- tynion dissects and explores this idea from all angles, from a wrongfully(?) convicted serial murderer to a gay comic artist whose sexuality was first realized alongside those crimes. i cant wait to see where this goes.
September 1, 2024
Whew creepy as fuck. Dark look into a killer dressed as Santa. Jumping back and forth between decades. Great for fans of Seven and such.
April 5, 2025
Tynion actually never misses. This is amazing and love the directions this story could go. Impatiently waiting for volume 2
October 25, 2024
Vincent, tu es une mauvaise influence. (Merci pour la recommandation)
January 1, 2025
I like
I was looking for a graphic novel that had horror and gore. I found it with this one. I'm looking forward to the next volume.
I was looking for a graphic novel that had horror and gore. I found it with this one. I'm looking forward to the next volume.
December 13, 2025
This is my review for the entire series, which can be found through Hoopla at your local library!
I greatly enjoyed this series as a horror writer and enjoyer; it is GRAPHIC (no pun intended) but I do believe the violence serves a purpose and meaning to the story, which is extremely well written and articulated.
A gay graphic novel writer wants to write about the Christmas Killer, an infamous murder on Christmas at a department store in 1973. He visits the killer in jail, wanting the truth--mainly because of the underlying queer undertones associated with the murders, and the writer's personal affliction with his core beliefs as a child. James Tynion weaves a perfect story of horror and violence with an analysis of queer identity, the feeling of "otherness" when exploring said identity, and the changes over the 50+ year span from the first murder to when our poor main character Michael is accused of the repeat modern-day killings. It takes a village to save Michael from the stereotypes and easy profile of his character, and it's a fascinating diverse showcase of strong and well-written characters doing what it takes despite the odds.
The artistry is well done (almost too well done, in the horror aspect), and it really nails down the whimsical Christmas spirit intwined with the gruesome yet realistic horrors of humanity in a strong take of American homophobia, neatly packaged with a bow: "they'll tolerate us as long as we keep our peculiarities in tidy little boxes."
I greatly enjoyed this series as a horror writer and enjoyer; it is GRAPHIC (no pun intended) but I do believe the violence serves a purpose and meaning to the story, which is extremely well written and articulated.
A gay graphic novel writer wants to write about the Christmas Killer, an infamous murder on Christmas at a department store in 1973. He visits the killer in jail, wanting the truth--mainly because of the underlying queer undertones associated with the murders, and the writer's personal affliction with his core beliefs as a child. James Tynion weaves a perfect story of horror and violence with an analysis of queer identity, the feeling of "otherness" when exploring said identity, and the changes over the 50+ year span from the first murder to when our poor main character Michael is accused of the repeat modern-day killings. It takes a village to save Michael from the stereotypes and easy profile of his character, and it's a fascinating diverse showcase of strong and well-written characters doing what it takes despite the odds.
The artistry is well done (almost too well done, in the horror aspect), and it really nails down the whimsical Christmas spirit intwined with the gruesome yet realistic horrors of humanity in a strong take of American homophobia, neatly packaged with a bow: "they'll tolerate us as long as we keep our peculiarities in tidy little boxes."
December 26, 2023
Chilllls up my spine ! I need to eat this story up like Candy it’s so good. I was not expecting a queer mail character at the center.
November 27, 2024
This was dark but want to keep going
December 18, 2023
This story will have a fine balancing act to pull off. There’s the psychosexual angle wherein serial killers bring about self awareness but it has to make sure to state that sexual preference doesn’t mean you’re a deviant. The loaded title will have to play out just right. But so far I’m intrigued.
November 19, 2023
If you love Something Is Killing The Children, but also love Silent Night, Deadly Night, this is a must read. It was short and fun.
December 5, 2023
2023 - 365 Days of Horror
Day 338
Day 338
December 25, 2025
Wow, without knowing much of anything about James Tynion IV personally, this felt like such a deeply personal comic while also being a horrifying Christmas slasher. This story is told over two time periods, 2023, where we follow our main character, Michael, an openly gay comic book writer who is looking into the deviant killings to influence his new self funded comic that is seemingly following the killings in 1973. That is the other point in time this comic follows as we see a man dressed in a Santa outfit and a porcelain mask kill with a hatchet in very Christmas themed ways. At one of the big stores in Milwaukee where the killings took place he strapped a man down to Santa’s chair and gouged out his eyes. Elsewhere at a farm, where the cops finally started to hunt him down, he strung up and cut open two younger men to look like a Christmas tree. It’s horrific, and just like the cops who found it, it puts me on the verge of puking in the best possible way, all props to the artist. In the flashbacks that explore the killings we don’t see the killer caught, instead we see one of the cops, Paul, try and chase after him in the deep snow, only to end up tripping and falling and pointing his flashlight at the killer while in a very compromising position himself. Which is a top 3 horrifying experience with the blood tattered Santa costume the killer is wearing. But we seemingly find out what happened later in 2023 when Michael is interviewing the man, a Randall Olsen, who was arrested for the killings. After all this time he doesn’t have much of a reaction to all the killings and they really couldn’t find any substantial evidence he was the killer. Instead they brought him in because of the two dead boys, he worked alongside them and was taking illicit pictures of them while they were in the showers at work. Completely illegal and he is still an offender for that, but he isn’t the killer but out of that finding he was pinned for the killings and a lot of stories were made up about him being the deviant killer over the years. But going back inter he idea of this feeling like a deeply personal story, the man in prison actually presses Michael for more information on why he is actually here to talk to him, what’s his angle? That’s when Michael remembers back to the first time he heard about the deviant killer when he was riding his bike in front of Randal’s house with a friend and his friend told him all about it. It was also the first time he ever heard about men having sex with other men, we of course know that's not what was happening with Randall and the boys he worked with but those are the kind of stories that were spun out of it and it still remains a point where the first time he heard about men having sex with other men was attached to a Christmas massacre. Randall proposes that Michael is here so that he can know he isn’t alone in the world, that all the emotions he had as a little queer boy aren’t abnormal and there are others out there like him. But Michael makes it clear that isn’t the case and not why he is here, and based on Michael’s seemingly healthy relationship with his partner outside these prison walls I have no reason to doubt him. But it still does beg the question as he leaves, what is his angle? What story is he looking to tell here? The only thing Michael can tell his partner about Randal as he leaves, is that he felt…familiar. Hmmmm. As the issue comes to an end we jump over to Chicago in a big consignment store where one of the elf performers is getting off duty and cleaning up a bit after getting out of that sweaty costume. Only to hear something coming from the darkness outside the bathroom door. He calls out seeing if someone is there, only to look in the window of the open bathroom door to see a Santa costume and a porcelain mask staring at him. Suddenly the deviant killer swings the door closed, as he was standing behind it, and steps out, suit and axe still bloodied. This series is about to get so crazy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2025
TLDR; my Roman Empire. Lives rent free in my head. Disturbing, messed up, murder Santa with deep topics.
Triggers;
Gore
Murder
R*pe
Torture
Why I picked this up;
I saw the cover and thought, oooo spooky Christmas story! I opened it and flipped through, saw murder Santa cool, there's Gay representations also cool. Art is bright and intriguing so I bought it!
Boy did it not disappoint but I really had no idea what I was getting into. Especially this being my first comic.
The story starts with a mall Santa who murdered his elves and ends with a cliffhanger on if the person behind the murders was actually caught or if the person the police arrested is actually innocent.
I do not want to spoil anything but I give this a 5/5
I can't stop thinking about it and the main character and how he connects not only emotionally but also mentally to the suspected murderer and the murderer themselves.
The tones are deep and the more I think about it the more into the rabbit hole I get.
I can not wait for volume two!
AS A MOM I STRESS THIS IS NOT FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16 Rated Mature for a reason!
Let me know if you'd pick this up or if you've read it!
Triggers;
Gore
Murder
R*pe
Torture
Why I picked this up;
I saw the cover and thought, oooo spooky Christmas story! I opened it and flipped through, saw murder Santa cool, there's Gay representations also cool. Art is bright and intriguing so I bought it!
Boy did it not disappoint but I really had no idea what I was getting into. Especially this being my first comic.
The story starts with a mall Santa who murdered his elves and ends with a cliffhanger on if the person behind the murders was actually caught or if the person the police arrested is actually innocent.
I do not want to spoil anything but I give this a 5/5
I can't stop thinking about it and the main character and how he connects not only emotionally but also mentally to the suspected murderer and the murderer themselves.
The tones are deep and the more I think about it the more into the rabbit hole I get.
I can not wait for volume two!
AS A MOM I STRESS THIS IS NOT FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16 Rated Mature for a reason!
Let me know if you'd pick this up or if you've read it!
May 28, 2024
"The Deviant" is the story of Michael, a comic book artist, and his quest to tell the story of a convicted child murderer.
Recognizing himself in the figure of the man who helped him acknowledge his own homosexuality, Michael grapples with the trials of choosing an angle to tell the story. Will he choose the sympathetic angle and depict him as a wrongfully imprisoned man who was sentenced due to the prejudice of his time, or will he dig deeper and confirm that this man is a monster ? As the writer tries to learn more about the case, a strange string of murders resume, targeting once again young men in the area. In this story, the writer questions who is truly the predator, who is the deviant.
Review : Initially, was not used to the art style and I was so unsettled I almost gave reading the comic up, but I think I'm warming up to it. The story is interesting and I can't wait to see where James Tynion IV takes us with it.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
Recognizing himself in the figure of the man who helped him acknowledge his own homosexuality, Michael grapples with the trials of choosing an angle to tell the story. Will he choose the sympathetic angle and depict him as a wrongfully imprisoned man who was sentenced due to the prejudice of his time, or will he dig deeper and confirm that this man is a monster ? As the writer tries to learn more about the case, a strange string of murders resume, targeting once again young men in the area. In this story, the writer questions who is truly the predator, who is the deviant.
Review : Initially, was not used to the art style and I was so unsettled I almost gave reading the comic up, but I think I'm warming up to it. The story is interesting and I can't wait to see where James Tynion IV takes us with it.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
October 30, 2025
What an incredible opening issue! It’s been a long time since a first issue has grabbed me this completely. This series starts with an energy that’s both thrilling and unsettling, and I’m absolutely on board to see where it goes next. The concept of the Santa Killer is fascinating, and the interview between the protagonist and the alleged murderer was chilling in the best way, equal parts mystery and psychological tension. I’m eager to learn more about why he was chosen and the story behind the previous murders. The narrative’s jumps between 2023 and 1973 are handled masterfully, keeping the pacing tight and the intrigue high. The art is hauntingly beautiful, surreal, and grotesque in perfect balance. Highly recommended.
Grade: B+
Grade: B+
December 11, 2023
An interesting premise - depraved mall Santa goes on rampage which ends up putting an "allegedly innocent" man in jail. It's very well written and made me feel very uncomfortable (which means that Tynion is great at creating suspense). However, some of the language in this comic book made me feel uncomfortable (f-slur), but I understand that Tynion is trying to show a man who comes from a different time and who doesn't view that word in the same way we do now, but I think there should be a bit of trigger warning for that. But the discomfort also adds to the suspense of the comic book, and to the atmosphere, which makes it more believable.
December 12, 2024
Probably Tynion's best yet. I like that he limited himself to 9 issues - many of the problems with 'The Department of Truth' have arisen from his seeming inability to finish a story with an excellent premise and setup, a mystery unresolved.
The Deviant is self-encasing. It's not finished yet, there's one issue left to go (I am even a little sad that there is only one, it feels like it could have four more or so), but what we've been given so far is fantastic. Great point-of-view 'protagonist', exploration of being gay, media, just great all around.
He's hitting his stride, he really is.
The Deviant is self-encasing. It's not finished yet, there's one issue left to go (I am even a little sad that there is only one, it feels like it could have four more or so), but what we've been given so far is fantastic. Great point-of-view 'protagonist', exploration of being gay, media, just great all around.
He's hitting his stride, he really is.
December 21, 2023
A true crime writer-journalist interview, in 2023, an inmate who have murdered young men after assaulting them in a barn in 1972. The dual timeline shows the writer in his early teenage years when he discovered his sexuality and the impact of these murders on it now. The premise is there but this is more an introduction volume. A good point for the way the author introduces queer characters without falling into the usual clichés. A Christmas bloody horror to read.
December 10, 2024
Horror comics are pretty far outside of my typical reading wheelhouse (I read this for book club), but this was entertaining! It's a slasher Santa murder mystery... Violent! Grim! But an engrossing story with great artwork. I want to see what happens, so I'll check out Vol. 2 when it drops in 2025.
May 1, 2024
A Most Excellent Introduction…
Lovingly crafted to be exquisitely horrifying, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 is the stuff of legends. The art and the words fit each other perfectly, like the way a hand slips into a surgical glove. I’ll definitely be back for more…
Lovingly crafted to be exquisitely horrifying, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 is the stuff of legends. The art and the words fit each other perfectly, like the way a hand slips into a surgical glove. I’ll definitely be back for more…
September 16, 2024
Christmas horror rarely hits the mark for me, but the first issue of The Deviant was a delightful exception. The artwork and plot both shone, leaving me genuinely curious about where this series will go.
September 18, 2024
“are you there, michael?”
“i’m sorry?”
“I just want to know if you’re here with me” *holding hands* “yeah, i’m here”
“tell me what you’re thinking.”
“i’m thinking about wrapping paper..I was thinking that I can’t wrap a present to save my life.”
“i’m sorry?”
“I just want to know if you’re here with me” *holding hands* “yeah, i’m here”
“tell me what you’re thinking.”
“i’m thinking about wrapping paper..I was thinking that I can’t wrap a present to save my life.”
December 15, 2025
I haven't read many graphic novels, but I've read many good thrillers and it's just easy to recognize this as such. The art's beautiful and the themes were well established. Let's see how it keeps going!
November 27, 2023
Excellent. Great illustration and amazing story to start. Looking forward to the next
December 2, 2023
Tynion does it again!
February 10, 2024
Creepyyyyyyy Christmas story. Enjoyed it, page turner for sure with nice illustrations! But definitely more introductory than a full story. Now can’t wait for volume 2!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews