What do you think?
Rate this book
The Deviant (Single Issues) #5-9
Le Déviant - Un conte de Noël tome 2
Scénariste de BD, Michael Schmitz enquête sur l'homme emprisonné pour le monstrueux meurtre de deux adolescents, cinquante ans auparavant. Mais pour Michael, le "tueur déviant" n'est pas seulement un sujet d'étude... c'est une obsession qui a changé le cours de son enfance et a défini sa propre identité. Et alors qu'il s'enfonce de plus en plus profondément dans l'histoire du déviant, un nouveau Père Noël tueur fait son apparition... et Milwaukee s'apprête à revivre le chapitre le plus sinistre de son histoire.
168 pages, Hardcover
Published October 3, 2025
21 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
James Tynion IV
1,637 books1,974 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
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
July 12, 2025
Decent conclusion.
I think it would have benefited from having an extra volume to flesh out the characters a bit, though. I love Tynion's horror stuff, but it's starting to seem like he might have too many series going at one time. I just read Something is Killing the Children 8 and I thought that one suffered from the same problem.
However, I get that he's hot right now and would want to take advantage of that.
Ok, in the first volume, you have this nerdy comic book writer (The Tynion Guy) who is dealing with some of his old childhood memories of what it was like to be a gay boy hitting puberty. Unfortunately, the only other male he had heard of who liked boys was the recently arrested serial killer. His memories are all tangled up in a big shame sandwich, so he decides to interview the killer and write about it.
Of course, someone starts killing boys again using the same m.o., and all evidence points to our little writer nerd.
IS HE A DEVIANT?!
So, this volume is his adorably loyal boyfriend setting out to prove his innocence. And given Tynion Guy's weird obsession with this serial killer and some oddball behavior, that's no small task.
He finds an ally in the FBI, a man who possibly understands some of the stigma that might lead to a wrongful conviction.
And this is nothing but my personal opinion, and I certainly don't think anyone should not read the book because of it, but bitches gotta bitch.
The cringiest part of the book was the vaping. I mean, I really hated the images of this character vaping. It somehow seemed gross to normalize it because I promise you, it is one of the worst things you can do to your lungs. Seriously. There's no way inhaling electronically heated whothefuckknowswhatchemicals is even remotely safe.
You kids are going to explode your lungs before the cancer and emphysema that got my generation even have time to nail you. And I say this as someone who used vapes to quit smoking cigarettes years and years ago.
There's less story here than I was hoping for, to be honest. Tynion is a talented writer, so you are more invested in the characters than you have any right to be for something that feels...like it should have been more. I don't know if I'm describing that right.
It's a good story, but it seems like he decided to wrap it up too early or something.
Still.
Recommended.
I think it would have benefited from having an extra volume to flesh out the characters a bit, though. I love Tynion's horror stuff, but it's starting to seem like he might have too many series going at one time. I just read Something is Killing the Children 8 and I thought that one suffered from the same problem.
However, I get that he's hot right now and would want to take advantage of that.
Ok, in the first volume, you have this nerdy comic book writer (The Tynion Guy) who is dealing with some of his old childhood memories of what it was like to be a gay boy hitting puberty. Unfortunately, the only other male he had heard of who liked boys was the recently arrested serial killer. His memories are all tangled up in a big shame sandwich, so he decides to interview the killer and write about it.
Of course, someone starts killing boys again using the same m.o., and all evidence points to our little writer nerd.
IS HE A DEVIANT?!
So, this volume is his adorably loyal boyfriend setting out to prove his innocence. And given Tynion Guy's weird obsession with this serial killer and some oddball behavior, that's no small task.
He finds an ally in the FBI, a man who possibly understands some of the stigma that might lead to a wrongful conviction.
And this is nothing but my personal opinion, and I certainly don't think anyone should not read the book because of it, but bitches gotta bitch.
The cringiest part of the book was the vaping. I mean, I really hated the images of this character vaping. It somehow seemed gross to normalize it because I promise you, it is one of the worst things you can do to your lungs. Seriously. There's no way inhaling electronically heated whothefuckknowswhatchemicals is even remotely safe.
You kids are going to explode your lungs before the cancer and emphysema that got my generation even have time to nail you. And I say this as someone who used vapes to quit smoking cigarettes years and years ago.
There's less story here than I was hoping for, to be honest. Tynion is a talented writer, so you are more invested in the characters than you have any right to be for something that feels...like it should have been more. I don't know if I'm describing that right.
It's a good story, but it seems like he decided to wrap it up too early or something.
Still.
Recommended.
April 16, 2025
I ended my review of volume 1 of The Deviant saying I couldn't rate it because I needed to see whether Tynion would stick the landing. Don't get me wrong, Tynion knows how to tell a captivating and thrilling story, but a story like this lives and dies by its ending.
Well. The ending is disappointing, sadly. Finding out who the killer is should've been shocking, pieces falling into place, a kind of "of course it's them!" revelation. But no. The fact it needs quite a lot of explaining by the main characters means it doesn't deliver the punch you'd want.
All in all it's a beautifully told story that can't live up to its ending.
(Thanks to Image Comics for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)
Well. The ending is disappointing, sadly. Finding out who the killer is should've been shocking, pieces falling into place, a kind of "of course it's them!" revelation. But no. The fact it needs quite a lot of explaining by the main characters means it doesn't deliver the punch you'd want.
All in all it's a beautifully told story that can't live up to its ending.
(Thanks to Image Comics for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)
June 9, 2025
Michael is being framed for murder by a serial killer. His boyfriend, Derek, knows it, and the Deviant Killer copycat is trying to eliminate anyone that would weaken the FBI's case against Michael, including Derek.
The second volume of James Tynion IV's graphic novel series "The Deviant" concludes the gritty serial killer thriller, and, as to be expected from Tynion, it is suspenseful and creepy. While the revelation of the serial killer comes out of nowhere (my only major complaint), the rest of the story is pretty damn good.
Tynion also deftly tackles issues of growing up gay in a homophobic environment. The whole thing feels very heart-felt and personal.
The second volume of James Tynion IV's graphic novel series "The Deviant" concludes the gritty serial killer thriller, and, as to be expected from Tynion, it is suspenseful and creepy. While the revelation of the serial killer comes out of nowhere (my only major complaint), the rest of the story is pretty damn good.
Tynion also deftly tackles issues of growing up gay in a homophobic environment. The whole thing feels very heart-felt and personal.
July 21, 2025
Note to self: never spend Christmas in Milwaukee.
December 15, 2025
one of the best graphic novel series I've read in a long time!
October 15, 2025
Since I never believed in the cliffhanger at the end of the first volume, Tynion's attempt to reinforce this hypothesis at the beginning of this one fell flat—even though I admit it is well done.
Despite this slight misstep, I readily admit that I loved this second instalment. The characters gain even more depth, the dialogue is very realistic and fluid, and the tension is excellent. But where I applaud Tynion even more is for his ability to so skilfully interweave the horror thriller with the characters' perception of themselves as queer, their anxieties and their loneliness, with palpable and deeply moving emotion. It’s part of the story and not shoehorned and few can be so subtle.
Hixson owed me a bit on this volume. It's decent but largely saved by the very good colouring. The penciling and pseudo-inking are sloppy, which frustrates me because I'm convinced he can do better.
Despite this slight misstep, I readily admit that I loved this second instalment. The characters gain even more depth, the dialogue is very realistic and fluid, and the tension is excellent. But where I applaud Tynion even more is for his ability to so skilfully interweave the horror thriller with the characters' perception of themselves as queer, their anxieties and their loneliness, with palpable and deeply moving emotion. It’s part of the story and not shoehorned and few can be so subtle.
Hixson owed me a bit on this volume. It's decent but largely saved by the very good colouring. The penciling and pseudo-inking are sloppy, which frustrates me because I'm convinced he can do better.
June 10, 2025
”Everyone fixates on the pictures in the showers.
That’s all there is to fixate on.”
The Deviant Copycat killer is back for the final conclusion and I must say that it was a tad bit disappointing. You can easily figure this gruesome tale out and that really takes away from the story. The rest of the story was great and oh so gory.
That’s all there is to fixate on.”
The Deviant Copycat killer is back for the final conclusion and I must say that it was a tad bit disappointing. You can easily figure this gruesome tale out and that really takes away from the story. The rest of the story was great and oh so gory.
August 4, 2025
I really enjoyed the conclusion to this creepy graphic novel (at least I think it’s the conclusion). I kind of wish I read this one during Christmas like I did the first. Oh well.
Read
March 27, 2025I'm a big fan of the monthly comic (as also of the old weekly drop for TV shows, and thank heavens that's mostly coming back, even if Andor has gone halfway over to the Dark Side), but one thing it really doesn't suit is a Christmas story, especially if it then falls off even that schedule, such that I started reading this in December 2023 and got to its snowy climax (fnarr fnarr) with daffodils outside the window and Easter '25 just around the corner. Plus, I assumed it would all be in one collection, given it's a single nine-issue story with no obvious break point and that would make for a perfectly cromulent trade – but no, they're splitting it in two! Well, fuck that, I've been piecing together a review for a presumed omnibus and I'm not unpicking it now.
Publishing moans aside, what about the actual contents? Ah, well there we're on happier territory, for a dark and gruesome value if the word. I know stories prodding at the current true crime obsession are now nearly as ubiquitous as the thing itself, but I still find the cultural fascination much more interesting than the grubby little men, and Tynion has knotted that up with some other itches in the zeitgeist, which bounce off each other in interesting ways. The link between queerness and serial killers in the public consciousness, for instance – even as regards killers who actually aren't. And a strand that reminded me of All Of Us Strangers, nostalgia for Christmas as it was bumping up against an awareness of how much life has improved for gay men in that time, which itself shades into a worry as to whether that's just being lulled into a false sense of security – something the series' delayed release has only rendered more painfully relevant; as the issues started hitting in our inglorious new era, I did start worrying what would become of the gay black Fed with the painted nails, even assuming the copycat killer didn't get him. And there's an autobiographical element here beyond the broader Whither The Gays? question, with the lead, like Tynion, a comics writer who's moved on from superheroes to darker, more personal stuff, but then finds himself getting caught up in it, even while he's reminded that there are people to whom those distinctions are meaningless and who consider his job, just like his orientation, as a bit of an embarrassment. Meanwhile, his boyfriend is thinking about how gay guys of a certain age have something a bit sad and lonely about them, but wondering if maybe that isn't just a guy thing and the straights married with kids simply have more camouflage. There's a lot going on, is what I'm saying, even before bodies start turning up, arranged in the same queasily festive ways as they were decades ago by a killer who's now supposedly safely behind bars and being interviewed for the writer's new project...
Publishing moans aside, what about the actual contents? Ah, well there we're on happier territory, for a dark and gruesome value if the word. I know stories prodding at the current true crime obsession are now nearly as ubiquitous as the thing itself, but I still find the cultural fascination much more interesting than the grubby little men, and Tynion has knotted that up with some other itches in the zeitgeist, which bounce off each other in interesting ways. The link between queerness and serial killers in the public consciousness, for instance – even as regards killers who actually aren't. And a strand that reminded me of All Of Us Strangers, nostalgia for Christmas as it was bumping up against an awareness of how much life has improved for gay men in that time, which itself shades into a worry as to whether that's just being lulled into a false sense of security – something the series' delayed release has only rendered more painfully relevant; as the issues started hitting in our inglorious new era, I did start worrying what would become of the gay black Fed with the painted nails, even assuming the copycat killer didn't get him. And there's an autobiographical element here beyond the broader Whither The Gays? question, with the lead, like Tynion, a comics writer who's moved on from superheroes to darker, more personal stuff, but then finds himself getting caught up in it, even while he's reminded that there are people to whom those distinctions are meaningless and who consider his job, just like his orientation, as a bit of an embarrassment. Meanwhile, his boyfriend is thinking about how gay guys of a certain age have something a bit sad and lonely about them, but wondering if maybe that isn't just a guy thing and the straights married with kids simply have more camouflage. There's a lot going on, is what I'm saying, even before bodies start turning up, arranged in the same queasily festive ways as they were decades ago by a killer who's now supposedly safely behind bars and being interviewed for the writer's new project...
October 17, 2025
Pardon ce sera long. D’abord, j’ai adoré cette série.
Mais je dois le dire : le reveal du serial killer est décevant.
Quand on découvre son visage et qu’un des personnages a besoin d’expliquer au lecteur qui est le gars (et qu’on se dit pas immédiatement « oh mais WTF bien sûr c’est lui tout s’explique » ou « mais NAN c’est impossible !! ») c’est généralement pas bon signe.
Là je me suis même demandé qui c’était avant d’avoir une vague impression de l’avoir aperçu une fois quelque part dans un des deux tomes.
Je trouve qu’on comprend peu ses intentions et qu’on s’en fout un peu même : il voulait juste « faire comme son idole » au fond et je trouve ça un peu plat de la part de James Tynion IV.
Ah et justement,
ON NE SAURA PAS QUI EST LE PREMIER TUEUR ???
Dans un sens je peux comprendre ce choix mais c’est si frustrant. C’est sûrement pour nous dire « peu importe qui c’était » et démontrer que la justice se contentera d’incriminer le premier suspect à la marge qu’elle trouvera, sans aller plus loin. Donc là le petit pd aux photos bizarres (attention je cautionne pas les photos bizarres), seul et sans défense, c’était la cible parfaite pour la police des années 70 ouvertement homophobe.
Bon maintenant j’arrête de râler :
Mis à part ce reveal pas zinzin, tout le reste de la série est un énorme BANGER.
Le scénariste parvient à nous captiver dès les premières pages et nous garde en haleine tout du long. De la même façon que dans la série des « The Nice House », il confirme son statut de maître du suspense et des rebondissements (d’où ma déception de la FIN quoi !!) et comme chaque chapitre a son cliffhanger final, ça rend la lecture très fluide et addictive.
Je me suis quand même attaché aux personnages (Derek épouse-moi) même si je pense qu’un tome supplémentaire ne leur aurait pas fait de mal et aurait permis d’étoffer le caractère de chacun, leurs vécus, leurs relations. Par exemple, j’ai adoré les sauts dans le passé parce qu’ils leur apportait de la profondeur et de la nuance !
En conclusion, cette série n’en reste pas moins remarquable. Elle aborde des questions et des thématiques qui me sont chères et que je trouverais toujours pertinentes avec le genre de l’horreur : comment est-ce qu’on se construit quand on est un enfant queer, dans une société homophobe, sans aucun modèles ? Vers qui on se tourne ? Et qu’est ce qui nous rassemble et nous est commun aux véritables monstres ?
La société évolue peut-être (debatable) mais qui est-ce qu’on accusera en premier, qui est-ce qu’on incriminera avec le moins de preuve ?
Le véritable tour de force de cette histoire c’est qu’on peut s’y projeter, elle est là l’horreur, elle vient directement puiser dans une peur commune : celle qu’il reste quelque part, dans un vague imaginaire collectif, cette idée de monstre, de perversité, de déviance lié à nos identités queers qui nous rend plus vulnérables aux violences.
Je garde quand même un super souvenir de ce diptyque et j’en ai adoré l’ambiance et le concept (tueur en série, enquête, suspicion d’un copycat, milieu gay, etc) ! C’est justement parce que son potentiel était énorme que je suis déçu qu’il n’ait pas été entièrement exploité.
Apres tout, un peu (beaucoup) d’horreur graphique et psychologique pendant Halloween…que demande le peuple ?
Mais je dois le dire : le reveal du serial killer est décevant.
Quand on découvre son visage et qu’un des personnages a besoin d’expliquer au lecteur qui est le gars (et qu’on se dit pas immédiatement « oh mais WTF bien sûr c’est lui tout s’explique » ou « mais NAN c’est impossible !! ») c’est généralement pas bon signe.
Là je me suis même demandé qui c’était avant d’avoir une vague impression de l’avoir aperçu une fois quelque part dans un des deux tomes.
Je trouve qu’on comprend peu ses intentions et qu’on s’en fout un peu même : il voulait juste « faire comme son idole » au fond et je trouve ça un peu plat de la part de James Tynion IV.
Ah et justement,
ON NE SAURA PAS QUI EST LE PREMIER TUEUR ???
Dans un sens je peux comprendre ce choix mais c’est si frustrant. C’est sûrement pour nous dire « peu importe qui c’était » et démontrer que la justice se contentera d’incriminer le premier suspect à la marge qu’elle trouvera, sans aller plus loin. Donc là le petit pd aux photos bizarres (attention je cautionne pas les photos bizarres), seul et sans défense, c’était la cible parfaite pour la police des années 70 ouvertement homophobe.
Bon maintenant j’arrête de râler :
Mis à part ce reveal pas zinzin, tout le reste de la série est un énorme BANGER.
Le scénariste parvient à nous captiver dès les premières pages et nous garde en haleine tout du long. De la même façon que dans la série des « The Nice House », il confirme son statut de maître du suspense et des rebondissements (d’où ma déception de la FIN quoi !!) et comme chaque chapitre a son cliffhanger final, ça rend la lecture très fluide et addictive.
Je me suis quand même attaché aux personnages (Derek épouse-moi) même si je pense qu’un tome supplémentaire ne leur aurait pas fait de mal et aurait permis d’étoffer le caractère de chacun, leurs vécus, leurs relations. Par exemple, j’ai adoré les sauts dans le passé parce qu’ils leur apportait de la profondeur et de la nuance !
En conclusion, cette série n’en reste pas moins remarquable. Elle aborde des questions et des thématiques qui me sont chères et que je trouverais toujours pertinentes avec le genre de l’horreur : comment est-ce qu’on se construit quand on est un enfant queer, dans une société homophobe, sans aucun modèles ? Vers qui on se tourne ? Et qu’est ce qui nous rassemble et nous est commun aux véritables monstres ?
La société évolue peut-être (debatable) mais qui est-ce qu’on accusera en premier, qui est-ce qu’on incriminera avec le moins de preuve ?
Le véritable tour de force de cette histoire c’est qu’on peut s’y projeter, elle est là l’horreur, elle vient directement puiser dans une peur commune : celle qu’il reste quelque part, dans un vague imaginaire collectif, cette idée de monstre, de perversité, de déviance lié à nos identités queers qui nous rend plus vulnérables aux violences.
Je garde quand même un super souvenir de ce diptyque et j’en ai adoré l’ambiance et le concept (tueur en série, enquête, suspicion d’un copycat, milieu gay, etc) ! C’est justement parce que son potentiel était énorme que je suis déçu qu’il n’ait pas été entièrement exploité.
Apres tout, un peu (beaucoup) d’horreur graphique et psychologique pendant Halloween…que demande le peuple ?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2025
3.8 ⭐️ MLM crime/horror series with the freakiest damn Santa known to man.
I read both volumes in one sitting and was gripped the whole time. I did feel like the second volume felt far more predictable, and as such marked it down a tad.
I liked seeing more of Derick as he’s quite an intriguing character who’s been more in the dark in vol 1.
The art was perfect for this series, and truly fit the haunting Christmas atmosphere. The style is incredibly eerie and makes the story all the more creepy. A lot of the panels are dark with low contrast however, which can make seeing some of what they’re depicting a bit tough.
Rep// MLM MCs, MLM SCs.
TWs listed below, please skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.
TW// serial killing, extreme gore, murder, themes of child abuse & abusers (an adult character takes photographs of minors without their knowledge), blood, police scenes, guns, knives, homophobia, homophobic slurs, bodies, murder/harm of children and adults.
I read both volumes in one sitting and was gripped the whole time. I did feel like the second volume felt far more predictable, and as such marked it down a tad.
I liked seeing more of Derick as he’s quite an intriguing character who’s been more in the dark in vol 1.
The art was perfect for this series, and truly fit the haunting Christmas atmosphere. The style is incredibly eerie and makes the story all the more creepy. A lot of the panels are dark with low contrast however, which can make seeing some of what they’re depicting a bit tough.
Rep// MLM MCs, MLM SCs.
TWs listed below, please skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.
TW// serial killing, extreme gore, murder, themes of child abuse & abusers (an adult character takes photographs of minors without their knowledge), blood, police scenes, guns, knives, homophobia, homophobic slurs, bodies, murder/harm of children and adults.
December 16, 2025
hitting the vape as you go in gun-first to confront the killer is crazy
December 6, 2025
Ça devient intéressant et ça fini plutôt moyennement.
Très plaisant à lire! Recommandé pour les amateurs de BD policière.
Très plaisant à lire! Recommandé pour les amateurs de BD policière.
May 18, 2025
A serial killer who dresses like Santa and kills people has emerged in Milwaukee, mirroring the events of another serial killer from the '70s. Imprisoned for being the original serial killer, Randall Olsen is now interviewed by a young comic book artist who plans to make a biographical comic on the infamous "Deviant Killer", so named for Olsen's homosexuality. Borrowing from films like The Silence of the Lambs and Silent Night, Deadly Night, The Deviant sets up a fairly compelling mystery about a copycat killer and the nefarious undertones of a society that may still be a little too bigoted to appreciate non-heteronormative relationships. The first volume ends with Michael being framed as the copycat killer, and this volume picks up with his boyfriend, Derek, trying to clear Michael's name with the help of FBI Agent Hall.
As mystery stories go, the set up is important, but the culmination is equally as important, if not more so. The reveals in this second half of the series unfortunately does not live up to the great set up from earlier, with the answers unfolding with clunky exposition. The answers to who this new copycat killer is don't really fit with the details from earlier, so it comes off as a very left-field type of ending. The themes of changing views on gay relationships between the '70s and the 2020's is still prevalent here, but it does read as a little more divorced from the core mystery than initially conceived. Even the emphasis on Agent Hall's sexuality seems a little too corny, where his only defining characteristics are that he's "too cool and different" from his colleagues because he vapes indoors and flashes his neon green gel nails. The only moments that have true poignancy are the interviews with Randall Olsen, who does embody the crushing loneliness a gay man in the '70s must have experienced.
Joshua Hixson's artwork also impresses here, largely due to the fantastic use of colors. The Christmas setting shines through well, whereby the cold outdoors are contrasted well with the well-lit, warm indoor settings featuring a myriad of Christmas-themed decorations. Though the story falters significantly in the second half, Hixson's artwork is continually great across all nine issues.
As mystery stories go, the set up is important, but the culmination is equally as important, if not more so. The reveals in this second half of the series unfortunately does not live up to the great set up from earlier, with the answers unfolding with clunky exposition. The answers to who this new copycat killer is don't really fit with the details from earlier, so it comes off as a very left-field type of ending. The themes of changing views on gay relationships between the '70s and the 2020's is still prevalent here, but it does read as a little more divorced from the core mystery than initially conceived. Even the emphasis on Agent Hall's sexuality seems a little too corny, where his only defining characteristics are that he's "too cool and different" from his colleagues because he vapes indoors and flashes his neon green gel nails. The only moments that have true poignancy are the interviews with Randall Olsen, who does embody the crushing loneliness a gay man in the '70s must have experienced.
Joshua Hixson's artwork also impresses here, largely due to the fantastic use of colors. The Christmas setting shines through well, whereby the cold outdoors are contrasted well with the well-lit, warm indoor settings featuring a myriad of Christmas-themed decorations. Though the story falters significantly in the second half, Hixson's artwork is continually great across all nine issues.
December 12, 2025
Great ending to this series. I think I liked the first volume a bit more, but this one was still quite good. This whole series was such an interesting marriage of slasher, crime thriller, and queer fiction.
June 4, 2025
Everything I like about Tynion disappear in that volume and everything I hate about his work went up exponentially. I think he drop the ball with that series and I’m out of it.
December 3, 2025
This is about the characters and what the mystery means to them rather than the mystery itself. A fulfilling 2 volume series.
December 11, 2025
It'd be perfect if there had been more foreshadowing.
July 18, 2025
The vibes and the art were amazing. The ending didn’t quite stick the landing but I think I’m ok with it still. Overall it was good. I think it would have been better if there was a bit more leaning to who the killer was ahead of time it would have been a bit of a more satisfying ending
December 11, 2025
conclusion un peu décevante si on s’attend à du sensationnel mais en vrai la manière dont la bd explore la psychologie des personnages est trooop intéressante
August 17, 2025
James Tynion IV is at his peak (and I think that will last). But there is another thing that should be celebrated: his body of work is to bring LGBTQ+ storytelling organically to the mainstream.
June 24, 2025
Solid wrap to a very good book - that probably could have been great. This has such a compelling plot that had me hooked and wanting to get to the next issue…but the conclusion fizzled for me. The real killer is a background player, like way in the background. They don’t address at all whatever became of the first killer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2025
Not me almost crying over a gay serial killer in prison. 🥲
July 3, 2025
The conclusion of the mini-series. Michael is locked up for the new Deviant copycat killings, but boyfriend Derek knows he's innocent and will do what he can to prove it, while FBI Agent Hall isn't convinced Michael is guilty, and keeps pursuing other avenues. When another killing linked to the crimes occurs, it's up to Derek and Hall to stop the real killer.
While the slow-burn story continued in intriguing enough fashion, things remained pretty vague as to who either the original or new killers were - intentionally to keep you guessing, but not all that convincing how it played out. And the true culprit was definitely not expected, but until several pages of mostly exposition in the final issue, it wasn't entirely clear who it was, why or how they came to be the killer. Had I read the whole series in one go I might have felt a little different, but since there was lot of time between the release of the two graphic novels, I had forgotten a lot and, regardless, found the resolution a bit underwhelming.
While the slow-burn story continued in intriguing enough fashion, things remained pretty vague as to who either the original or new killers were - intentionally to keep you guessing, but not all that convincing how it played out. And the true culprit was definitely not expected, but until several pages of mostly exposition in the final issue, it wasn't entirely clear who it was, why or how they came to be the killer. Had I read the whole series in one go I might have felt a little different, but since there was lot of time between the release of the two graphic novels, I had forgotten a lot and, regardless, found the resolution a bit underwhelming.
March 24, 2025
I didn't find the ending super satisfying. I was disappointed that
June 13, 2025
Great art, action, and a mystery wrapped up like a Christmas present in prison. But I liked how there’s just a little bit of mystery left.
Did he really do it all those years ago?
Well written and crafted tale of obsessions and how unresolved issues can fester into them, which may destroy us.
Did he really do it all those years ago?
Well written and crafted tale of obsessions and how unresolved issues can fester into them, which may destroy us.
December 14, 2025
This review is for the entire series. Both the first and second volume had the same star rating for me.
There is something the really strikes a chord for me when it comes to blending the holidays and horror. The juxtaposition of holiday cheer with the terrifying frights that come with a horror story. James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson blend these themes while tossing into a true-crime style thriller with The Deviant , perfect for the holiday season.
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.
When the first issue debuted in November 2023, I read it on that Wednesday night and knew it would be a series I would want to read. However, like with most comics these days, I got behind. So now that I had the time (and part of Galactic Comics & Collectibles book club), I decided to devour the story in the two trade paperback volumes. What I discovered, this would've likely have been a harder to get through on a month-to-month basis and much more enjoyable in trade format as a binge.
It seems to have become a given that I will pickup a Tynion comic and give it a try, really no matter what. But I am also a big fan of the holiday season, as well as a big horror fan, so it seems to be the right combination. Like with most Tynion comics, there is a main story, but also something deeply personal about each and every tale he tells. Not only does The Deviant tell a Christmas horror story, but also tells of the all-too-real horrors the LGBTQ+ community deals with on a daily basis. Wrapping this story around this just made for a deeper and more meaningful story.
The Deviant brings stories such as Silent Night, Deadly Night and modernizes them along with a bit of social commentary. While Silent Night, Deadly Night is more tongue-in-cheek, The Deviant is more tension and atmospheric vibes. Both have Santa killing people, but for different reasons. Both are great for the holiday season.
Hixson's artwork is outstanding, adding even more tension and horror to the pages of the story. The partnership with Tynion is perfect, giving us the best possible comic for the holiday horror season. The character designs are phenomenal and memorable. A killer Santa that will stick with me for a long time.
The one hangup for me is the pacing. The first volume starts out great and drags a bit towards the end, while the second volume is great through the beginning but quickly wraps things up. These are minor complaints and didn't hold back my enjoyment of the series. We would have been severed a tiny bit better with an additional issue or two.
The Deviant by writer James Tynion IV and artist Joshua Hixson takes the festive cheer out of the holiday season with a true-crime style thriller that has us looking at Santa with different eyes. The mix of holidays and horror along with social commentary that works so well. Definitely a fun read for the holiday season.
The Deviant Volume 1 and Volume 2 are available at your local comic shops or bookstores everywhere from Images Comics.
There is something the really strikes a chord for me when it comes to blending the holidays and horror. The juxtaposition of holiday cheer with the terrifying frights that come with a horror story. James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson blend these themes while tossing into a true-crime style thriller with The Deviant , perfect for the holiday season.
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.
When the first issue debuted in November 2023, I read it on that Wednesday night and knew it would be a series I would want to read. However, like with most comics these days, I got behind. So now that I had the time (and part of Galactic Comics & Collectibles book club), I decided to devour the story in the two trade paperback volumes. What I discovered, this would've likely have been a harder to get through on a month-to-month basis and much more enjoyable in trade format as a binge.
It seems to have become a given that I will pickup a Tynion comic and give it a try, really no matter what. But I am also a big fan of the holiday season, as well as a big horror fan, so it seems to be the right combination. Like with most Tynion comics, there is a main story, but also something deeply personal about each and every tale he tells. Not only does The Deviant tell a Christmas horror story, but also tells of the all-too-real horrors the LGBTQ+ community deals with on a daily basis. Wrapping this story around this just made for a deeper and more meaningful story.
The Deviant brings stories such as Silent Night, Deadly Night and modernizes them along with a bit of social commentary. While Silent Night, Deadly Night is more tongue-in-cheek, The Deviant is more tension and atmospheric vibes. Both have Santa killing people, but for different reasons. Both are great for the holiday season.
Hixson's artwork is outstanding, adding even more tension and horror to the pages of the story. The partnership with Tynion is perfect, giving us the best possible comic for the holiday horror season. The character designs are phenomenal and memorable. A killer Santa that will stick with me for a long time.
The one hangup for me is the pacing. The first volume starts out great and drags a bit towards the end, while the second volume is great through the beginning but quickly wraps things up. These are minor complaints and didn't hold back my enjoyment of the series. We would have been severed a tiny bit better with an additional issue or two.
The Deviant by writer James Tynion IV and artist Joshua Hixson takes the festive cheer out of the holiday season with a true-crime style thriller that has us looking at Santa with different eyes. The mix of holidays and horror along with social commentary that works so well. Definitely a fun read for the holiday season.
The Deviant Volume 1 and Volume 2 are available at your local comic shops or bookstores everywhere from Images Comics.
June 22, 2025
I barely knew him, but you do have to understand how many people reach out to me just to talk to a dangerous killer. People with something wrong in them. I think I've gotten to a point where I understand them a little.
It doesn't take much to egg them on, to get them talking about the sort of people they want to hurt. I wonder sometimes if any of them have done it. Maybe I didn't hurt those boys all those years ago, but who's to say I haven't encouraged others to do it?
Who's to say I didn't encourage Michael?
My love affair with James Tynion IV continues. I would recommend all of his work but especially Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 1, The Nice House on the Lake: the Deluxe Edition, W0Rldtr33 Vol. 1, or Nightmare Country, Vol. 1.
This new limited series is another cracker. It is once again horror but with a more straightforward murder mystery vibe.
Michael, an upcoming comic book writer, wants a departure from the usual 'superhero' work. Inspired by his childhood growing up near the home of the infamous Deviant Killer, he decided to write a story about the child murderer, who dressed as Santa to commit the crimes.
Having interviewed the killer, who still protests his innocence, Michael is suddenly arrested after his drivers licence is found at the murder scene of a seeming copycat murderer.
When the Christmas killer's uniform is found in his home, all hope seems lost. But his partner Derek believes he's innocent and sets out to prove it. The only person he can turn to for help is the monster Deviant killer.
This is certainly more of a classic murder mystery with Tynion's horror weaved in. I'm going to be picky as I read a lot of whodunits and this lacked in a few areas and left me slightly disappointed. Overall however, it still gets 4.5 stars.
It doesn't take much to egg them on, to get them talking about the sort of people they want to hurt. I wonder sometimes if any of them have done it. Maybe I didn't hurt those boys all those years ago, but who's to say I haven't encouraged others to do it?
Who's to say I didn't encourage Michael?
My love affair with James Tynion IV continues. I would recommend all of his work but especially Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 1, The Nice House on the Lake: the Deluxe Edition, W0Rldtr33 Vol. 1, or Nightmare Country, Vol. 1.
This new limited series is another cracker. It is once again horror but with a more straightforward murder mystery vibe.
Michael, an upcoming comic book writer, wants a departure from the usual 'superhero' work. Inspired by his childhood growing up near the home of the infamous Deviant Killer, he decided to write a story about the child murderer, who dressed as Santa to commit the crimes.
Having interviewed the killer, who still protests his innocence, Michael is suddenly arrested after his drivers licence is found at the murder scene of a seeming copycat murderer.
When the Christmas killer's uniform is found in his home, all hope seems lost. But his partner Derek believes he's innocent and sets out to prove it. The only person he can turn to for help is the monster Deviant killer.
This is certainly more of a classic murder mystery with Tynion's horror weaved in. I'm going to be picky as I read a lot of whodunits and this lacked in a few areas and left me slightly disappointed. Overall however, it still gets 4.5 stars.
June 4, 2025
The Deviant Killer, supposedly a gay peeping tom who chopped up the young boys he took pics of at Christmas, has been locked up since the early ‘70s. Half a century later and a copycat killer is recreating his MO on a new generation of victims. True crime aficionado Michael is arrested - his fascination with the case and his ID being found at a crime scene being enough to put him away for now. Meanwhile his boyfriend Derek and FBI Agent Hall continue looking into the case to see if Michael really was the new Deviant Killer or not.
The second and final part of James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson’s The Deviant is a weak way to close out what was a promising premise. A big part of what fails to make it compelling is that we know it’s not going to be Michael who’s the real killer. It’d be clever if Tynion had figured out a way to make it so that he was, but his character is too clear cut not to be which takes away any suspense.
And so we have to spend much of the book watching a rather static narrative play out. Derek does some digging of his own, visits Randall (the “original” Deviant Killer), and so on, while Hall does the same. Some flashbacks to Michael’s youth are thrown in to limply suggest he might still be the killer even if all it does is the opposite. It’s pretty dull stuff unfortunately.
The story picks up once the Deviant Killer gets going again and I did want to find out who it really was - the narrative has that hook going for it. It’s not an unsatisfying reveal but the killer’s identity also isn’t that inspired either. Basically, if you were trying to figure it out as you were reading, you were never going to - it’s that kind of “mystery”.
Hixson’s art is really good. The design of the Deviant Killer is effective in conveying menace and he manages to make each page look interesting despite most of it being two people sat in a room talking to one another. Definitely an artist whose work I’ll look out for in the future.
I’m not sure Tynion was successful in saying anything meaningful about the true crime phenomenon of the last few years, nor did I find it convincing that gay persecution remains ongoing today in the same way that it did 50 years ago.
The Deviant, Book Two has its moments but these are too few and far between - an underwhelming conclusion to what might have been a decent crime comic in the hands of a better writer.
The second and final part of James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson’s The Deviant is a weak way to close out what was a promising premise. A big part of what fails to make it compelling is that we know it’s not going to be Michael who’s the real killer. It’d be clever if Tynion had figured out a way to make it so that he was, but his character is too clear cut not to be which takes away any suspense.
And so we have to spend much of the book watching a rather static narrative play out. Derek does some digging of his own, visits Randall (the “original” Deviant Killer), and so on, while Hall does the same. Some flashbacks to Michael’s youth are thrown in to limply suggest he might still be the killer even if all it does is the opposite. It’s pretty dull stuff unfortunately.
The story picks up once the Deviant Killer gets going again and I did want to find out who it really was - the narrative has that hook going for it. It’s not an unsatisfying reveal but the killer’s identity also isn’t that inspired either. Basically, if you were trying to figure it out as you were reading, you were never going to - it’s that kind of “mystery”.
Hixson’s art is really good. The design of the Deviant Killer is effective in conveying menace and he manages to make each page look interesting despite most of it being two people sat in a room talking to one another. Definitely an artist whose work I’ll look out for in the future.
I’m not sure Tynion was successful in saying anything meaningful about the true crime phenomenon of the last few years, nor did I find it convincing that gay persecution remains ongoing today in the same way that it did 50 years ago.
The Deviant, Book Two has its moments but these are too few and far between - an underwhelming conclusion to what might have been a decent crime comic in the hands of a better writer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews