Evil Thing: A Villains Graphic Novel
Serena Valentino
Amazon Summary:
Sure, you know the story of those wretched Dalmatians. But don’t I deserve a chance to tell my own side of the story? It is fabulous, after all.
”You may think you know the tale: a happy young couple, one hundred and one Dalmatians, and the woman determined to turn them into a perfectly spotted fur coat.
But who is that monster, that scene-stealer, that evil thing? Who is the woman behind it all? Before the car crash, before the dognapping, before furs became her only true love, there was another story. This is the story of Cruella De Vil—in her own words.
Even the cruelest villains have best friends, true loves, and daring dreams. After all, nothing is as simple as black and white.
In this first graphic novel adaptation of the New York Times best-selling Villains series, Arielle Jovellanos brings Serena Valentino’s darkly captivating world to life with beautiful and haunting illustrations in a stunning new visual format.
My review:
10/10
This review is almost identical to the other Evil Thing review I wrote because the writing is the exact same. And I mean the exact same. I really loved that because it gave me time to appreciate the beautiful drawings of the characters. The images and comic aspect of this novel was really pretty, but they size of the book made me upset. It is bigger than all the other Disney hardcover books. It RUINED my perfect collection. I am copying the review into both reviews.
I recently fell in love with Cruella as a character in the Disney universe. And I am always looking for a good Disney book, so I finally got to Evil Thing. I think this was the best book in the series for many reasons.
Firstly the perspective was different. In other Villains books by Serena Valentino, they all are from third person POV. But this one was in the first person. Also the author got Cruella's voice right on the nose. Cruella is known as being cruelly funny, and Serena Valentino captured that perfectly.
Secondly I liked this book because it is the only standalone novel in the whole 9 book series. All the other books connect to one another, being in the same kingdom and all, but Evil Thing is it's own right. Tey mention the whole series, but to Cruella it is just a fairytale, from a book.]
Thirdly, who doesn't love a good backstory? Cruella 2021 was fantastic. And this was different than the movie storyline. This went back further, to when cruella was a wee child.
Lastly the story. We was a society have always known Cruella De Vil as a greedy woman, who just wanted to make money. But this version of Cruella is all about how she is trying to make her mother proud, even though the mom is never home. Even as an adult, the mother is only out for money. She has this perception that her mother loves her, but in reality, she only wanted what Cruella's father left to her, Cruella, in the will. All she wants is to be validated by her mother. In a way it is kind of a tragic story. Loosing people you love, the one person who is still family by blood is never around, having no one to talk too? I feel like I understand her now, more than I ever had.
OVERALL:
If you are a fan of Cruella, or have never read a Villains tale, this is the perfect book for you. It is a standalone and truly a fun read.