Cruella de Vil has been exonerated! Find out what is next for her in Disney Villains: Cruella De Vil #1 by Dynamite Entertainment!

DISNEY VILLAINS: CRUELLA DE VIL #1

Writer: Sweeny Boo
Artist: Miriana Pugila
Colorist: Ellie Wright
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Editor: Nate Cosby
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 10th, 2024

Previously in Cruella de Vil: Cruella de Vil stole Dalmatian puppies to make a new coat. Now, she must deal with the fallout of her crimes, including her blemished reputation in the fashion world.

IF SHE DOESN’T SCARE YOU

Disney Villains: Cruella de Vil #1 starts with Cruella returning home to people ridiculing her exoneration, and she goes on many publicity stunts to try and save her image. These mainly included large donations and public appearances of her caring for animals. But ultimately, everything she does has failed to change people’s minds. This is compounded by the fact that the neighborhood dogs target her and cause havoc. With her butler Archibald, she prepares a large party as a last-ditch effort. However, this party is quickly overrun by dogs who eat all the food and destroy all the furniture. With this, she curses the dogs, which the press catches at the event, cementing her lousy reputation and any chance for favorable publicity.

NO EVIL THING WILL

When I read a villain’s comic, I want to gain some sympathy for the title character. In Disney Villains: Cruella de Vil #1, Cruella is just as evil and selfish as ever. There isn’t a tragic backstory for us to connect to, a sense of remorse, or a positive need for her money. So, I had no reason to care that she was struggling. I wasn’t heartbroken for her. Visually, Cruella isn’t that striking on the comic page, and while the art team did a great job with the designs, I didn’t get anything that made me turn my head. In fact, I was just a little bored reading this to my kids the night I was writing this review. We aren’t introduced to a hook; we are just presented with a problem for Cruella without a direction to solve it, which doesn’t hook me into the plot.

BOTTOM LINE: A SKIP FOR ME

I have fond memories of 101 Dalmatians as a kid. In fact, the movie made me want to get a dog and made me ponder animal cruelty. But this comic doesn’t give me anything to hook onto. I imagine the creative team was given too many limitations to make this story unique, or perhaps this reads better as a trade. With that in mind, Disney Villains: Cruella De Vil #1 is 2.5 out of 5 stars and can probably be skipped.

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