Dynamite Comics' upcoming Disney Villain comic series will throw a new spotlight on Maleficent, with a tale designed to fit seamlessly with the original animated movie. Disney Villains: Maleficent #1 is included in the company's upcoming solicits and its cover art is stunning. Maleficent's story may be well-known, but it seems there could be new aspects of it to tell.On Twitter, artist Rebeca Puebla (@subversivegirl) shared a variant cover for Disney Villains: Maleficent #1, which is written and drawn by Soo Lee. The cover is gorgeous, implementing the titular villainess' traditional color scheme while also incorporating elements of Eyvind Earle's iconic art nouveau-inspired style from 1959's Sleeping Beauty. Also included in the Disney comic cover is her raven accomplice, Diablo, and a pair of stone gargoyles emphasizing the Gothic aspect of the Medieval story.
Disney's Villains Always Make a Comeback
Despite usually getting their comeuppance in their respective films, Disney's villains have not ceased to garner popularity among fans. They have been brought back in alternate stories and series with regularity, and Dynamite Comics is continuing that trend with some of its new and upcoming offerings. Disney Villains is going to begin with a spotlight on Scar from The Lion King, but come May, it will shift to Maleficent in her own independent Disney Comic title. Given fans know her wrath on Aurora was due to a lack of invitation, and her demise came at Prince Phillip's hands, this story would likely be set sometime before or between those key events:
Disney and Dynamite proudly present Maleficent, Queen of the Forbidden Mountain! Her realm is shrouded in darkness, and evil, and full of all things that go bump in the night. Her soul is cold, hardened by a lifetime of small-minded wanderers seeking her powers to satisfy their mortal greed. Her patience wears thin. Her mystical might grows. It is a matter only of time before she descends the mountain and unleashes her horrible magics on the powerless people below. A stunning vision of villainy from writer and artist Soo Lee!
Maleficent's Past is Wide Open for Exploration
Within the original Disney film, Maleficent was already very feared by the nobility and the good fairies before she cursed Princess Aurora. Following the curse, the villainess sought the princess for sixteen years. It seems very possible that this comic could reveal why everyone was so afraid of her leading up to Aurora's curse, or fill in the other villainous activities she engaged in while seeking her prey. The synopsis for Dynamite's upcoming Disney comic suggests that she had lots of intruders seeking her out, implying her isolation may not have been fully self-induced.
Maleficent's origins have been explored using alternative worlds and additional book series - now Disney comics will have a turn. The film Maleficent (2014) provided a new origin for the villainess, but created an alternate future for her which continued into its sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019). Additionally, Serena Valentino's Villains series included the book Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy, explaining one version of why she is so evil. Now, it seems it's time for comics to provide a new perspective and iteration of the villainess' story. Fans of the Queen of the Forbidden Mountain can check out the newest story when Dynamite Comics releases Disney Villains: Maleficent #1 on May 3.
Source: @subversivegirl