Writer: Sweeney Boo
Art: Miriana Puglia and Ellie Wright (colorist)
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Price: $3.99
Release date: January 10th, 2024
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Disney Villains: Cruella De Vil #1 Review.
THE DISPATCH
Set immediately following the events of Disney’s animated classic, 101 Dalmatians, Disney Villains: Cruella De Vil #1 sees Cruella trying to put on a good face for the public, in attempt to salvage what’s left of her reputation. The book opens in the middle or at the end of the action, with an anthropomorphic dog serving as the narrator, filling us in on the events that led up to what we are seeing. The book pays astonishingly close attention to detail, as you’ll notice in the opening newspaper headline. In the animated film, there is a scene in which Cruella reads a newspaper from a publication called “Reynolds News and Sunday Citizen: Late London Edition”.
The date it is issued in the film is November 3, 1958. The newspaper seen in this comic bears the same publication title, and lists the date as February 10, 1959. This shows us that only a couple months have passed since the events of the film. When we see Cruella again, she seems to be very in-character. It is easy to imagine her original voice actress, Betty Lou Gerson, saying some of her lines of dialogue. Noticeably absent, however, are any utterances of Cruella’s famous “darling” catchphrase. Hopefully she’ll say this in future issues. To a certain extent, some of the events in this issue may remind some readers of part of the plot of the live-action 102 Dalmatians movie, especially the part where Cruella throws a lavish party.
ART
The art in Disney Villains: Cruella De Vil #1 is very appealing. While not exactly matching the animation style of the movie, it is still easy to recognize Cruella and the other characters. It is also very accurate according to the time period in which it is set. Something that is missing, however, is Cruella’s trademark cigarette. Most likely this due to the fact that this is an all-ages comic that doesn’t want to promote smoking, but is also reasonable to consider that maybe Cruella is trying to not to smoke now due to the fact that she is trying to pass herself off as a good person in the public eye.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Disney Villains: Cruella De Vil #1 presents a very faithful depiction of the original animated Cruella De Vil. She wants to be liked and appreciated by high society, so she puts up a façade, concealing her true character. The storytellers remain consistent with the continuity of the original movie as well, while also introducing new characters. Cruella receives an enigmatic letter and a mysterious figure watches from afar as the issue closes. Who could it be and how might she be connected to Cruella?