New Review of the Month: Malevolent #1
Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Justin Jordan
Penciller: John Bivens
Colorist: Felipe Sobreiro
Letterer: Crank!
Cover artist(s): John Bivens
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: January 28, 2026
From Image Comics:
“Thirty years ago, we unleashed demons into the world. But humans can adapt to anything, even a demon haunted world. But now, humanity has created something new. A weapon that can kill demons. If she doesn't kill us first.”
Creating a new comic series comes with challenges other mediums don’t encounter. Certain genres, such as science fiction and fantasy, face additional obstacles. This is where Malevolent enters the picture and could stumble out of the gate for some readers. In a new title, world-building can often involve introducing the terminology of that universe. You have to do that while also engaging readers right away. You can lose readers quickly by getting too bogged down with new terms and establishment of in-universe rules.
Justin Jordan and John Bivens introduce us to this new world with that challenge. The set-up brings us a team of officers sent in to contain a demon, or “mal” as they’re referred to. Here we see the first one and also meet Morgan, both of whom are shown on the main cover of this book. Morgan, part mal and part human, serves as a weapon used to combat the demons. The visual elements of her design and her personality will likely strike a chord with other readers.
We meet some of the human characters who’ll continue to play a role in the book going forward. This first issue also lays out some of the lore behind the demons as well as the gear at the officers’ disposal. The first few pages show how the creators find the balance between establishing the world and pulling readers in.
Teaming up on the art are John Bivens and Felipe Sobreiro, who previously collaborated on another Image title, Spread. This is where the book doesn’t quite land for me. That isn’t to say I find anything technically wrong with the art. But with comic art, as with most media, you either like it or you don’t.
There’s a difference between storytelling and style that is severely understated in comics. That’s where I stand with the art presented in Malevolent. I can appreciate what Bivens and Sobreiro are doing panel-to-panel, page-to-page. The storytelling is there. The characters are expressive. This is especially true with how Bivens captures the sense of terror in the soldiers’ faces. However, stylistically, it just doesn’t resonate with me. From the look of the officers to the action sequences.
Overall, it was just an okay read to me. The question I’ll ask myself when the second issue drops is: Are Morgan’s character and the potential of the overall story enough for me to continue reading? Also, what will we see in regards to the visual appearance of future demons?
Disclaimer: This copy was personally purchased.