The Deviant
| The Deviant | |
|---|---|
 Cover art for The Deviant Vol. 2 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Image Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly (irregular) |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | Christmas horror Crime |
| Publication date | November 2023 – March 2025 |
| No. of issues | 9 |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | James Tynion IV |
| Artist | Joshua Hixson |
| Letterer | Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou |
| Collected editions | |
| The Deviant Vol. 1 | ISBN 978-1534356917 |
| The Deviant Vol. 2 | ISBN 978-1534374270 |
The Deviant is a comic book limited series by writer James Tynion IV and artist Joshua Hixson. Lettering was done by Hassan Otsmane-Elahaou. It was published monthly by Image Comics from 2023 to 2025. The series received critical acclaim, receiving nominations for both Best Writer and Best Limited Series at the 2025 Eisner Awards.[1] Horror News Network named it its series of the year.[2]
The title of the series is a reference to the historical classification of homosexuality as sexual deviancy.
Premise
[edit]In 1972, a serial killer dressed as Santa Claus kills several young men in Milwaukee. Years later, a comic book writer approaches the incarcerated accused killer with the goal of writing a story about their shared identities, only for a new copycat killer to emerge.[3]
Characters
[edit]- Michael, a comic book author with an interest in serial killers
- Derek, a nurse and Michael's boyfriend
- Randall Olsen, an elderly pedophile accused of being The Deviant Killer
- Paul, a homophobic retired police officer who initially discovered the bodies of the vicitms
- Agent Hall, an FBI investigator tasked with finding the copycat killer.
Publication history
[edit]In August, 2023, Image Comics announced The Deviant as a nine issue "holiday horror story" miniseries set to launch in November of the same year. In the press release, Tynion described the series a response to "The Silence of the Lambs and Jeffrey Dahmer serving as [his] first real glimpses of [his] queer identity as a young closeted Midwestern boy."[3]
Key inspirations for the series include the works of David Fincher and Thomas Harris.[4]
The debut issue of The Deviant was published on November 15, 2023.[5] The ninth and final issue was published on March 19, 2025.[6]
Reception
[edit]Robert Mammone writing for Grimdark Magazine gave the first issue a rating of 5/5, praising Tynion's writing and Hixson's artwork. He further compared the relationship of Randall and Michael to that of Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs.[7] ComicsBeat described the first issue as having the makings of a "perennial horror book".[8]
Collected Editions
[edit]| Title | Material collected | Pages | Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Deviant Vol. 1 | The Deviant #1-4 | 152 | October 16, 2024 | 978-1534356917 |
| The Deviant Vol. 2 | The Deviant #5-9 | 144 | May 14, 2025 | 978-1534374270 |
A deluxe hardcover single-volume edition of the series is set to be released on November 4, 2026.[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ Zalben, Alex (2025-07-26). "Eisner Awards 2025: See The Full Winners List | Comic Book Club". Comic Book Club. Archived from the original on 2026-02-12. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ Caprilozzi, Rob (2024-12-30). "2024 Horror Comic Awards: Series of the Year is 'The Deviant'". Horror News Network. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- 1 2 "JAMES TYNION IV & JOSHUA HIXSON'S HOLIDAY HORROR THE DEVIANT SET TO LAUNCH THIS NOVEMBER". Image Comics. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ IV, James Tynion (2023-10-02). "TINY UPDATE 10/2: Okay, Now Let's Talk About THE DEVIANT". The Empire of the Tiny Onion. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
- ↑ "The Deviant #1 (of 9)". Image Comics. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ "The Deviant #9 (of 9)". Image Comics. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ Mammone, Robert (2023-11-21). "REVIEW: Deviant #1 by James Tynion (W) and Joshua Hixson(A)". Grimdark Magazine. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ Staff, Beat (2023-11-15). "Syndicated Comics". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ "THE DEVIANT DELUXE EDITION HC". Image Comics. Retrieved 2026-06-11.