The Deviant #1 Review: A Gripping Holiday Horror Story

Christmas has come early this year, in the form of James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson's horrific holiday thriller, The Deviant. The first issue in this nine-part series lays the groundwork for a gripping mystery about a young man in modern-day Chicago uncovering the truth about a series of gruesome murders in the 1970s, and coming to terms with how the grisly killings affected his own experience growing up. There's still a lot of story to be told, but this debut issue is off to a phenomenal start.

The Deviant is told across a couple of different timelines, but the chronological tale begins in December of 1973. Someone (or perhaps something) dressed as Santa Claus brutally murders two young men in Milwaukee. A man named Randall Olsen is arrested for the crimes, after being caught in possession of pictures of the two boys. He is dubbed the Deviant Killer, and stories spread through the area about the horrible things he did to the young men, both before and after killing them. In the 40 years since the murders, Randall maintains that he's an innocent man. That's where Michael comes in.

Michael, the protagonist of the series, is a writer in 2023 with a connection to the stories of the Deviant Killer. Growing up queer and in the Midwest, Michael's first experience with anything remotely resembling homosexuality was hearing tales of the killer being sexually involved with the boys he murdered. Now, as an adult, Michael is spending time interviewing Randall Olsen about the 40-year-old crimes and trying to uncover the truth.

Hixson's art style is a perfect fit for Tynion's eerie and emotionally complex narrative. It's simple and soft, inviting you in and making you feel comfortable – a lot like the Christmas holiday should. It's a warm fire broken up by the chilling scenes in the cold winter snow. From the very first page, however, there's a darkness that keeps you unsettled. The cozy feelings have an ominous undertone that sets the stage for the story to come. 

When that darkness takes over—in both art and story—it pulls you in ever deeper. The Deviant is a perfect marriage of pen and paintbrush between these two artists.

When the comic book was announced, Tynion opened up about how his own experiences influenced this story. For him, it was media like The Silence of the Lambs offering his first experience with how other people viewed and described homosexuality. For Michael, it was the Deviant Killer. Those early ties with who they knew themselves to be and the monsters being described to them creates a harrowing experience for young men trying to accept and love theselves.

In these stories, The Deviant brings to light a part of the queer experience that I'd imagine many haven't given a thought before. The way in which our larger culture views an entire group of people shapes how young people in that group see themselves and the world around them, which can be both heartbreaking and terrifying. This perspective offers a brand new lens for these types of crime stories and makes The Deviant stand out in a sea of seemingly similar mysteries.

The Deviant #1 satisfies on multiple fronts. If you're just looking for a murder story set at Christmastime, the comic book delivers that ten times over. It's an excellent read for a cold, dark night. But if you're willing to get a little uncomfortable and allow The Deviant to tell you something about the world you don't already know, it becomes something truly special.

Published by Image Comics

On November 15, 2023

Written by James Tynion IV

Art by Joshua Hixson

Colors by Joshua Hixson

Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover by Joshua Hixson