Now I think I really understand my issues with Malevolent.
It’s not that the creative team (writer Justin Jordan and artists Felipe Sobreiro and John Bivens) had an issue with forging a strong foundation. No, in a world over-run by Mals — basically demons that can possess both people and electronics — teaming a half-demon hybrid (Morgan) with a bunch of surly police officers felt like the best update for the buddy cop formula. Rather, it was an issue of humanity; the premise was the rich, rich dessert, but I wanted the rest of the meal (character work, world-building, non-action scenes, etc.) to really fill me up. And so far it felt like those aspects were generally half-baked.
Luckily, Malevolent #3 is a much tastier meal, and proof that maybe there’s real sustenance here after all.
Courtesy of Image Comics.
There’s a moment where someone tells the team lead, Soh, that “this is the most I’ve ever heard you speak.” (It’s also, I believe, maybe the first time we’ve heard his or anyone’s name, and I hope to Jack Kirby that I’m wrong.) And, sure, that may be a mostly meh-level joke, but it speaks to what this issue finally accomplished: giving us time with each of the squad members. We see them struggle with their day jobs and finding balance, and even some of their (possibly) weird personal habits involving buying vermin. Nothing groundbreaking, mind you, but just enough background and context to make us truly give a damn.
These “cop dramas” aren’t just about the hard-living stereotypes and procedural goodness; it’s about seeing the men and women who live this life and how that informs or stymies their paths as people in the world. This is truly the first time in two/three issues where I feel like we’re seeing everyone, and while they’re mostly just snippets, it’s enough to make me ask questions, choose someone who perhaps resonates the most, and even ask what would happen if these people made certain decisions or (gasp) lost their life instead. A bonkers premise doesn’t excuse the fundamental work of bringing us in — if anything, I expected this stuff to have coalesced a little earlier than the demon stuff.
Courtesy of Image Comics.
But it’s not just the cops who are more real to us after Malevolent #3. Morgan, too, emerges in a way like never before across the issue in small but mighty ways. Before, she felt like a child, or a prop for the cops. (I mean, she still does, but now it’s a story feature and not just underbaked writing.) We see her make jokes, have a wee bit of an attitude, and even try and forge connections with her “coworkers.” It’s a little more deliberate and overt than some of the stuff with Soh and company, and you really see her as more of a person this time around and not just this demon-eating machine with little going on under the hood.
She’s feels less approachable this time around (as everyone else is quite a bit more approachable), and that’s a very good thing. A core idea or question of Malevolent is the nature of these Mals, and by virtue of being a hybrid, if Morgan can actually be trusted. We obviously don’t have the answer just yet, but the fact that I’m more actively asking this specific question makes all the difference. There’s a tension now that exists between Morgan and her partners (and not just the cops toward Morgan) — and that’s how you make a genuine, organic buddy cop story hum.
Courtesy of Image Comics.
This humanity doesn’t just feel good as a reader, or ensure that the story’s inherent decisions and general framework make more sense. It also gives the story more shape and structure and teeth moving forward. One of the more “obvious” manifestations of this is when we learn why the Mals behave the way they do upon entering our plane, and why the seem to be so dang hungry. I won’t spoil it here, but it’s another deeply humanizing element, and one that 1) further connects Mals-humans in a way that can be explored further and 2) maybe even offers sympathy or at least context to further complicate our understanding of the Mals. It’s another small but mighty moment, and proves that it doesn’t take much to push the story onto a compelling path forward.
Even more excitingly, though, this “uptick” in humanity has some important ramifications within the art itself. As with Malevolent‘s core premise, the basic look and feel of the world had heaps of promise. The cops achieved the right kind of grit; the demons had this unique, techno-organic spin; and Morgan’s whole thing was like the right mix of Mal, superhero, and left-of-center human. And while we got cool demons and plenty of action in Malevolent issues #1 and #2, it just felt random and/or detached. It was just a way to show off this story world’s uniqueness without connecting it to the grander ideas and messaging.
Courtesy of Image Comics.
But an “emergency” (depicted here in the preview art) means that every member of “Morgan’s squad” gets to face individual Mal threats, and each one seemingly has some/partial resonance with what (very little) we know about the squad members so far. There’s creepy teddy bears with snarling, red teeth; children possessed by gross half-machine/half-plague Mals; and things that seem to further blur the line between this reality and our own in interesting ways. By feeling like the action bits are more than a great chance for a little peacocking, they land with true depth and intent, and that in turn gives them real stakes.
It’s also through the action that Morgan and the team have a real bonding moment (that also teaches us more about Mal “biology”). Again, it’s a smaller moment, but man if it doesn’t finally feel like such an obvious but powerful demonstration of this story’s “true” face. It’s a way to say so much and still have the audience feel like things are exciting and thrilling even if they’re not really doing all that much more. I truly enjoyed the moments of down-time with the squad because they felt like the kind of quiet instances that these stories need. But when Malevolent turned it up this time around, it did so with a power that made me actually want to tumble deeper and deeper into this world.
Courtesy of Image Comics.
The best way I can describe Malevolent #3 is if you suddenly found out that your boring work friend actually races rocket-powered street bikes or something. Yeah, Dan was a good enough guy, but now I realize that I can’t assume anything about him, and that it doesn’t take much to go from nice guy to my super cool new BFF. Whether or not the series can keep this up (issues #1 and #2 were quite consistent in how they undercut the core premise) remains to be seen.
But for now, I feel more satisfied than Morgan after a Mal buffet.
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