[Critique livre] 100 villains who made history

Voldemort, Sauron or Darth Vader aren’t exactly what you would call lovable. Their abuses are worthy of the most dangerous dictators that history has had, yet they are acclaimed by the public, sometimes more than the heroes who face them. So why do we love to hate them? And who are they really?

Without a good villain, there is no good story!

From literature to video games, including comics, cinema and the small screen, 100 villains who made history offers a look back at the history of the most notable antagonists of pop culture. The reasons for their popularity, their unique psychology, their Achilles heel… François Rey (100 comics that made history, 100 horror films to see before you die), Helene Almeras, Lilie Luggage, Marie Casabonne et Bénédicte Coudière tell you everything and more about these characters who now exist beyond the scope of their original work, and have become icons of the worlds of the imagination. Did we have a good time reading this beautiful book? It depends…

The main quality and the main fault of this beautiful book is that it is interested in all types of villains: from literature, but also from cinema, including TV series, video games, comics and manga. . A range that allows you to discover certain characters for readers who do not necessarily have a deep knowledge of the origins of certain villains. So yes, this could clearly push the reader to discover a medium or a work in which they are not necessarily initially interested. A good thing then. But it could also have the opposite effect and lead people not to be interested in a character whose origin does not interest them and will not interest them since the whole thing is presented in the form of an alphabet book. A double-edged choice, therefore.

A rather classic choice of villains for some, but interesting for others

In any case, If you’re interested in villains from all mediums, then you’re in for a treat. The 100 antagonists (or sometimes anti-heroes) chosen are relevant. Certainly, we find cinema classics like Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger or Darth Vader, literature with Big Brother and Dracula, TV series with Vecna, Gustavo Fring, etc. Some choices are more surprising, like those of Regina George (Lolita Despite Me) or even Caprica Six from the series Battlestar Galactica, who do not necessarily have the aura and above all are less known to the general public, even in pop culture, than others.

It is also like the choice of Khan Noonien Sing, one of the greatest villains of the saga Star Trekwho is not really known outside of his appearance in Star Trek : Into Darkness by JJ Abrams in 2013 performed by Benedict Cumberbatch, but we prefer the performance of Ricardo Montalban in the original series and in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (one of the best films in the saga).

Analyzes sometimes relevant, others not

Between classic or more surprising choices, the reader will therefore have the possibility of discovering certain villains or reading the analysis of the characters that the editors of this work provide. So, there too, it can be exciting and sometimes less so. If some characters have a certain depth and a sufficiently developed story to make them a relevant and captivating analysis, this is not the case for all those who are considered to be villains because they are just evil. It is therefore a sometimes difficult exercise to which editors are subjected, because we must not repeat ourselves, at the risk of boring the reader. Thanks to the various editors (who are mostly female editors), this is not the case. Style and quality vary depending on the writer. But, throughout the 208 pages, we are not bored and that is surely the main thing.

It therefore seems clear to us that if you are interested in what makes a villain a great villain and this within different mediums, then 100 villains who made history is clearly for you. If some are already known, others are certainly less so. Beyond the analyzes – most of which are interesting – you will be able to discover certain antagonists that you do not know and become interested in the mediums from which they come. And that is surely the best thing that this beautiful book can provide.