Maleficium is a story that takes a look at the idea that the lies/imagination of children may not always be wrong. That is to say that in the case of our main character a young boy named Huxley, when he says he didn’t eat cereal in the middle of the night and make a mess, that he actually didn’t, even if it looks like he did. Instead his house is being haunted by a shadow creature made up of hands. The creature continues to get Huxley in trouble until it makes its big move and captures Huxley’s younger sister. Huxley then has to suit up in full hero mode and save his sister and figure out how to rid the house of the shadow creature that his father can’t see or understand.
The story is pretty straightforward. Of course Huxley has to take a share of the blame before he can prove it wasn’t him, but in the end he must overcome everything for family. The writing is pretty surface level. There’s no deeper meaning to all of this other than parents being quick to blame rather than listen.
The art has an unfinished look to it. You can see the lines used to shape the heads and find the correct spot for the eyes and it works. It reminded me of Hero Bear and the Kid in that regard, even if the actual art styles are completely different. The coloring is a nice mix of water coloring and ink work. It looks like a world that kids would like to read about and it’s keep pretty safe and inviting for them.
Overall the story isn’t deep, but it’s enjoyable. It’s definitely meant to be more geared for a younger audience, but if you’re a parent it would be a great read with your child. It would definitely spice up the bed time stories for sure.
Score: 3/5
Maleficium Creator: Edie Owczarek-Palfreyman Publisher: Avery Hill Publishing Price: $14.99 (Currently on sale for $3.99 on the Sequential App) Format: Trade Paperback; Print/Digital