Dynamite; $19.99 hardcover, $14.99 softcover  

Scar was the second in line to rule Pride Rock, so when his nephew was born, the power hungry lion became very angry. Fueled by jealousy, Scar attacked a weaker species in the Pride Lands and set off a surprising chain of events.   

Scar is on a mission to take the throne. He tries to convince some of the lionesses that life would be better with him as king, then he entertains a proposition by the buzzards to seek help from the hyenas. Of course, that only works if the bone-eating, cackling hyenas will recognize Scar’s leadership. 

Disney Villains Scar by Chuck Brown expands Scar’s story by showing what the disgruntled lion was doing while everyone else was celebrating the birth of Simba. It gets deeper into the character and shows the early steps that lead to his plan of usurping the throne. Brown does not try to build sympathy for the bad lion prince, but instead focuses on the ways that he tries to sow discord and build allies before making his move.  

In this miniseries, Brown, artist Trevor Fraley, and colorist Chiara Di Francia explored Scar’s sharp tactical mind and how he may have accomplished becoming king. Readers saw his interactions with movie characters like Rafiki and introduced new characters, such as the queen of the hyenas. It was a fun read for fans of The Lion King, both for adults who saw it when they were kids and younger readers finding the movie now.  

–Amanda Sheriff