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Review: Vigilance #3

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Vigilance #3

One of the best things to come of the Krypton television show’s short run is an expansion on some key canon characters. We got a different look at Zodd and saw just how connected his family is to Superman’s. Then there’s the evil genius of Brainiac and how he ruled over the power structure on Krypton. The one character that gave Superman fits and appears on the show, Doomsday, is a bit more realized here.

It’s true that the character had more of an arc on Smallville. It’s one which in the end, became quite a quandary rather than a cool entry into the show’s canon. At least in Krypton we find out exactly what Superman had to fear. In the third issue of Vigilance, our hero finds out what type of toll, physically and mentally, a defeat can impose on most.

We find Vigilance in Columbus, Ohio, where she’s fighting a new villain who goes the name Void. It’s a challenge and villain which actually overpowers our hero. As Void informs her of their connection, her stigma to the title of Destroyer is exposed as if there was something that Justice was holding back in his training. We rapidly find out Queen Ma’la had used her guilt and memories against to gain an unfair advantage in beating her. By the issue’s end, Vigilance tells her psychologist of the mental dismay this battle caused her, a fight she was never ready for.

Overall, probably the best issue in the series so far. It offers readers a deeper dive into what makes a superhero tick. The story by Alverne Bell is well characterized and evenly paced. The art by the creative team is engaging. Altogether, a story that seeks to push the definition of the superhero genre.

Story: Alverne Bell
Art: Eder Messias, Matt Keltner, Veronica Smith, and Danny Cooper
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Vigilance #1

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Vigilance #1

When the news broke that Marvel Studios was going to make Captain Marvel, it was a progressive foot forward. One that will take years before anyone can really understand the impact. It’s true that Wonder Woman, had come out the year before and was directed by a female director. That movie was great but did not erase the years of the character being maligned by the very company that birthed her.

Captain Marvel was different in this aspect, as the character had been rebooted and brought up to date by the great Kelly Sue DeConnick. She painted a different hero than anything else in the Marvel Universe. She’s one that constantly topples tropes and subverts gender stereotypes. As great as this is, most of us wanted to see Monica Rambeau, something we may still get. In the very first issue of Vigilance, we get a superhero like Carol Danvers but looks like Monica Rambeau, and in some ways a fiercer titan.

We find Vigilance hurt, as the Extra Human Division has found her, and just her luck, Justice shows up to her rescue. As she recovers, Justice approaches her about being part of the organization using her powers for the greater good, as his honesty was enough for her to follow. As she learned how to be a hero, at first reluctant, as the challenges were too easy for her, but soon she felt a sense of purpose, as the dangers she prevented and the life she saved, became a welcome feeling. She soon finds out that her fame comes with detractors, both human and extra-human.  By issue’s end, a skirmish with a new villain leads her to meet with a greater threat.

Overall, a debut issue that struggles to be interesting. The story by Micah Cox is layered and introspective. The art by the creative team is standard. Altogether, a story that I hope will get better as the story unfolds.

Story: Micah Cox
Art: Valdeci Nogueira, Veronica Smith, Danny Cooper, and Michael Watson
Story: 6.0 Art: 5.0 Overall: 5.7 Recommendation: Read