Vigilante #1 (of 6)

Writer: Bruce Jones
Artist: Ben Oliver
Colorist: Carrie Strachan
Letterer: Clem Robins

DC’s Vigilante returns in this new mini-series by Bruce Jones, fresh from his long stint at Marvel, and rising star Ben Oliver. But just who is this mysterious new holder to the Vigilante title and why is he targeting criminals who’ve recently been released from jail? The Metropolis police want to know and so does psychiatrist Justin Powell, a man with a connection to the Vigilante’s victims.

After three writers and two artists the long-anticipated Vigilante series finally gets under way. Originally the brainchild of Rick Vietch, the series was then passed on to Micah Wright and artist Carlos D’anda before scandal cut short Wright’s budding career. For a time it looked as though the series might never see the light of day. Then comic veteran Bruce Jones signed an exclusive contract with DC Comics and one of his first assignments was to take over the Vigilante series.

While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Wright’s work I was certainly interested in his unique concept for the series in which the Vigilante was to take on corporate crime. And Carlos D’anda is a favorite artist of mine which certainly made the book that much more appealing. The concept has changed radically from Wright’s intended version, the only remaining tie to the original version being that it takes place in Metropolis. The Vigilante is now more closely tied to his original roots, acting as judge, jury and executioner for violent criminals.

Bruce Jones does a masterful job setting the scene in this first issue, introducing us to an entire cast of interesting characters, while keeping the Vigilante himself in the shadows for most of the book. The thing that makes me want to continue reading this book is the mystery of who the Vigilante is and what motivates him to do what he does. That alone seems to make the book worth reading. That and the hope that we’ll get to see just how Superman will react to having a murderer taking down criminals in his city. Ben Oliver is certainly a talented artist, though certainly not as energetic as D’anda’s artwork probably would have been. As long as the action gets pumped up a bit I think I’ll really enjoy this book.
 

Special thanks go out to Jeremy Shorr, owner of Titan Comics for allowing us to use his advance preview books for review purposes.
 

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