Tuesday, May 16, 2023

The Vigil #1 Review

   


Written by: Ram VArt by: Lalit Kumar Sharma
Colors by: Rain Beredo
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Sumit Kumar
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: May 16, 2023


The Vigil #1 introduces the world to a covert team of extraordinary individuals who seek out and destroy dangerous things - technology, ideas, and stories the world isn't ready for, just yet.
Is It Good?

 If the description from the blurb above sounds a little odd, that last phrase is a direct quote from the comic, so don't shoot the messenger. But if you put the oddity aside, The Vigil #1 is a fairly decent introduction to a new superpowered team.

Ram V's script centers on Ms. Saha, a government field agent given a new assignment to act as a liaison to the enigmatic Mr. Lightless and his project - The Vigil. What only a handful of people know is that The Vigil is a covert super-team used to seek out and/or destroy dangerous things. This first issue centers on introductions to Ms. Saha and The Vigil's man-in-charge - Dr. Sankaran - while The Vigil deals with a hijacked freighter ship carrying off-the-record tech.

Where do the team members get their abilities from? Readers are introduced to two team members who have abilities - Saya and Dodge. Their powers are more like body enhancements resulting from genetic defects at birth. They're not mutants in the traditional Marvel sense or Metas in the traditional DC sense. The team members have bone, muscle, skin, and nerve anomalies that have been bolstered by The Vigil's scientists into unique weapons. Think of The Vigil as "believable" mutants.

How's the story? It's surprisingly okay. Ram V's penchant for decompressed storytelling and flowery language is nowhere to be found. The character introductions feel organic. Dialog, pacing, and setup are on-point, and the issue ends with a solid "welcome to a new world" feeling.

Is there a down point in this issue? No, not really. Lalit Kumar Sharma's artwork is excellent. Rain Beredo's coloring is outstanding. Again, the writing execution is shockingly even-handed for Ram V, and readers are given just enough of a tease to know more about this team and their mission.

If you've got a hankering for a new team book with characters you've never seen before, The Vigil #1 is off to a promising start.




About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces:

The Vigil #1 introduces readers to a new and very secret super team tasked with finding and destroying dangerous threats around the world. Ram V's story is well-crafted and ticks all the boxes for a solid foundation, and the art is excellent.

8.5/10

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