The Vigil #4 // Review
Security is light for a top-security facility. Of course, the woman who says this had little trouble taking out five armed security guards all by herself, so her security level assessment might be a bit suspect. Of course...this IS a Lexcorp bio-research and development facility, so... it will need to protect itself from a LOT in The Vigil #4. Writer Ram V. continues to roll out a relatively new and untested super-powered team with artist Dev Pramanin and colorist Rain Beredo. The narrative pulls back a bit to take a closer look at the entire team in a classic super-powered action story.
When the team finds its way into the facility, they find a lot of information. It’s on a giant computer screen. It’s information...about them. Somehow, someone at that facility knows a hell of a lot about the team. They don’t have much time to consider the implications of this when they are attacked by a vast, angry guy who happens to be able to heal quickly. Could the whole assignment have been some trap? That much is starting to look like a genuine possibility.
Ram V is riffing on themes floating through superhero fiction for decades. It slightly differs from concepts flowing through Doom Patrol X-Men and other team books. Still, it all comes together in a way that feels appealing enough to overcome the Ram V’s tedious repetition of themes and superhero archetypes. Ram V’s strength as a storyteller in the issue lies in the fact that he’s done such an excellent job of drawing the characters to the reader emotionally that the lack of originality doesn’t matter.
Pramanin’s art helps draw readers to characters immensely. There’s real bone-jarring action slamming into the page with impressive force. It’s a highly kinetic form of aggression that feels overwhelming in places. It’s balanced out by some very clever framing in the emotional drama of the issue, which also carries a great deal of weight. Ram V’s script allows Pramanin plenty of room to render still and emotional moments while allowing quite a bit of space for the more heavy-hitting physical aggression that explodes across the panels. It’s quite a series of visuals for a well-written issue.
The super-powered squad of heroes is almost fully established by the end of the eighth issue of the series. Ram V has been patient enough, rolling out the backstory for every team member. It’s been a very practiced and systematic approach to unveiling a team that maximizes the reader’s connection with every team member. The cleverness of Ram V’s writing isn’t in its inventiveness...it lies in his technique and the overall composition of what is rapidly becoming a very satisfying new addition to the DC universe.
