Broken Frontier

The new Vigilante continues his murderous killing spree while mystifying the Metropolis PD and psychiatrist Justin Powell.

I am enjoying the new incarnation of Vigilante and in just two issues he’s already amassed a whopping body count. He’s exacting, cunning and extremely inventive for a killer with a previous reputation perpetrated by the late Adrian Chase (the previous Vigilante). He’s also a licentious character with a vacuum-less moral centre that makes him a completely unique new breed of hero and we have Bruce Jones to thank for that.

So when writer Bruce Jones left Marvel for the loftier heights of DC Comics, message boards were all abuzz with the news. Industry insiders wondered what Mr. Jones would tackle as his first big project for the company and it didn’t take long for the news to make major waves. It was announced that Bruce would be taking up the long delayed Vigilante project once assigned to writer Micah Wright. Bruce tossed his previous script "Time Is Pipe" out the window and started from scratch with his own interpretation of the character. He totally revamped the concept and took a more thought-provoking approach in the first issue, and now he’s continued along those same lines for issue two.

In his second outing as the Vigilante, the mysterious man behind the mask decides to seek out psychiatrist Justin Powell. At first it’s assumed that he’s going to be Vigilante’s next victim, only the enigmatic killer has something else on his mind. In a surprising turn of events, the Vigilante wants to talk to Justin and thus take the psychiatrist into his confidence. No one knows for certain the motivations behind this, but rest assured the Vigilante’s machinations are ever present and running afoul from beginning to end of this issue.

Much of this confrontation takes up the majority of the issue, but the writer (Jones) does manage to engage the trio of supporting characters (Justin, Rene and Detective Sovereign) and string them along into a compelling ménage e trios. I think it’s quite intriguing so far and the relationship he is developing between the three should probably boil over before this series comes to a conclusion. It’s also an observation that should be so very obvious just based on the cover to this issue, but I am sure it won’t spoil your enjoyment overall.

Again, the writing is a treat here, and I don’t mean to harp continuously on this subject, but Bruce Jones really knows his stuff. I think it’s great that a polished and seasoned writer like him could land this project, and bring the Vigilante back in this latest incarnation. I would say that he’s crafted a straight ahead horror story just based on the events of the first two issues alone, but a mystery is also brewing here. So don’t be surprised if this series turns out to be the start of something long term.

This series is also benefiting from the strong illustrative skills of artist Ben Oliver, and his gritty/semi-realistic style balances well with the writing. It’s a really good marriage steadily developing here between the two and I am hoping this partnership can be pushed further with an ongoing series to follow this one. Let’s keep our fingers crossed here and hope for the best in the long run.

Now I realize this series is just beginning, but already I think the story is solid enough to stand on it’s own in the annals of the Vigilante mythos. Bruce Jones is off to great start here with his first major project for DC Comics and I am sure more good things will be coming from this writer, so go and check this one out.