The Vigil #4 Review

    

   

Written by: Ram V
Art by: Devmalya Pramanik
Colors by: Rain Beredo
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Sumit Kumar
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: August 15, 2023


The Vigil #4 sets the team on a new mission by special request of Mr. Lightless, only to find their history and entire existence called into question.
Is It Good?

The Vigil #4 is better. Not great, but better. Ram V's original take on superhero teams hits a snag where each member is not what they thought they were, and the mastermind behind it all has his secret exposed by a rival.

When last we left The Vigil, we were given a re-re-re-introduction to each team member during a mission. Now, the team heads to a new mission to infiltrate a Lexcorp research facility (killing all the guards along the way), where they find a video that shows their leader is more than he seems, a fifth member of the group who never had a chance to join, and a decades-old plan that makes the team members anything but natural.

The big positive in Ram V's latest comic in his original super team creation is the amount of forward progress in explaining what's behind the team's leadership and how their formation was made possible. Each of the three preceding issues gave you origin stories to explain the individual team members, but the information (so far) hasn't come together in a cohesive story. The series up to this point is a collection of loosely connected ideas and concepts, a recurring flaw in Ram V's writing. Here, the series starts show signs of a direction and purpose, so that's a positive.

What's great about this issue? We see there's intent behind the Vigil's formation that goes beyond simply having an Indian superhero team comprised of randomly powered individuals. Consequently, the series is starting to show signs of direction and purpose. We get a closer look at Dinah, aka Dodge, and we get an intriguing tease about the plan behind the team's formation.

What's not so great about this issue? The intriguing tease about the team's origin comes much too late in a 6-issue run. Ram V, unsurprisingly, doesn't manage his time or his pacing properly, and subsequently, there are only two issues left to tell the team's story. The Vigil #4 should have been the second issue in the series after issue #3's re-introduction.

How's the art? The Vigil #3 is the first time we get to see Dodge cut loose with her powers, and it looks great. Devmalya Pramanik has a good eye for action choreography and dramatic panel compositions, so there are no complaints in the art department.


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

Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Bits and Pieces:

The Vigil #4 is one of the better issues in the run because we get to see the team work together, learn more about the origin of one of their members, and get an intriguing tease about the team's leadership. Unfortunately, everything this issue accomplishes comes much too late in the run.

6/10