Superman Homepage
Buy Now!

Mild Mannered Reviews - Specials

Vigilante #2

Vigilante #2

Scheduled to arrive in stores: October 26, 2005

Cover date: December 2005

Writer: Bruce Jones
Penciller: Ben Oliver
Inker: Ben Oliver

"In Darkness Waiting"

Neal Bailey Reviewed by: Neal Bailey

Click to enlarge


Dr. Powell recoils from Vigilante, who begins telling him that he works by making people into blueprints. Powell reaches for a gun in his drawer.

Ry Sovereign, meanwhile, trades banter with his partner about how he hates the mayor for short-funding the cops. The captain comes in and tells them to get out on the streets after Vigilante.

Vigilante tells Powell he's killed a number of men, and sits down to explain how. He describes approaching the mayor's house and killing the guards, most of them, anyway. Powell's secretary comes in, and Vigilante disappears.

Rene Carpenter gets a call from Powell confirming their date. They meet, and discuss Vigilante, but Ry shows up drunk. He smacks Powell pseudo-accidentally.

Rene sleeps with Powell.

That night, Vigilante shows up and tells him to stop dating Rene, that he's been warned. He also says that he described what was about to happen to the mayor, not what had happened. Vigilante takes off to attack the Mayor's goons.

He does, and then drugs the mayor after pronouncing judgment.

Powell tells Rene about Vigilante's visit.

The next day, a spokesman for the mayor deflects questioning before succumbing, a V forming on his chest.

2Story - 2: This story is really struggling to hold my attention and failing, for the most part. Unlike most Superman books, I can't even just say it's X and X and X. With this book, it's more like we've seen a story so similar so many times it's not even enthralling. There's nothing special about any of the characters, and there's no reason so far to care for anyone except Vigilante, and only that in his motivation, which is essentially Batman meets the Punisher, but also archetypical.

A couple of cops with the chief that breathes down their neck. A guy and a girl who are both shrinks interacting with the villain, but not telling anyone. The exacting vengeance of the psycho Vigilante...it may culminate with something good, but in two issues, it's failed to hold my attention very well.

3Art - 3: The art continues to be very average, though there is a lot going on in the action scenes. Part of the problem is that most of the characters are so similar and not engaged in much action. Where Vigilante is, it shines. When we're focusing on characters, it's like seeing someone who's good with Superman trying to draw Powers. A bit too tonally blue, also. The colorist is very bland with the palate.

2Cover Art - 2: Yeah, it's representative of the issue, and it's also detailed and a decent pose, but they cut Vigilante's face off, number one, and number two, it's also about as emboldening and exciting as the story contained. In other words, oooh! Look. It's the middle management avengers with a looming dude in the background. Not going to hook many readers, myself included.

Mild Mannered Reviews

2005

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2005

February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005

Back to the Mild Mannered Reviews contents page.

Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2005.

DISCLAIMER: SUPERMAN and all related elements are the property of DC Comics. TM & © 2024

This Superman Homepage is Copyright © Steven Younis 1994-2024
All Rights Reserved

Dedicated to Andrew J Gould - the original keeper of the Superman Homepage!

Since May 2001, the address is www.SupermanHomepage.com

Our Privacy Policy.