by Tony Rhea, Reporter

A chessboard is a representation of battle. The pieces, representing two armies, staged in opposition to each other on a field. Every move is strategic, with the victor being the one with enough foresight to predict how their opponent will react several moves out. This week, The Vigil #5 shows its hand a little, giving us a look at a tale as old as time: light vs. darkness, good vs. evil, time-bending will vs. time-bending will.

Creative Team:
Writer: Ram V
Artists: Sid Kotian & Dev Pramanik
Colorist: Rain Beredo
Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Ram V finally gives us the last bits of backstory for the team, and wow, is it a doozy. We learn about the child, Castle, but we also learn about the history of the Doctor himself. The majority of the story plays out in exposition from the Doctor, explaining the details of a failed WW2 experiment, and how it led to not only the creation of the Vigil, but also their opposition. We also see the first meeting of the Doctor and Castle, and learn the identity of the strange older man who is watching these events unfold.

Ram V may have started this project as a six-issue series, but the story he’s building is too large to be contained in just six issues. Five issues in, and we are only just now getting into the meat of this interesting story. Ram V has done an amazing job giving us heroes that fit within the DC Universe, but are not reliant of beholden to it. His characters are gritty, flawed, and exciting to read. The way in which he has crafted their individual back stories is enhanced in this issue with the reveal of the over-arching back story that connects them all in a surprising and profound way, and provides an interesting plot point that could change the way certain events in the DC Universe could be perceived, potentially allowing for more interplay with the larger universe that still allows the Vigil to take center stage of the story.

The art in the issue is great, and mostly consistent, with only a few panels where I wish they would have invested in some more detail (character faces aren’t well defined, being little more than dots and lines). Sometimes this has to do with distance, but it comes off a little silly in comparison with some of the other panels where the detail enhances the characters. There are places where this lack of detail serves, such as the panel with Mr. Lightless, due to the fact that who he is is not as important as what he is, but we have seen what these artists are capable of and some of the close-up panels are great (especially Feistus Hep, who exudes malevolence in his close-up shots).

I hope that we get to see more of the Vigil, as this is very clearly a series that deserves more than a six-issue run. Ram V’s talents for creating interesting stories and characters that enhance the DC Universe without relying on pre-established lore and characters is undeniable. There is so much more story to tell here, and a veritable playground of possibility (literally AND figuratively).

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives The Vigil #5 – 4 out of 5 secret machinations.

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