The Vigil #4: Dodge This

The Vigil #4 continues to make this series a standout on comic book stands. Following Dodge, the ultra-fast fighter, this issue is filled with cool fight sequences as well as twists and turns.

This issue opens up to a flashback of Dodge’s past as a fighter. After a boxing match goes south, Dodge is arrested and left sitting in a cell unaware of what her future holds.

The past few issues have had two goals: provide insight into the core members of The Vigil and move the overall plot forward. Despite having a similar framework for each issue, the history of the characters and development of the plot have made for entertaining reads.

Ram V’s character work is a strong element of this series. Each member is well written and the plot is interesting as it has gone from the introduction of a team, to otherworldly locations that are drawing the team to an explosive revelation.

What I particularly like about this series is how V’s story design fits into the DC Universe. (Minor spoilers) Part of this story revolves around the old LexCorp Company and it’s a fun way to link an independent team to the larger universe.

Tackling the art is Dev Pramanik and the colors are by Rain Beredo. For a character that moves quickly, the art is critical to display movements and action and Pramanik’s art is exciting as readers see Dodge go from boxer to hyper-fast fighter. This is elevated by Beredo’s colors that work well with the lines of motion giving an almost neon-like style in Dodge’s actions.

Designing the cover is Sumit Kumar whose black and red design continues to look sleek and cool. What is particularly interesting is how Dodge is shown pre and post Vigil membership whereas other characters don their final outfits. It may be a coincidence, but it is also possible Dodge may be the more human of the group.

The standout element of this issue is definitely the last third of the story. While Dodge is an interesting character, the overarching narrative steals the limelight.