Out today! THE VIGILANT No.2: LEGACY

After the success of the Vigilant special that appeared last year, a second issue arrives on the shelves of WH Smith and comic shops today! The Vigilant: Legacy is a 64 page full colour comic with all-new material featuring reboots of classic characters such as The Leopard from Lime Street. Look out for Robot Archie and Tri-Man amongst others making an appearance this time too! 

Here's the info from the 2000AD website:

After their smash hit debut last year, The Vigilant return in August, resurrecting the greatest home-grown superheroes Britain has to offer – a team unlike any other, a challenge none have faced before!

Even if superhero comics have never been your thing, take up the call of The Vigilant with this 64-page special featuring Simon Furman (Transformers), Simon Coleby (The Royals), Will Sliney (Spider-Man 2099), Len O'Grady (Jaegir) and Simon Bowland (Doom Patrol).

Many years ago, a team of strange, super-powered beings were brought together by the original Dr. Sin in order to stop a reality-spanning apocalyptic event known as "The Blood Rapture." That incarnation of The Vigilant were successful in their mission, but it came at a great cost. Years later, the evil Nazi genius Von Hoffman is now searching for dangerous artifacts which will enable him to kick-start Armageddon once again.

While the new Dr. Sin and his fresh team of ragtag heroes are tested by new threats and interpersonal conflicts, Hoffman creeps closer to achieving his diabolical goal. With the complete unraveling of all reality on the line, the stakes have never been higher for The Vigilant!

If you can't get to the shops you can order it directly from the publisher at this link:

https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/RCS1953

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Pow! The Esper Commandos return

Rebellion's The Vigilant comic brings back many old characters from the 1970s but the most obscure revival must be The Esper Commandos who make a brief cameo appearance halfway through the story. (See above.)

The Esper Commandos have only ever appeared once before, in Pow! Annual 1971, published in Autumn 1970. This 9 page story drawn by Enric Badia Romero introduced us to a team with super powers. The strip appeared alongside several other British superhero stories in the annual, - but none were ever seen again. 

Rebellion don't own anything from the weekly Pow! comic which ended in 1968, but as the characters in this annual first appeared after January 1970 it appears that they do own the strips from that book. A very interesting development! Does this mean we could soon see the return of Magno, Marksman, and even Norstad, Ruler of the Deep? (It would also be nice to see a reprint of this entire annual for those who don't have it, although I'm guessing it'd have to be renamed as the Pow! title isn't Rebellion's.) 

Time will tell!

Check out The Vigilant No.1, on sale in newsagents and comic shops right now! 

For more info on Pow! Annual 1971, see my old post here:
https://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2010/12/annuals-of-christmas-1970.html                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

THE VIGILANT, - spoiler free review

In shops this coming Wednesday (15th August) is the long-awaited issue of The Vigilant, Rebellion's one-off special that teams up several classic characters from past UK comics in an all-new story. The title echoes the type of classic comic of the 1960s (Victor, Valiant, etc) and also works as the name of the team. Good choice! The comic will be available in comic shops, - and newsagents too I believe. 

Although the story in this issue is self-contained, it's evident that it could lead in to a sequel, or perhaps even on ongoing title. (Or at the very least, maybe as a new series in 2000AD.) Simon Furman's story is dynamic and moves along at a fast pace but I do wonder if there are perhaps too many characters introduced at once for readers to adjust to and care about. It's a busy comic with a lot going on! Might it have been better to start off focusing on one or two heroes instead of presenting readers with a whole team and their adversaries? Audience reaction will tell soon enough. 

Most of the characters have been updated, such as Pete from Pete's Pocket Army and The Leopard From Lime Street , - now wearing a coat for some reason (wouldn't that get in the way of his gymnastic-type abilities?). The new Thunderbolt the Avenger is a woman, which may annoy misogynists (good!) and there's a new character, Yao. 

It was great to see Adam Eterno back in action; one of my favourite characters on the 1970s. I was less enamoured to see the Steel Commando included (who I always found dull and tedious back when he was in Thunder comic) BUT the way he was handled here was superb and made me appreciate the character for the first time. There are a few unannounced old characters who appear too, but I'll avoid spoiling those surprises. 

Simon Coleby's art has a good edge to it that suits this modernisation of the classic characters. It looks both contemporary and traditional, so a good choice to illustrate this saga. 

I was expecting this comic to only feature a full-length story so it was a nice surprise that there are also back up stories that focus on three of the team members. Each story ties into the main feature. 

I really wish The Vigilant well, and hope that we'll see it return as another special, mini-series, or ongoing title. 

Here's a few preview pages and the PR...

• UK and DIGITAL: 15th August 2018 £2.75
• NORTH AMERICA: 15th September 2018 $6.75
• DIAMOND: JUN181951
• COVER: SIMON COLEBY

The Vigilant: Maelstrom
When the evil forces of Von Hoffman and Dr Mesmer team up and pluck the immortal Adam Eterno from the winds of time, all of reality is under threat! Only The Vigilant; a mighty team composed of super-beings, warlocks, warriors and monsters stand between us and total chaos! Join The Leopard from Lime Street, Steel Commando, Dr. Sin, Pete’s Pocket Army, Blake Edmonds, Yāo and Thunderbolt the Avenger on their premiere adventure. The Rebellion-verse Begins here!

YAO:The Demon Touched "Home"?
Following the death of her parents at the hands of demons, Yao searches the shadows, hunting creatures of the night and hoping to find those responsible. An injury she sustained during that terrible event has embued her with the power to pluck a vast array of unworldy weapons from another dimension, known as 'The Other Place.

Death Wish: Kids Rule!
Once upon a time Blake Edmonds had it all – fame, money, looks... and then the world-famous F1 driver suffered a terrible accident which left him hideously disfigured. After fashioning a mask to hide his terrible visage, Edmonds became a daredevil stuntman, flirting with death on a regular basis.

Steel Commando:In Between Wars

Developed by British scientists in WW2, the Steel Commando became a thorn in the side of the Axis powers. Due to a programming glitch he would only take orders from a lazy private named Ernie Bates. Now he follows the orders of Doctor Sin, who recently reactivated him for The Vigilant.

THE VIGILANT: MAELSTROM by Simon Furman (w) Simon Coleby (a) Simon Bowland (l)
YAO: THE DEMON TOUCHED "HOME"? by Bruce Leslie (w) DaNi (a) John Charles (c) Sam G (l)
DEATH WISH: KIDS RULE! by Karl Stock (w) Henrik Sahlstrom (a) Simon Bowland (l)
STEEL COMMANDO: IN BETWEEN WARS by Aaron Stack (w) Warwick Fraser-Coombes, Staz Johnson (a) John Charles (c) Simon Bowland (l)



Available in print from: book stores, Amazon, and comic book stores via Diamond

Available in digital from: 2000 AD webshop, 2000 AD iPad app, 2000 AD Android app, 2000 AD Windows 10 app