Comic Book Preview - The Vigilant Complete

Previewing The Vigilant Complete collection...

Simon Furman & Simon Colby's

modernisation of The Vigilant holds a special place within my heart. I had just started reviewing both the 2000 AD Progs as well as the Judge Dredd Megazine when the final part to The Vigilant appeared. I found it to be a highly entertaining story that really captured the essence of this older generation of super-hero. Anyway to cut a long story short, the 2000 AD Twitter account quoted my review (my first ever quote) and I even brought the complete serialised Vigilant issues from Simon Furman himself - signed of course! 

Fast-Forward to now and the folk over at 2000 AD and The Treasury of British Comics are set to release Furman and Colby's three-parter as a complete story. Three-stories that bring together a vast assortment of British Superhero's and hurtles them into the future...

The Vigilant opens to Dr Mesmer and Von Hoffman, doing what every super villain does at least once and that's an old fashioned team-up. The first act of this villainous duo is to kidnap the eternal Adam Eterno to learn both the secrets of eternal life, and to set about bringing Hell to Earth via the mysterious, Blood Rapture.

This is where the 'good-guys' come in...

We then meet the Rapper and DJ, Sin Tax who just so happens to inherit the 'Sultan of the Supernatural' mantle from his late Grandfather, and as so he becomes the new Doctor Sin. This means that Sin Tax is now responsible for averting the aforementioned Blood Rapture. Of course it isn't that simple so the new Doctor Sin sets out to form The Vigilant. 

The Vigilant is a mismatched team of classic British Superhero's that features the likes of -  The Leopard from Lime Street, Steel Commando, Pete’s Pocket Army, Blake Edmonds, Yao, and Thunderbolt the Avenger. 

Both Simon Furman and Simon Colby have crafted a great tale that dispenses with the glossy overtones of modern superhero team-ups. Instead we get a dark undertone as this classic mix of, Robots, Wizards, Anti-heroes, and Rappers go about doing what they do best. It's a glorious mix of heroes that are quintessentially British, yet modernised for today's reader. 

The Vigilant Complete collects all three main stories, Maelstrom, Legacy, & Rapture as well as a host of one-shots that ties the whole team (and story) up under one banner. It very much reads as a dark origin tale, and it's one that every fan of British comics should read. 

The Vigilant Complete is heading to stores on 15th April, 2021.

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev