Comic Review #80: Vigilante #1 (1983)

 

I should mention to you all why I chose to pick this series, It's for really 3 simple reasons. 1.) It like Darkhawk was a series I wanted to read in full. I've only read random issues of this series. Like issues 2-24 I want to say. They entertained me enough to want to see the rest. 2.) I like the talk about things that don't get as much attention from people these days. So many people bitching and moaning about how entertainment isn't good these days (I personally think it's silly to say all entertainment in an decade is either good or bad. All decades have some really awful shit.) and I'm wanting them to come here and see this. Actually I'm not wanting them to come here and see this because they will complain about wokeness and I will have to rip out what's left of my hair and I don't have a lot of that. The 3rd and Final Reason is that I've always been a fan of Vigilante fiction, in movies, tv, books whatever. I know why Vigilantes can't and shouldn't work in the real world but it's still very cathartic to see some garbage bastard who got past the wall get shot in the dick. Or maybe I'm just crazy.

So Vigilante had 50 issues, 2 annuals and the origin in The New Teen Titans. So that's 53 issues. One has already been covered so that's 52. Weird how this series went as long as Darkhawk. Anyway, this was one of DC's more expensive comics at the time. They used better paper AND This got pretty graphic and wild. This was them trying something more serious and from what I read it mostly worked. The series had two main writers, the first half was by Marv Wolfman and the second half was by Paul Kupperberg. Mr. Alan Moore, the British Rasputin wrote a two parter in the first half. I've heard the Paul Kupperberg stuff gets crazy and I can't wait to see how it goes. First though we gotta discuss the first issue of Vigilante. 

Alright! Now this is a great start off for things. We start with a big gangster jerkoff named Quilt talking to a very stereotypical homosexual man. Not trying to be funny seriously, look the guy up. He's named Brand. Brand is the hitman for Quilt. He kills people and then brands them with a cow poker. Hey it's a comic book the man's gotta have a gimmick! Anyway we see Brand trying to attack a woman and her husband. He shoots Brand but he escapes and is sent to jail for not having his handgun registered. He breaks out of the court room and runs off to hurt this Quilt guy. He finds him there later even eating with the judge showing us that this guy has money to buy off judges. He doesn't go for the cop he goes for the judge! Anyway Quilt being in a comic book has a gas system in place that kills the Husband Al. 

We then go to the Vigilante who is thinking about the song I am A Rock by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. I like that song. Anyway this is where we are introduced to Tersea Gomez the person who goes and gets files for him. His information gal. We also meet J.J. who is the gadgets guy. I assume he made the KICKIN' RAD motorcycle he has. Tersea gets him to talk to her friend after she mentions Quilt. He talks to her friend, the widow lady. He talks about how he won't let cops die on his watch even if they are out to get him on his drive to Quilt. These pages are the best in the book because I think Keith Pollard wanted them to stand out the best. I didn't mention him earlier but he was a great artist and it's a shame that it seems that he hasn't done any comic book work since 1996. He gets into Quilt and during a workout Quilt tells him that she stole from him. He says he will go back to her but to watch out because he still killed her husband.

Vigilante finds out The Widow left and he has to go find her. Not too hard just searching through her relatives and everything. He finds out that yes she had been blackmailing him but not for money. You see Quilt and the Widow had a son together. Al her deceased husband didn't care who the father was he just loved her. That love would now be called cuckery by some shitty people but I still think it's genuine and sweet. However Brand didn't listen to Quilt and went after the Vigilante. He finds out where he's gone and it's Coney Island. They get into a giant fight on a damn rollercoaster and well let's just say Brand won't be a reoccurring villain. 

The Vigilante then goes to Quilt and Quilt is like YEAH I GOT ALL THE JUDGES BOUGHT OUT but Vigilante said that with the information in the file she stole that his own Grandmother would put him under. He also says she never intended to use it. He then says he did it all to see his son again. Tommy was what he wanted. He reaches for a gun but THE VIGILANTE IS F ASTER and BLAM Quilts fuckin dead. Man this was a fun issue. Great fight scenes. great art. A villain you want to see get shot in the ballsack (but is still more than a two dimensional character). This issue shouldn't be too hard to find in most comic stores and shouldn't be too expensive. It's worth getting for your collection!

FINAL VERDICT: I really really enjoyed this. A fun set of villains. Lot's of action.. A COOL FUCKIN MOTORCYCLE. I want to see where Adrian Chase ends up now. A great start for a series.