DEATH VIGIL #1
Writer: Stjepan Sejic
Artist: Stjepan Sejic
Cover: Stjepan Sejic
Publisher: Top Cow Productions
On Sale: July 9, 2014
Rated: Teen Plus
Price: $3.99
Forty pages of story and art in this contemporary fantasy adventure series written and painted by STJEPAN SEJIC. Gifted? Join the Death Vigil in their ongoing war against the ever-growing power of the Primordial Enemy! The only catch is you have to die first. Become a corporeal immortal Death Knight and obtain reality-altering weaponry in the never-ending battle between good and evil.
Or in the words of Top Cow (come on I’ve told you before Top Cow can speak)
From Top Cow artist extraordinaire, Stjepan Sejic, comes the creator-owned series you’ve all been dying to read. In this oversized debut issue, Samuel Lewis heroically prevents a young girl from being mugged, but is mortally wounded in the process. Samuel, dying, gets recruited by Bernie, a not-so-Grim Reaper, into the Death Vigil – a society of ghostly warriors determined to protect the living world from necromancers, chthonic threats, and a whole host of things that go bump in the night. The first of 8 issues, Death Vigil #1 is a must-have for comics fans everywhere.
Stjepan Sejic’s Death Vigil leaves me speechless. The story is not what one first thinks it will be. But for me to explain why I made that statement would mean providing spoilers so you will have to read the story yourself to figure it out. I will say I am definitely looking forward to the next issue.
The story has so many things to look forward to, amazing and vibrant art, not much of a surprise considering the work we have seen form Stjepan on other books.
A story that is engaging, interesting, entertaining and full of twists and turns that you may not see coming (I know I didn’t see a few of them).
The fact that Stjepan has been sharing the story on his Deviant Art account only goes to build in an audience that might not have seen the book if it were to first come out as printed comic. It will be interesting to learn how much of an impact this will have on orders of his book. Also, will those readers translate into readers of other books that he has been the artist for or the writer. Check out Ravine, also published by Top Cow, for another story from Stjepan’s mind.
This is one of the hardest books to write about for me as I want to mention things from the book but to do so would be to reveal spoilers. So before I slip and mention…. oops almost. Here is the verdict.
This is a book that you need to go out and read. Add it to your Must Read list and tell your friends to do the same. A book full of heroes, villains (and not of the kind we usually get in a comic book), mysticism, magic, twists and turns. Well worth the price of admission. Stjepan has reached through the veil and grabbed hold of a perfect 10. Keep the story going!
Or if you want to get a head start on the story, just don’t blame me if you are dying to read the rest of the issue once you read the first 22 pages. Yes I said, 22 pages! Stjepan is offering up a 22 page preview of this oversized book which still costs you the same as a regular sized one. Death Vigil #1 Preview
