Review: Justice League of America’s Vibe Vol. 1- Breach
Quick Summary
Pros: Vibe is a great character whose backstory and powers make him even better. The narrative here is filled with suspense and mystery. The book’s finale is very exciting and gives the volume a nice conclusion.
Cons: Some minor characters and subplots end up feeling underutilized.
Overall: Vibe’s compelling character traits and the story’s propensity for excitement make this a worthy volume from start to finish. It takes a relatively unknown hero and pushes him into a world that is bigger than he ever knew, providing the perfect environment for suspense and character development. All of this leads to a well-executed finale that is sure to satisfy. Anyone looking for a good story about a unique hero should give this book a try.
Story
Justice League of America’s Vibe Vol. 1: Breach, by Geoff Johns, Andrew Kreisberg, and Sterling Gates, is a compelling superhero origin and an entertaining story all on its own. From the very beginning of the book, the work of these writers makes it easy to recognize Vibe as the awesome character that he is. Then, taking this character and setting him in a story filled with suspense and mystery makes the volume even more engaging. The only real shame here is that Vibe’s personal story isn’t directly continued in a specific comic book, as of this moment in time. However, readers should still be able to enjoy his origin throughout this volume.
(spoilers start here)
Most of Breach follows Vibe, Cisco Ramon, as he finds his place as a hero. This origin story is compelling because Vibe himself is a compelling character. He has a unique skillset, his connection to his brothers brings emotion into his story, and his friend/foe relationship with A.R.G.U.S. pays out in a number of ways. There is a lot to appreciate about Vibe as a character, which makes it easy to become interested in the story.
This story is great because of the way it is steeped in mystery and suspense. Readers are constantly unsure if Vibe is doing the right thing, if his brother can actually be saved, or if he should even be doing what he is doing. This makes for an exciting story, since readers are never quite sure what is going to happen next. It also complements Vibe’s character by allowing him to push forward despite not being sure of himself, which allows him to grow as a hero and as a person.
The book’s other successes are drawn from its finale. The last few chapters do a fantastic job in bringing together all of the freshly introduced components of Vibe’s life and using them to create an exciting and emotional conclusion. Vibe’s abilities are stretched to the height of their power, emotional reunions and goodbyes take place, and a number of mysteries are finally revealed. All of this helps generate excitement, and all of it leads to an ending that feels significant and meaningful.
In addition, the end of the volume sees Vibe grow significantly as a person. He enters the storyline as a frightened child and leaves it a genuine hero in his own right. Watching this growth is entertaining and, at times, even a little inspiring.
The volume’s only problems come from underutilized side characters and subplots. The daughter of Darkseid is teased a few times in this volume, yet nothing ever happens with this tease. In a similar manner, Gypsy is presented as an interesting supporting character, yet she serves as little more than a romantic foil for Vibe. As far as problems go, these flaws are very minor. However, they do cause a bit of disappointment, especially for those truly invested in this storyline.
(spoilers end here)
Art
The artwork throughout Breach is decent and does a nice job in showing off Vibe as a character. Despite the number of different artists working on this collection, including Derlis Santacruz, Andres Guinaldo, Pete Woods, and Sean Parsons, the artwork remains surprisingly consistent and the chapters rarely feel detached from one another. Instead, each artist brings a nice level of detail to the book and provides a structure that keeps things interesting. This is particularly noteworthy on splash pages that show off Vibe’s connection to the DC Multiverse, which are a treat for any longtime DC Comics fan. Overall, this is a nice looking book that is not likely to disappoint.
Continuity
Justice League of America’s Vibe Vol. 1: Breach is the only volume in Vibe’s solo series. Though this volume is somewhat of a companion to Justice League of America Vol. 1: World’s Most Dangerous (Review), it also stands well on its own.
This series ends with this volume.
This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:
- Darkseid’s invasion of Earth is mentioned a number of times. This event is shown throughout Justice League Vol. 1: Origin (Review).
- The formation of the Justice League of America is shown in Justice League of America Vol. 1: World’s Most Dangerous (Review).
- Kid Flash’s “crimes” are detailed at the beginning of Teen Titans Vol. 1: It’s Our Right to Fight (Review).
- Amanda Waller’s promotion to Steve Trevor’s old job happens at the end of Justice League Vol. 2: The Villain’s Journey (Review).
- The origin behind the Suicide Squad is told in Suicide Squad Vol. 1: Kicked in the Teeth (Review).
- Amethyst’s involvement with the Justice League Dark starts at the very end of Justice League Dark Vol. 2: The Books of Magic (Review). Her relation to Gemworld is told in Sword of Sorcery Vol. 1: Amethyst.
- On a splash page showing scenes from different universes, a Green Lantern is shown fighting a mysterious villain. This fight happens in Earth 2 Vol. 3: Battle Cry (Review).