All gloves have come off since I discovered my local library’s vast collection of comics.
During this time, I’ve dove headfirst into comics and manga alike. One that has caught my interest is My Hero Academia Vigilantes.
This manga-only tale centers on a trio of vigilante heroes that operate at a street level. They operate outside the law and are not professional heroes though they sometimes work hand in hand with the pros.
On the surface, this might just seem like an extension of the My Hero Academia universe, but it provides the necessary depth it needs.
MHA already has a unique premise that bucks many of the superhero traditions. Vigilantes questions that dynamic and what exactly differentiates heroes from villains.
Is it the arbitrary law that allows pros to operate as heroes or is it the conviction of one’s heart? Adding in the dynamic of hero’s license makes the answers to these questions complex and that is the area Vigilantes lives.
Furthermore, it provides a vital street-level perspective.
I’ve always been a fan of street-level heroes. Sure, the cosmic and world-bending stories are great, but the realism that street-level heroes brings is refreshingly grounding.
Whether its Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Nightwing, or Red Hood, these street-level heroes are intriguing. Vigilantes is no different.
Sure, it might not be as gritty as what the Western publishers produce but the tone of Vigilantes differs greatly from the main series. It does a great job at giving you the impression of looking up to All Might or Endeavor rather than being on their level.
These characters are present in the Vigilantes manga but they don’t overstay their welcome. They appear when it makes sense and disappear quickly. It helps that the series takes place prior to the main MHA series.
It also shines some light on a few of the other heroes and villains from the series. Vigilantes has given some looks at Eraserhead, Ingenium, Stain, and detective Naomasa Tsukauchi.
As fun and interesting as Vigilantes has been, it is still confined to the manga world. While the main series has turned into a long-running anime series, Vigilantes hasn’t crossed over.
There have been rumors of the shift to anime but nothing official as of publication. Still, it seems like an inevitability that this will become an anime series.
My Hero Academia Vigilantes is a fun manga. At 15 volumes, it’s one of the shorter mangas out there, making reading it an easy lift.
What makes this series so great is you don’t need to be invested in the main series to understand what is going on. Sure, there are Easter eggs and other callbacks to the main series but none of it ever felt vital.
This is a series ripe for fans of My Hero Academia and superheros alike.
Have you read My Hero Academia Vigilantes? What are your thoughts? Would you like to see it as an anime? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.
Featured Image: Viz Media (via Screen Rant)
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