DC Announces ‘The Vigilante: Southland’ With A Brand New Hero Under The Mask

The codename "Vigilante" has been around for 75 years at DC Comics. Originally appearing in 1941's Action Comics #42 as the nom de guerre of country singing motorcycle cowboy Greg Saunders, it's been handed down through the ages to a handful of other heroes who operate outside the law, and now, a new hero is stepping into the costume for a story that DC promises will tackle "gun violence, class struggle and Black Lives Matter."

The character is Donny Fairchild, and in October, he'll be appearing in The Vigilante: Southland, a six-issue miniseries from writer Gary Phillips and artists Elena Casagrande and Giulia Brusco, with covers by Mitch Gerads.

In terms of visuals, Donny's costume is inspired by the one worn by Adrian Chase, created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez as a district attorney by day who took the law into his own hands at night. That version will form the basis of a character on the upcoming fifth season of Arrow. This version, though --- with his asymmetrical costume and twin "meteor hammers" to fight foes, isn't quite such a product of the system.

Here's what DC's official Press Release has to say about the new story:

THE VIGILANTE: SOUTHLAND is the story of Donny Fairchild, a failed NBA player who’s just making ends meet as a maintenance man. When his girlfriend stumbles on a conspiracy to steal water rights through a series of shady land-development deals, she’s mysteriously murdered. Once Donny starts getting too close to the cause of her death, his house is blown up and he’s left for dead. Determined to bring the killers to justice, Donny undergoes training from an urban legend known as the Eastsider to become a masked vigilante.

“THE VIGILANTE: SOUTHLAND is incredibly relevant to our times,” said writer Gary Phillips. “It’s a politically tinged story that touches on a myriad of contemporary issues, such as gun violence, class struggle and Black Lives Matter. The book also provides me an opportunity to contemporize classic issues/tropes, like the fight over water rights in Southern California. I’m very excited to show readers this character, reimagined for the 21st century.”

THE VIGILANTE: SOUTHLAND #1 arrives at comic retailers on October 5.