Captain America #1 Spotlight

 

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

Artist: Jesús Saiz

Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $5.99

Release Date: September 20, 2023

 

Captain America may have saved the world from a Robot Apocalypse, but that doesn’t mean he can keep his apartment. So when the owners decide to evict tenants, raze the aging building, and sell the land, Steve Rogers assumes a new title: landlord! Now, between missions with his fellow supes, he's doing building maintenance and looking out for the less fortunate. 

 

 

 

 

Along with this heartwarming tale about caring for your neighbors, Captain America #1 looks back to Steve’s past. The story reflects on the young man in the 1930s after his mother died and the landlord evicted him from his home. We see the determined, hardworking young man before he gains his superpowers.

 

 

 

Captain America #1 boasts cinematic action scenes and art that often evokes beautiful paintings. Word size doesn't strain the eyes, and Straczynski never loses you switching between present and past. Still, this felt more like the introduction to a miniseries than an ongoing one. Nor did I feel like his origins needed further exploration. While beautifully told, Captain America #1 leaves me wishing the creator of Babylon 5 had focused more on the present than dwelling on the past.

 

 

Still, I enjoyed the issue, and plan to check out Straczynski's Captain America #2. Keep your eyes peeled for Shadows, Steve!

 

For a sneak peek at interior art and a more seasoned reviewer's thoughts, see Dispatch DCU's review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Captain America Finale #1 Review

 

Writers: Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly

Artist: Carmen Carnero

Colorist: Nolan Woodard

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Carmen Carnero & Alejandro Sánchez; Greg Land & Frank D’Armata

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 23, 2023

 

Conflicting ideologies divide Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Can Captain America and the Winter Soldier join forces to destroy the Outer Circle? Let's leap into Captain America Finale #1 and find out!

 

Story

World War II forged Steve Rogers into an American hero. It wasn’t just his zeal to defend his country’s borders. Nor was it the Super-Soldier serum that enhanced his strength and endurance and slowed his aging. What mobilized Steve was fighting oppression, and what completed the transformation was examples of courage and heroism set by his friends.

 

Now, as Steve charges into battle against the Outer Circle in Captain America Finale #1, his friends fight alongside him. He leads his team of Invaders against an enemy that would dominate our planet. Together, they face the ultimate enemy of Humanity: one that stands against liberty and freedom in all its forms. Backed up by his friends, you know he'll bring it down. Or die trying.

 

 

 

 

Art

Writers Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly may rely too often on single-page scenes and bold, double-page spreads to evoke grandeur. In Captain America Finale #1, their teammate Carmen Carnero delivers their colossal vision. Nolan Woodard overloads his palette with an appealing mix of colors to make such big scenes leap off the page. Yet pages of smaller panels and those set within larger images also speak volumes.

 

Joe Caramagna enhances white time and space markers with Cap's distinctive shield. White dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes protect his black, uppercase letters in Captain America Finale #1. They're easy to read as they sweep across the pages. If you get lost, don't worry. Captain America's by your side!

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Captain America Finale #1 knits disparate story strands to deliver a rousing conclusion. Driven by the themes and people that make him a superhero, this issue reminds us of what Steve Rogers always fights for.

 

Rating 9/10

 

Preview interior art on my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Captain America on Bravery

Captain Skaro: Is my namesake cool or what?

Iron Dalek: Yeah, he's nearly as great as my own.

Fury: You boys need to stop reading Secret Warriors Volume 1 now. 
Captain Skaro: But I want to catch up on my namesake before I see "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."
Iron Dalek: Give him a break, Fury. He loves following Cap's exploits.
Fury: Secrets serve a purpose, kid.

Captain Skaro: Look, there's a statue of Cap, with his name, and dates, and…oh.
Iron Dalek: What happened to Steve Rogers?
Fury: We all die sometime. What's important is how we live.

Iron Dalek: I'm proud of you for going to the movie, after what we read.
Captain Skaro: It's all for Bucky Barnes. If he's destined to take over the mantle of Captain America, I need to support him any way I can.

Captain Skaro: Steve Rogers, thanks for reminding me how I need to live.

Fury, Iron Dalek & Captain Skaro 

Marvel Comics' Secret Warriors Volume 1: Nick Fury, Agent of Nothing was written by Brian Michael Bendis and Jonathan Hickman. It features the artwork of Stefano Caselli, was colored by Danielle Rudoni, and lettered by Dave Lanphear.

Need more Dalek action? Then click the link to Pocket Dalek's blog, located at the top right of this page. He and his friends usually have something to share with you.

Related Dragon Cache entries
Captain America's Philosophy

Captain America’s Philosophy

"If only I had Captain America's shield..."

In the Ultimate Spider-Man episode “Not A Toy,” Captain America stops by the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier to give Spider-Man and his young superhero team a few pointers in fighting and strategy.  When Agent Coulson calls Captain America away for a few minutes, the older superhero leaves his shield behind.  Spider-Man picks it up, and dreams of wielding it in battle.  Then he decides to give it a quick throw. 

The shield is more powerful than he realizes, and it breaks through a training room window and flies off the Helicarrier.  As it falls, it bangs into Iron Man (who happens to be flying by), distracts a criminal long enough for the police to capture him, and nearly knocks down Spider-Man’s Aunt May.  Then it bounces over the fence of the Latverian Embassy, where Doctor Doom retrieves it.

"You'd think Captain America would be more careful
than to let a teenager play with his shield."

Like many Marvel heroes and villains, Doctor Doom is a scientist.  Instead of returning the shield, he launches a missile at Spider-Man and heads off to his laboratory.  Spider-Man flees through the streets of New York City until Captain America arrives and knocks out the missile with Spider-Man’s Spidey-Cycle.  

Take that, Doom Missile!

Instead of balling out the young superhero, Captain America says, “I try not to live in the past.”  The two then team up to retrieve the unique shield before Doctor Doom can reverse engineer it to use in his own nefarious purposes.

It’s easy to expend negative energy on what others say or do.  Captain America’s philosophy may be harder to practice, but it seems the wiser approach.  Perhaps that’s why, like Agent Coulson, he’s my favorite superhero.

Now, if only I could get one of those Captain America shirts like Agent Coulson is wearing.

The Ultimate Spider-Man TV show is loosely based on the comic book series of the same name written by Brian Michael Bendis, who serves as a Consulting Producer for the series, and wrote the episode “Not A Toy.”  You can watch Ultimate Spider-Man on Disney XD.

Dragon Dave