Comic Review: CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 (2018)

This year, Marvel Comics has been relaunching many of its titles under unique creative teams, ranging from Jason Aaron’s Avengers to Donny Cates’ Venom. The latest relaunch is Captain America, bringing the Sentinel of Liberty back into the spotlight. Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose recent Black Panther run was one of the best Marvel series in recent memory, takes the reigns of this line, accompanied by artist Leinil Francis Yu.

Captain America #1 begins to examine the ramifications of Secret Empire, the big crossover that showed HYDRA in control – led by a Steve Rogers doppelganger, no less. While Secret Empire ended last year, it isn’t until now that the consequences are being fully explored. Rogers is still pursuing his mission, but with recent events affecting his reputation, there’s a lack of certainty.

In this issue, Rogers fights a group of terrorists, including Nuke. Despite proclaiming their patriotism and love for America, the group is using radical methods to carry that out. This puts them into direct conflict with Rogers. It’s a timely allegory of conflicts between Americans in 2018. The issue also teases a new villain, Selene.

Captain America #1 is a very, very solid beginning to the new series. Ta-Nehisi Coates’ writing is on point, perfectly exploring Steve Rogers’ inner conflict, political allegories, and more. His work here is every bit as good as Black Panther, if not better. It goes wonderfully with Leinil Francis Yu’s artwork, which is colorful and distinct. The two are a perfect team to create a bold new era for Captain America. It’ll take a few issues to challenge Ed Brubaker’s groundbreaking run, but we’re off to a really good start here.

I never read Secret Empire, but I know the basics of what happens in that story. So, I was able to jump into this issue just fine. It does reference the events of that crossover (obviously), but I think it’s good enough for new readers to follow along. I thought the storytelling was fascinating, and it made me very interested in reading more about Captain America. I do have some uncertainty about the villain(s), but I’ll wait until the rest of the story plays out before giving a definitive opinion.

In summary, Captain America #1 is a strong first issue. I find a lot of current Marvel stuff to be very hit-and-miss, but every now and then, I see a title that just impresses me thoroughly. This is one of those titles. Great writing, great art, and the beginnings of a great story. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Captain America’s 100th birthday. I highly recommend this to both longtime readers and newcomers.

Thanks for reading! We’re giving away a digital copy of Captain America #1 on Twitter. To enter, be sure to retweet the following tweet and then follow @WOBAMEnt on Twitter. We will announce the winner on Monday, July 9th. Good luck!

RT and Follow @WOBAMEnt for a chance to win a digital copy of Captain America #1 pic.twitter.com/7TPjBsmRlK

— WOBAM! Entertainment (@WOBAMEnt) July 5, 2018