the new Captain America series is built on two things. The first, and most obvious, is the stunning artwork of John Cassaday. The second -- and still quite obvious, perhaps painfully so -- is rhetoric. But it's good rhetoric, damnit. The plot that takes the title character across America and the globe is a minor aspect of this book. The examination of war, of what it is to be a soldier, of politics and of ideals. Sure it's heavy handed, but it's coming from a much more eloquent source than we're used to these days.
How do you like that... Bush is being upstaged by super-hero comics.
Captain America faces off against a squadron of armed terrorists near America's capitol, and he discovers they're wearing the same "cat-tag" chips as others he's faced before. He sees the cat-tag around another soldier's neck... around Col. Nick Fury's, and he begins to wonder what his government has been up to behind his back.
Cassaday's vision of Captain America is stunning. His armor looks real, as does the shocking intensity in his eyes. The meticulous detail in his work makes the wait between issues far more tolerable. Cassaday plays with shadow to great effect, reinforcing that realism. But there's also a sense of the unreal in the action sequences, and Stewart's mix of bright and muted colors adds to that odd, almost detached atmosphere.
Rieber is exploring the title character not as a super-hero, but as a soldier. But he's no typical soldier. A soldier is someone who fights a war, but Captain America is out to prevent the next world war at all costs. Given what he's seen -- 60 years ago and even today -- he should be scarred, an emotional wreck. But he's just more determined and pure than ever.
It's not his ideology and purity of heart that makes Captain America an admirable character. And forget about the paragon physique and fighting skills; those aren't elements we can relate to. What I love about his portrayal here is that Rieber also explores Cap's keen mind. He's a brilliant man, drawing on knowledge and experience. Those ideals and that intellect -- even if they are exaggerated -- is something I find appealing in a protagonist.
Sure it's corny and about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the head. And maybe it's because I'm an outsider, a non-American looking in the last super-power and a pop-culture icon. But this issue clicked incredibly well for me.
