Marvel is hailing this as carrying on a new tradition established by Wolverine: The Origin, but it's really a radically different book. Though both are historical fiction, Truth is a much more challenging and relevant read. While it gets off to a rocky and slow start -- it takes a while to get a sense of the three main characters -- the book is already delving into multiple facets of race. Fans of Origin who pick up expecting more of the same from Truth won't find it, but they will discover an interesting story and theme that go far beyond the a simple super-hero origin story.
In the months before Pearl Harbor, before the United States joined the Second World War, Americans went about their business, enjoying life unfettered. Well, some Americans did. Others -- African Americans, to be precise -- didn't have such an easy time of it. One man and his fiancee are barred from entry at an attraction at the World's Fair. The son of a wealthy African American returns home with a black eye and bloody nose, the result of his nature as an outspoken protester. And a bitter soldier, demoted from captain to sergeant over a disagreement involving his race -- plays pool in the old neighborhood. Three different lives, with one common bond, and they're about to have more in common in the days following Dec. 7, 1941.
Baker's linework is as strong as I expected it to be. There's an appealing cartoony quality to his character designs, but a tone of poignancy manages to creep in there as well. The brighter colors, such as those in the opening scene, are rich and warm. Unfortunately, the colors toward the end of the book -- specifically in the courtroom and barracks scenes -- aren't varied enough. The darker tones seem to wash those scenes out. I was pleased, though, to find that the computer effects in Baker's work were incorporated more subtly and seamlessly here... save for the balls on the pool table. They stand out as gaudy two-dimensional shapes in what is otherwise a well rendered, richly atmospheric scene.
I'm pleased to discover that this is more than one man's story. The split focus among three men adds more layers to the story, and gives Morales more opportunities to explore a variety of African American experience. And make no mistake, that's what this book is about, not the Super-Soldier Serum or World War II super-heroics. This is about blatant bigotry and how one adapts when it's a part of one's daily life. Since the story is set six decades in the past, Morales is able to demonstrate just how far we've come as a society. But at the same time, he's able to remind us that we've also a long way to go yet.
Each one of the three main characters embodies different points of view. They are defined by innocence, idealism and cynicism, and I expect that the one who ends up in the role of the first Cap (if it's any of these guys) will exhibit all traits by the time the story is done.
Note: Some of the comments in this review were reproduced from a previous feature on the website.
