Comic Book Roundup

I managed to read a few titles today. I’ll focus on 2 of them here.

Captain America: White #3: This series is consistent, but a bit too carefully measured. Anyone who has read Loeb’s previous work will recognize the story beats and will see them coming. That’s not to say the story is bad. It’s rolling along nicely. The real treat is Sale’s art, which is a thing of beauty. His stylized characters practically leap off of the page. The issue ends strong. Looking forward to #4.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1: Part of the “all-new, all-different” Marvel, this new GotG is close in style and humor to the 2014 movie, even if it doesn’t use the same lineup. Peter Quill has inherited his father’s legacy, so he has passed the Star Lord mantle to Kitty Pryde. Venom and Thing are additions, joining Rocket, Drax, and Groot. This book has action and laughs. Brian Michael Bendis brings it on every front. Well worth your time.

Look for my summation of Batman: Endgame on Crime Alley soon.

Comics review: Captain America: White #1

This is a first, I believe, on this site. On my companion blog, No Hope In Crime Alley, I’ve done a review or two of a comic book or graphic novel. Since I have been reading comics regularly lately, I thought it would be fitting to throw my thoughts out there.

Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale have a long history together as a strong creative team. Their Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory have landed on many fans’ must-read lists. After taking a turn with Superman in Superman for all Seasons and Catwoman in Catwoman: When In Rome, the duo would next tackle several Marvel Comics icons. Daredevil: Yellow, Spider-Man: Blue, and Hulk: Grey all featured Loeb’s distinctive creative voice paired with Sale’s unmistakable art style.

  
I can say that I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the above, so when I heard that the two were re-teaming for Captain America: White, I got excited!

Apparently, there was a zero issue. I’m sorry to say I missed that one. I DID grab #1 this week, and it’s as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be. 

The needle drops on this story at an iconic moment. Captain America (circa 1963) is waking from a nearly 20-year coma/ice sleep. Just as in Avengers #3, as he wakes, surrounded by the Avengers, he screams “BUCKY!” as if he is waking from a nightmare. In a way, Steve Rogers IS waking from a nightmare. He had a brotherly bond with Bucky Barnes, and the last thing to happen prior to his being frozen was Bucky plummeting to his apparent death. 

  
We get some flashbacks here that establish the relationship of Steve and Bucky. It’s a bit strange in this age to read stories where Cap keeps his secret identity while serving in WWII, but that’s what Joe Simon and Jack Kirby opted to do back in the day. Luckily, these scenes are written well enough that we accept it as we focus more on Bucky and Steve.

I have to call out Sale’s art here. In the second page, he does a ballsy thing. He recreates a classic Jack Kirby panel, but from a different angle. The result actually channels King Kirby, yet sets its own tone. Sale has risen to the top of current comic artists with his style, which, like Kirby, avoids hyper-realism, yet has its own verisimilitude. I have always loved re-reading his stuff to go back and look at key panels.

Loeb is no slouch here. He knows comics, and he knows dialogue. There’s a great scene here with Steve and Nick Fury that plays beautifully, with some humor but enough drama to keep you wanting more.

  
Go grab this book. It does not disappoint.