Scott's Take: Captain America: Symbol of Truth Vol. 2: Pax Mohannda by Tochi Onyebuchi

Captain America: Symbol of Truth Vol. 2: Pax Mohannda is the final volume of this run. In this volume, Sam Wilson has to counter the White Wolf’s plan as he deals with the fallout from Wakanda. Mohannda an impoverished nation neighboring Wakanda and the people have elected a new Prime Minster who is trying to build a more racially equal society. A racist like the White Wolf is not going let that happen. With the Falcon (Sam’s current partner) injured, it is up to Nomad (Steve Roger’s adopted son) to help. Long presumed dead by both Sam and Steve, he has just been working for the government off the grid for reasons not very well explained in this volume.

This volume is pretty good as Sam is well written and there is plenty of action. The Nomad part though leaves clear plot holes. There is a return of a former foe of Sam Wilson that leads to the best scene in the book. Sam shouting that she turned me into a Werewolf is still funny to this reader.

I just hate that they are ending this run already and basically leaving a lot of plot threads dangling for the crossover. The actually ending of this series is picked up in the cross over title, Captain America: Cold War. Post Cold War Sam does not have a solo title, no new writer, nothing. If you want to read him you can only get him in the main Avengers title now.

My reading copy came by way of Hoopla and the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty Vol 1: Revolution by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Tochi Onyebuchi

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty Vol 1: Revolution by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Tochi Onyebuchi is a Captain America that features Steve Rodgers. Steve has moved back to his childhood home in attempt to connect with regular people. He is hanging out and using a ham radio to talk to several of his old buddies. Late one night a number station starts reciting a new number. Which leads him to information on a new terrorist attack and a new conspiracy involving secrets from his past. Secrets unaware of at all. He also has to face secrets that Bucky and others have kept from him. If that enough, Peggy Carter is back to mess with him and not in a good reader. As readers know from the last run, she has been alive this whole time while he thought she was dead.

 

While playing with elements that have been used many times by other authors, this Captain America title is a fun read. You have Steve trying to reconnect with regular people, you have secrets being kept by his friends, and secrets from his past. Bucky and Peggy playing their spy games with Steve in the middle trying to figure out what is going on. The rich and powerful elite manipulating the country for their own ends. I enjoyed this read.

 

A flaw I have with the read is that no one is pointing out that while Steve is wanting to make regular friends is understandable, him living in his old apartment is painting a target on that block for the rest of the people living there. Everyone knows he is Captain America so someone is going to take a shot at him and people could get hurt. Trying to have a more “normal life” is understandable, but his life is not normal. He should embrace that fact. Instead, he is putting others in danger. Not very Steve like, but this is probably going to be a plot point later in this series.

 

The action and art are really good. The writer clearly gets Steve. The events from issues 5 and 6 should have major ramifications for this title and leave Steve in an interesting place.  One that should find him in an emotionally painful place if what has been foreshadowed comes to pass. The next volume is currently untitled and does not have a release date. 

 

 

My reading copy came from then Pleasant Grove Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple © 2023

Scott's Take: Captain America: Symbol of Truth Vol. 1.: Homeland by Tochi Onyebuchi

Captain America: Symbol of Truth Vol. 1.: Homeland by Tochi Onyebuchi collects Captain America #0 (2022) and Captain America: Symbol of Truth #1-6. This series is about Sam Wilson. Currently both Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson are Captain America. They have separate titles that launch from the same zero issue that is included in this volume. They have separate creative teams, have separate supporting casts, and are facing separate conspiracies. The titles will crossover later in the year in Captain America: Cold War.

Sam Wilson is told that a train carrying a chemical used in the super soldier serum is going to be hijacked. Obviously bad guys with their own super soldier would be a bad thing. As listed in the synopsis, the train has ties to Wakanda. That puts him in conflict with the Wakandans who have not been depicted very positively in the comic lately.

After that, he is on to Latveria where Deadpool is running his own operation related to the conspiracy. Dr. Doom does not take well these covert operations being run in his country without his permission.

Much later Sam Wilson will take on Black Panther as the conspiracy involving Wakanda and America heats up.

The art is excellent and the writing is good even if the plot is fairly common for a Captain America book. You have your illegal immigrants being used as pawns, you have your corrupt senator, you have someone trying to tear down countries while turning the public against Captain America, you have your racial tensions between African Americans and whites. It is a good read but fairly usual fare for Captain America book for the last six years or so. Whether the title stars Sam or Steve, the writers have been playing with the same core elements for quite some time now.

The villain is introduced, but many readers who are new to the comics will not have heard of him since he was never used in the movies. Most adaptions choose to ignore this character and they don’t do much to explain who he is and how dangerous of a person he is. I feel like maybe someone should have dropped a bio or something other than just a throwaway line that will confused many new readers. I am deliberately not revealing his name in order to not create spoilers.

I like how they highlight one key difference between the Marvel Sam Wilson of the movies and the Sam Wilson in the comics. Sam Wilson’s, in the comics, father died trying to intervene between a fight between two men. After the death of his father, a very young Sam was raised by his single mother still seeks to honor the beliefs that cost his father his life.

I enjoyed this series despite the flaws regarding plot ideas and the noted issues with the villain. I am looking forward to the untitled second volume that currently also does not have a publication date.

A thing to note is that there is also an interesting beef being set up between Sam and the Black Panther. That could be a plot point in the upcoming new Avengers title by Jed MacKay. They will now be on the same Avengers team, after beating the crap out of each other, so that should be more than a little awkward.

 

My reading copy came from the Park Forest Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

Scott A. Tipple ©2023