Writers: Colin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Tochi Onyebuchi / Pencillers: Carmen Canero, Mattia De Iulis / Colour Artist: Nolan Woodard / Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna / Collects: Captain America #0, Sentinel of Liberty #1 - #6 / TP / Marvel Comics
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Review by: Paul Dunne / 22nd March 2023 (Released: 15th February 2023)
The Pitch: A new era of shield-slinging begins! When Arnim Zola launches a catastrophic attack on New York City, he meets his match - in two Captain Americas! But a shocking secret about Steve Rogers' iconic shield will change the way he views the 20th century he came from - and how he chooses to fight in the 21st! Steve follows a trail of coded breadcrumbs to Germany in pursuit of an elusive organization making bold and deadly moves, while Bucky Barnes' own investigation leads him to the high roller’s tables in Madripoor. Thousands of miles apart with no backup, will Steve and Bucky find what they're looking for, or are they both in over their heads? Featuring the shocking return of the Dryad herself: Peggy Carter!
Starting with the zero issue, this new Sentinel of Liberty roots itself partly in the pulp age origins of Simon and Kirby's Cap, whilst displaying the modern diversity of today's iterations. Sam Wilson is, thankfully as much a feature as Steve Rogers as they try to stop TV head Zola from unleashing his Hyperevolution cloud (a concept that could be right out of the 30s or 40s). De Iuis' art is stunning in this opener. He has the painterly, god-like statures of Alex Ross whilst adding a dynamic movement that keeps the action pounding along. Whilst Zola has some salient points about the state of the America Rogers and Wilson are trying to save, he is of course an asshole for trying to turn the populace into Dinosaurs - worse, yet - Zolasaurs (see what I mean about 'pulp'?). In a wry aside, Zola even proclaims himself 'The Sentinel of Liberty' and thus, we get an inkling of what this Captain America will be about: The reclaiming of ideals. And symbols. Most notably, the shield.
The reclaiming of ideals.
This plays into the series proper. Now, there may be those among you who are a little bored or frustrated with conspiracy theories and secret cabals appearing, tied to Cap's origin. But as with any much-storied character, especially with one who sits between the fictional Marvel universe and the very real theatre of war that was WWII, often the best direction to go in when you're looking for new stories is backward. Look at the wonders this did for the character with Brubaker and Epting's run, a story that infused the character with reinvigorated popularity and complexity that has carried through the comics and the movies right up to this very arc. But always the question remains at the end of every run and every film: where next with this character? And so Kelly and Lanzing like all good writers answer that question whilst raising some pretty big ones of their own.
Reclaiming symbols.
If you're wondering why I'm referencing the Captain America movies, trust me, you'll find out. There are some lovely callbacks, some subtle, some not. But they all make this an accessible experience for those of you who aren't well-versed in the comics lore of Steve Rogers. But don't worry, purists! It's still a book that belongs in the Marvel comics universe. The story's central conspiracy is well-handled and nicely integrated into the existing four-colour mythos, so if you're agitated by a new, overreaching order, don't be. The group at the heart of this could run and run as a threat, treating the world as a game and playing it for the long term. Also, like Cap himself, they undergo changes, always evolving in every way except their stance on the world, with one major change to their composition coming at the end of the arc, which of course I cannot reveal here.
Integrating back into the modern world.
There's some gorgeous stuff here. Cap's mission has always been about freedom from Tyranny, even though that tyranny employs Rogers as it’s tool, depending on who you ask. But Steve's mission has been to reintegrate himself with the modern world that has been growing and changing since he went into the ice. He is still, at least in modern iterations, Buck Rogers rather than Steve Rogers. His latest attempt has him joining a still-life drawing class where they use drawing tablets instead of paper and pencils. There's a lot of fun to be had in these scenes, but also more... The notion of Captain America and patriotism is questioned as Steve works to be part of a post-Secret Empire, post-Trump, BLM world. This also helps the plot move along nicely as Steve reaches out for help across the generational divide.
The always-moving, fine line of Carmen Canero.
Colin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing hold a special place in my heart since they created (along with Carlos Magno) the Kang book Only Myself To Conquer. Here they display the same love of the Marvel universe without being slaves to it. Their writing is expansive without being overblown and they create an epic landscape to frame Cap's struggle against. They're joined by Tochi Onyebuchi on the #0 issue, who makes Sam Wilson a vibrant, yet comforting presence in the book. Carmen Canero's art on the main book is fantastic. She fills the panels with detail and motion, keeping the pace and action tight. Her fine lines are active, busy, and always moving. She gives the story expanse, whilst closing the world in on Cap. Under her hand, the book is dynamic and action-packed, and the emotion is clearly communicated. Nolan Woodard's colours are gorgeous, keeping the palette just right. He doesn't give in to overt, heightened 'comic-book' luminance but lets the situation choose the tone. Joe Caramagna's letters let Steve's authoritative, confident voice sound off nicely whilst playing the other characters to a tee. This is probably the best Cap we've had in a while and it's worth jumping on now.
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