Richard Gratton's Fantastic Reads 4 U
Captain America: Sam Wilson #10
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release Date: 06/22/16
When Sam Wilson took over as Captain America, I was not sold on the move. I agreed that something had to be done; Marvel couldn't have an elderly man running around in a costume trying to fight off much younger, more virile villains and expect fans to accept that as logical or realistic in any way. But a blended Captain America and Falcon didn't cut it for me either. As a lifelong fan of Steve Rogers being the man behind the mask, it has been difficult to see anyone else in that role. Nick Spencer's work on Captain America: Sam Wilson has been okay so far, but nothing spectacular until the last two issues.
Instead of writing typical superhero stories, Spencer has taken the same reservations described above and used them as a plot device to politically motivate the story and at the same time pull alienated fans into the story by personifying our non-acceptance of Sam Wilson as the star-spangled avenger; thus, in effect, making us a part of the story. What a brilliant move!
In issue #10, Spencer takes us one step further. With the return of Steve Rogers as Captain America, the public and political outcry for Sam Wilson to "give back the Shield" is mounting. Throughout his acceptance of the role, Sam Wilson has constantly questioned his worthiness. Spencer deftly interposes this situation into a Civil War II tie-in that fits seamlessly into Sam Wilson's personal and public struggle for acceptance. The parallels between Jim Rhodes replacing Iron Man and Sam replacing Captain America are obvious, but Spencer shows how important these events are, not just for the characters, but historically and politically as well.
Artistically, Angel Unzueta's work is very clean. Some panels are too clean, and two others are left slightly unfinished. I prefer clean art where the lines are defined and tight and Unzueta is very good at this. Unfortunately, two pages, during the white male protest of Sam Wilson's current stint as Captain America, are so clean the people portrayed – on television – lack realism to the point of looking a bit cartoony. Later in the issue, just before Jim Rhodes' memorial service, two panels depicting Sam and Misty Knight have backgrounds that seem a bit unfinished: a church is poorly detailed in both panels, and in one of those panels, the church can be seen through the colored bushes which should be blocking it out. If readers are caught up in the story, this minor flaw is easily missed or overlooked.
Am I nit-picking the art? Absolutely. Why? Simply put: To show how few flaws this book has. Aside from this Unzueta's art is fantastic. I hope to see more of his work on future issues of this series.
Any Captain America fan not reading this book is missing out. Nick Spencer has done a fine job of maneuvering an African American into a traditionally white man's role; a difficult transition for any writer to undertake and find acceptance. Whether or not you like Sam Wilson as Captain America, it's difficult to read this issue and not in some way identify with another human being trying to fill a role he doesn't feel he lives up to. Sam's determination and willingness to continue to fight for what is right no matter what the haters and doubters say is inspiring. Captain America: Sam Wilson #10 is a fantastic read.
Scale of Awesomeness: 9 out of 10
