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November 19, 2004
Subway Reading: Captain America & Conan
Conan #10 - Awesome as usual. This was the first in what I assume will be a 2-part mystery, and it does a great job of setting things up without giving anything away. Rather than spin its wheels and drag out the set-up, though, new suspects and new wrinkles are introduced right up to the last page. I can't remember the last time that I got to the end of a comic book and felt that twinge of anxious frustration upon seeing "to be continued."
But the name of this blog is not "The Gushytarian." So indulge me in some nit-picks if you will. Cary Nord, for all his awesome art, is prone to the occassional anatomical gaffe. Proportions get wonky from time to time, and more than one arm ends in a indistinguishable lump instead of a hand. In the latter cases, I suppose he is going for a silhouette effect, so maybe that can be attributed to miscommunication with colorist Dave Stewart. But don't let me misrepresent my feelings about the visuals in this book. The layouts and storytelling are incredible. The coloring is among the best ever. On the whole, you will be hard pressed to find a better monthly comic book. 4.5 stars.
Captain America #1 - Writer Ed Brubaker took on a very tough task with this assignment. In some ways he is doomed to fail. There is a camp of Captain America fans that wants wild super-hero action. There is another camp that wants the character to be a metaphor for the US, and that camp is divided along the same idealogical lines that divide the country itself. So no matter who he pleases, Brubaker is bound to alienate and agitate at least one large group of fans.
Personally, I just want a good read. I did not share the negative view that a lot of fans took of John Ney Rieber's post-9/11 politically-themed run, but admittedly that had a lot to do with John Cassady's art. Similarly, I enjoyed this take on the character, due in no small part to Steve Epting's exceptional art and Frank D'Armata's attractive coloring. This team worked on the ill-fated Crossgen pirate book, El Cazador, and they haven't lost a step. Meticulous research makes such a difference; I'm sure Epting had to do a ton of it for El Cazador and he brings the same verisimilitude to Captain America. As somebody who has spent a lot of time in the vicinity of the Brooklyn Bridge, I can personally vouch for the accuracy of the exterior shots in this book. Also worth noting is the impressive two-page spread where Cap is approaching the elevated subway train. I'm not usually a fan of splash pages; too often they are gratuitous and come off as lazy or easy rather than effective. This spread, however, more than justifies its existence with a complex composition that is full of movement, drama, and beauty. Another feather in Epting's cap is his distinctive and consistent character work. Sharon Carter appears in this book, and while she is drawn as the knockout blonde that she should be, she still has a distinctive appearance that makes her much more human and believable than the standard generic beautiful woman that many artists would give us.
As for the writing, Brubaker explores some of the same moral ambiguity and character introspection that he does in Sleeper. Rather than plopping Cap into his umpteenth fistfight with Batroc the Leaper or using him as a flimsy spokesman for a political agenda, Brubaker gives us a welcome look at Steve Rogers as a living, breathing soldier who is haunted by the death that surrounds him.
Except for the train wreck that was the Pulse, so far this has been a very satisfying week of comics. Captain America fits right in. I am looking forward to issue #2. 4 stars.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at November 19, 2004 11:11 AM