Writer: Nick Spencer/ Artist: Daniel Acuña / Marvel Comics
I’ve got to be honest with you here. If I’m not, you’ll think I like pretty much anything comic book related and that’s definitely not the case. After what I’d consider two great issues, Captain America: Sam Wilson #3 was kind of a letdown.
Maybe Spencer put more energy into Ant-Man this time around, but everything I loved about the series appeared to have taken a break for this issue.
The reason this series resonated with me so strongly is because I saw that Captain America: Sam Wilson was going to do more than just beat up a bad guy of the month. I got to the point of expecting a little social commentary in every issue. Instead, this time around we got Dr. Malus, who even made having the power of a symbiote seem less threatening.
In other series that already set the tone for being lighthearted and super random (Harley Quinn, Howard the Duck, The Amazing Spider-Man) this would’ve fit in perfectly. It would’ve even worked if a campier hero came along to help. That would explain the unexpected change in tone.
Sure, I chuckled when Malus told the story about how he got his powers from being pooped out of Carnage – which I didn’t even know was a thing. And seeing Misty Knight is always a good thing, especially when she’s making fun of Sam. But I think Captain America: Sam Wilson is still trying to find its footing.
To be perfectly fair, a boatload of people took the “I don’t want politics in my comics!” stance. I wasn’t one of them. But I suppose this was an attempt to appease the masses.
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Mike
I’ve been a Sam Wilson fan since I started reading comics in the 80’s, so I’ve been happy to see him take over for Steve Rogers. The first 2 issues were great, I loved his interactions on the airline, that was classic Sam Wilson. The writer has a good feel for the character. Issue 3 felt like a step backward. Misty Knight could be the perfect partner because she has a different temperament, but I think the reader never gets a sense that she’s ever in real danger; she’s cracking wise the whole time and wiping out the enemies with little effort. When Sam gets transformed to Cap-Wolf, neither of them seem very concerned about it, they just treated it like an occupational hazard. They took what would be a terrifying situation for most people, and made it seem trivial. Hell, the iguana had a more realistic reaction.
I enjoyed your review, looking forward to next month.
-Mike