Marvel Comics will once again have two different Captains America in 2022. Sam Wilson will once again wield the shield alongside Steve Rogers as Marvel launches two different, monthly Captain America titles this spring.
Sam will be the star of Captain America: Symbol of Truth, which is written by sci-fi author Tochi Onyebuchi and drawn by artist RB Silva (Powers of X). Steve, meanwhile, will be the focus of Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, co-written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly (The Harbinger) and drawn by Carmen Carnero (Miles Morales: Spider-Man). Both series will spin out of April's Captain America #0, which will be co-written by all three writers and drawn by Mattia de Iulis (Invisible Woman).
"What's interesting about Captain America #0 is that, unlike a lot of zero issues, we're not gonna spend a lot of time building the plot for both books or teasing out a bunch of amazing stuff," Lanzing told Entertainment Weekly. "The issue #1's are gonna do that. Issue #0 is effectively a conversation between Steve and Sam about what it means for both of them to be Captain America simultaneously. But that conversation isn't had in a room sitting down over beers, that conversation is had while flying/holding onto the side of a massive rocket heading into the sky to obliterate all of mankind because Arnim Zola is back and he's got a bad plan."
This marks the second time Sam has taken up the mantle of Captain America in the comics. He previously shouldered that burden in 2014's Captain America #25, stepping in after Steve Rogers had the Super-Soldier Serum drained from his body. Even after Steve regained his strength, the two heroes co-existed as Cap until the aftermath of 2017's Secret Empire crossover. Sam looks to be sticking to his old Captain America costume, but this time around he'll have his own vibranium shield. That won't be the only difference.
"We've seen Sam Wilson deal with the legacy of Captain America and race in very inward terms with regards to America: What does it mean for America to accept a Black Captain America?" Onyebuchi said. "One of the things I'm teasing in my book is, what does it mean for the rest of the world to accept a Black Captain America? That's another part of the equation. If Captain America is in many ways a mimesis of America, with all the good and bad pathologies, what does that mean for the way in which America interacts with the rest of the world?"
As for Steve, he'll have a personal struggle of his own to face, as his series reflects the growing social and political divides in the US.
"Steve is a member of the Greatest Generation. That's so important, especially now, because he's seen so much of the 20th century and he's really able to weigh it," Kelly said. "With our story, what we really wanted to start looking at was, how has America changed? What does it mean to be a patriot now? Because it means something very different, even in the last two or three years. We've seen a radical shift in our country and, especially for a lot of young people, a real fury and disappointment at what our country has started to do to itself. Cap can't turn his back on America, neither of the Caps can, because the idea is good. The core is good and worth fighting for, but both need to wrestle with what that means in the year of our Lord 2022."
Captain America #0 is scheduled for release on April 20, with Captain America: Symbol of Truth #1 following in May and Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1 in June.
It's not surprising to see Marvel Comics put Sam Wilson back in the red, white and blue costume considering recent developments in the MCU. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showcased Sam coming to terms with his newfound responsibility, setting the stage for a fourth Captain America movie starring Anthony Mackie's hero.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
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Sam will be the star of Captain America: Symbol of Truth, which is written by sci-fi author Tochi Onyebuchi and drawn by artist RB Silva (Powers of X). Steve, meanwhile, will be the focus of Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, co-written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly (The Harbinger) and drawn by Carmen Carnero (Miles Morales: Spider-Man). Both series will spin out of April's Captain America #0, which will be co-written by all three writers and drawn by Mattia de Iulis (Invisible Woman).
"What's interesting about Captain America #0 is that, unlike a lot of zero issues, we're not gonna spend a lot of time building the plot for both books or teasing out a bunch of amazing stuff," Lanzing told Entertainment Weekly. "The issue #1's are gonna do that. Issue #0 is effectively a conversation between Steve and Sam about what it means for both of them to be Captain America simultaneously. But that conversation isn't had in a room sitting down over beers, that conversation is had while flying/holding onto the side of a massive rocket heading into the sky to obliterate all of mankind because Arnim Zola is back and he's got a bad plan."
This marks the second time Sam has taken up the mantle of Captain America in the comics. He previously shouldered that burden in 2014's Captain America #25, stepping in after Steve Rogers had the Super-Soldier Serum drained from his body. Even after Steve regained his strength, the two heroes co-existed as Cap until the aftermath of 2017's Secret Empire crossover. Sam looks to be sticking to his old Captain America costume, but this time around he'll have his own vibranium shield. That won't be the only difference.
"We've seen Sam Wilson deal with the legacy of Captain America and race in very inward terms with regards to America: What does it mean for America to accept a Black Captain America?" Onyebuchi said. "One of the things I'm teasing in my book is, what does it mean for the rest of the world to accept a Black Captain America? That's another part of the equation. If Captain America is in many ways a mimesis of America, with all the good and bad pathologies, what does that mean for the way in which America interacts with the rest of the world?"
As for Steve, he'll have a personal struggle of his own to face, as his series reflects the growing social and political divides in the US.
"Steve is a member of the Greatest Generation. That's so important, especially now, because he's seen so much of the 20th century and he's really able to weigh it," Kelly said. "With our story, what we really wanted to start looking at was, how has America changed? What does it mean to be a patriot now? Because it means something very different, even in the last two or three years. We've seen a radical shift in our country and, especially for a lot of young people, a real fury and disappointment at what our country has started to do to itself. Cap can't turn his back on America, neither of the Caps can, because the idea is good. The core is good and worth fighting for, but both need to wrestle with what that means in the year of our Lord 2022."
Captain America #0 is scheduled for release on April 20, with Captain America: Symbol of Truth #1 following in May and Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1 in June.
It's not surprising to see Marvel Comics put Sam Wilson back in the red, white and blue costume considering recent developments in the MCU. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showcased Sam coming to terms with his newfound responsibility, setting the stage for a fourth Captain America movie starring Anthony Mackie's hero.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Continue reading...