GEEK SQUAD: How Captain America Got Woke

Captain_America_#1
Artwork by ALEX ROSS

It can be overwhelming to get into comics these days. Most characters are published for 50+ years so “start at the beginning” like you would a TV show is not always an option. A good starting point is to follow a specific writer’s run. This is an especially appealing option when a writer has established brilliance in a different field of work begins writing a comic. Acclaimed journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates has written Black Panther for two years now and will soon be writing Captain America. Captain America #1 drops on July 4th written by Coates with legend Alex Ross drawing the covers and Leinil Yu drawing the inside. Nothing much is known about the story except that the first cover do show classic Captain America characters Falcon, Bucky, Red Skull, A.I.M., Namor the Submariner, the original Human Torch, Baron Zemo and others. Coates’ background in political and social issues as a journalist will surely find its way into the work. Intriguingly, he has likened Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, to President Barack Obama. Like Obama, Steve Rogers reps all that is good and noble about the American Experiment but is not afraid to call bullshit when his country strays from its founding principle that all men were created equal. So if you’ve been curious to walk into a comic shop after watching dozens of Marvel films in theatres but unsure of where to start this is sure to be a good place. — RICHARD SUPLEE