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REVIEW: Marvel Comics’ Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1

Throughout his impressive tenure as one of Marvel's greatest heroes, Captain America has accumulated several monikers. While the title "Sentinel of Liberty" may seem like a mouthful, it has a nuanced meaning, and it beckons back to a time when the United States used the comic book medium to inspire teens in the war effort. In 1941, Bucky Barnes and his young friends banded together to form The Sentinels of Liberty Youth Group, the spirit of which is still being carried on by Arielle Agbayani, the current Campus Captain America of Hargrove University. Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, originally a 1998 limited series from industry veteran Mark Waid that featured untold stories from Steve Rogers' illustrious career, now rests in the capable hands of writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, artists Carmen Carnero and Nolan Woodard, and letterer VC's Joe Caramagna.

With Sam Wilson taking on the mantle of Captain America in his own book, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1 shows Steve Rogers trying his best to adjust to civilian life. He has moved into his childhood apartment, now a dilapidated husk of what it once was. Steve is even trying out new hobbies and making friends. Yet deep down, he can feel a gulf between generations that, in his mind, keeps him distant from the others. The only times he feels camaraderie are when he's chatting on the radio with old associates while searching for encrypted messages. But when he decodes a particularly distressing message, Rogers and Bucky suit up to stop a nefarious plot.

Steve Rogers is a man of war. No wonder he finds it hard to balance a healthy, eventful civilian life and his secret superhero work life, making him feel like a fish out of water. But as soon as it comes to jumping into action, Captain Rogers finds himself right at home. Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1 portrays this dichotomy through a self-reflective narrative using narration boxes in every corner of the panels. They follow the Captain like gum under his boot, capturing his movements and conveying every thought to the reader. After a sluggish yet lighthearted start, things heat up as the story delves into a mysterious plot with a surprising artifact at the center of it all. Writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, who are currently working together on DC's Batman Beyond: Neo Year, use the same formula of placing a brooding, self-absorbed protagonist in a tense, action-packed setting for maximum effect.

Artist Carmen Carnero and colorist Nolan Woodard's work creates an exuberant display of life, putting a wide range of emotions on display. The book welcomes everyone to a huge splash page that recounts the life of Steve Rogers, giving a peek into his life's accomplishments and failures in a unique composition that highlights Cap's iconic history. Carnero's heavy inks provide depth to the art, while Woodard's colors give a cinematic sheen to the panels. As Rogers reminisces about his past, the architecture of 1920s Brooklyn overlaps with the modern, coffee shop-infested blocks that create a nostalgic dissonance. In an issue where narration boxes form the bulk of exposition, letterer Joe Caramagna does well to keep things flowing without interrupting the art.

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1 takes one of the iconic characters in pop culture history and creates a dark and intriguing mystery surrounding America's most recognized symbol. While the first half of the tale is calm and composed, a sudden turn of events gives the book a burst of energy with a mix of thrilling suspense and palpable action that ends the issue on a high note. It is evident that Lanzing and Kelly are looking to retcon some elements of Marvel's history. At the same time, they seem committed to adding new faces into the fold. Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1 ends with a narrative hook that is bound to bring readers back to the series.

About The Author

Skie Jackson