Captain America #28

[Freshmutt]

Can anyone explain that one?

I understand that Isaiah is from a mini-series called Truth, though I have no idea what it was about. I have missed zero issues of Cap since the early '80s and I know of no "famed Black Cap." So I guess the writer is assuming everyone read that mini.

I sort of followed the plot, so I don't need that explained unless someone has input that would make it not suck.

What I want to know is what the ending was about. What did Cap do? Did he use the Infinihedron (BTW are we supposed to know what that is?) to make his neighborhood like the alternate reality he visited? Why? He said some thing about his "duty." Is it his duty to bring hovercars and blimps to his block, or did he reshape the whole world?

The credits list three editors. What shape was this script in before they edited it? Was is complete gibberish?

[Local Hero]

First off Ed, welcome to Comics Uncovered

Seconds, yes Isaiah Bradley(?) was from ‘The Truth: Red, White and Black’, a great miniseries also by Robert Morales (who I believe was the writer of #28 here). The story retconned a whole "hidden history" into the Super Soldier program where the serum was first tested on black recruits. Isaiah was the last one to survive. His story was of course swept under the carpet, making Steve Rogers supposedly the first and only super soldier. That's the story, Morales demonstrated an ability to use Cap in a complex, intelligent way; questioning the value of symbols and glancing at the gap between the ideal and the reality without questioning the veracity of Steve Rodgers himself. It is actually a reasonably well thought out and believable (in context at least) story, given the other secret testing that the US goverment did carry out unsuspecting troops and civilians in the past. The art is a bit too cartoony for my tastes, but that's the only downside.

As to the events of #28, I suspect that this "infinihedron" (I think the -hedron suffix means a solid with a particular number of faces, like dodecahedron is a 12 sided solid) may be a "cosmic cube" by another name. Given Cap's reluctance to use the Cube in the past to fix the world's ills, I think what we may be seeing is a possible future if Cap did make changes. Does that make sense? Anyways, I suspect we will never know as Marvel has given the book to Kirkman and so it's back to fighting the spandex brigade and the end to philosophical storylines for old winghead!

[Freshmutt]

Thanks for the welcome, Bill.

I think I remember avoiding that mini because of the wretched art. Now I know I made a good move. The story you describe sounds like hate propaganda to me. It seems to be Dan Jurgens' "Protocide" story with a racially inflammatory twist. Why would Marvel allow the history of one of its oldest institutions to be perverted in this way?

"Truth" was probably inspired by the Tuskegee syphilis experiments, where black men were allowed to die of syphilis, when they could have been treated, just to see what would happen. This is one of the many shameful episodes in America's history. As an American, I know about my nation's ill treatment of Indians, blacks, Jews, women, Asians and the poor. Basically we are only the land of the free for weathly white men.

I believe Captain America should exist to right these wrongs. He has most often been written as a hero of the people, not the government. He has gone up against the government when it has tried to violate his principles. Cap should stand as a role model for people to combat the ills of the nation, not as a product of those ills. What is the point of having people look at Cap and thinking, "Just another example of how lily-white America puts down minorities."

Robert Morales strikes me as one of those comic writers that hate comics. Guys who seem to say, "Comics are stupid and childish and the people who like them are too simple to know any better. I will fix this broken medium by making it like my favorite artsy movie. My comics will be dark, demoralizing and confusing and therefore much better than bright, uplifting escapist fun." Bruce Jones is another example.

You are sad to see this loser go. You say, "it's back to fighting the spandex brigade and the end to philosophical storylines for old winghead!" If you don't like spandex battles, why are you reading comics? And just because something is confusing, that doesn't make it philosophical. What wisdom can be gained from this issue? WMDs should not be sold at comic conventions? OK, great philosophy, Bobby.

I believe comics are a valid art form, not second to books or films or anything avant-garde. Writers like Kurt Busiek and Dan Slott have no trouble writing great, innovative stories while respecting the history of comics, the fans, and the reason people like superheroes.

[Local Hero]

When I read Truth it was as a standalone "What If" story, personally I think Morales was wrong to try and bring it into continuity.

And I never said I was said I didn't like spandex battles, Ed. I just hope Kirkman manages to mix some intelligent writing with some kick ass shield slinging battles as I do like to read a thought provoking story now and then.

[Freshmutt]

On this we can agree.

I also think it was wrong of him to restore the WTC towers. Are all future Marvel comics that take place in NY supposed to include them? Will his run on Cap be ignored in continuity? Or, worst of all, will some writer have to contrive to knock them down again? All in all, I think the whole think was in bad taste.

BTW I never said I didn't want thought provoking stories. I simply want the provoked thoughts to be good ones.

[Harley]

Didn't that Truth thing also have something to with the Crew? The black guy called Justice, wasn't he like the son of one of those Super Soldier experiments?

[SLVRSR4]

Yes, they included the son of the Orignal (according to THE TRUTH) Captain America in the series THE CREW. Personally, I loved that book and thought it was cool that they brought events from THE TRUTH into regular continuity. I think THE TRUTH should be recognized as pre-Steve Rogers myth, because it seems like something that could have actually happened. It's nice to see other writers embrace it as much as I have.