I felt compelled to read this immediately after watching the latest episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Important note: I give away many significant story points in this entry, as I thought a lot of it was well worth talking about. Don't read on if you want to check out the comic for yourself. BACKGROUND:
Having explored my fair share of Captain America lore, I have some familiarity with the story of this comic, but I've never actually read the entire series from start to finish. With episode 2 of Falcon and the Winter Soldier introducing a massive connection to this comic, I just had to read it before the next episode (I was already planning to read this in a couple of weeks, but I moved it right to the front of my reading list). THE WRITING: Truth: Red, White, and Black takes a deep dive into the untold history behind Captain America, and the secret it reveals is huge: Steve Rogers wasn't the only super soldier to wear the costume in WWIII. The man in question is none other than Isaiah Bradley. The story behind Isaiah getting his powers is perhaps one of the most messed up origin stories ever. Back in WWII, the US Army was working on Project Rebirth, the super soldier program that eventually gave Steve Rogers his powers. Unsurprisingly, the Army wants to make more of the serum (remember: Dr. Erskine, who created the serum, was assassinated), and they attempted to do so in the most fucked up way possible: forcibly using African-American recruits as test subjects. Isaiah was the only one who ended up surviving the ordeal, as everyone else either died in the experiments or was executed after not being selected for the trials. The few who did manage to survive the experiments ended up dying in battle. Isaiah's most pivotal mission saw him singlehandedly take down a Nazi concentration camp trying to create super soldiers of their own, and he did so wearing a Captain America costume he took from the Army. Instead of being hailed as a hero, Isaiah was put in jail for nearly 20 years, and his story went mostly untold. This comic does not pull any punches in any way, shape, or form. The experiments mirror the horrific Tuskegee experiments that happened in the US (if you don't know what that is, you ought to educate yourself on it, but I must warn you that it is not a comfortable read), and the racism experienced by Isaiah and his fellow recruits is almost relentless. Combined with the fact that the Army lied to the family members of the recruits (covering up the experiments and saying that they died in battle), and how Isaiah's actions landed him in jail and how he was forgotten, you get a real sense of how fucked up things were in the US during that time. I'm not American, so I obviously can't say I'm intimately familiar with the cultural landscape of the US in terms of racial justice; as such, media that isn't afraid to get real with its depictions of how pervasive racism is really helps complete outsiders like me get some perspective on the matter. You get to know only a handful of characters in the comic, and the focus is mainly on Isaiah and his comrades. You'll learn about their life before being recruited into the Army, and you see how the Army's lies affect their loved ones back home, and knowing all that makes everything they go through in the story hurt more. The racists are simply racists in this one; no depth to them whatsoever. In the latter portion of the comic, Steve Rogers himself goes on a bit of an investigation to learn about Isaiah, and needless to say, he is shocked and appalled by what he learns. I don't think the revelations here factor into later stories (I don't recall any comics of note where he talks about it), but he certainly goes out of his way to resolve things in this comic. THE ART: The stylistic choice for this comic starkly contrasts its serious subject matter, as the art is reminiscent of a silly-looking comic strip (something like Calvin and Hobbes, but with more over-the-top body proportions and a rough sketch quality). It's admittedly quite bizarre and jarring to look at, but I think it really sets the book apart from other comics. VERDICT: Truth: Red, White, and Black is an rightfully uncomfortable look at the racial injustice in America during the '40s, and it manages to work within the established mythos of Marvel's most iconic heroes. It reveals a dark corner of Captain America's history without drastically altering anything (I'd say it actually adds to the legacy), and it doesn't hold back with its themes and parallels to real-life fucked up events. I'm glad I finally got to read it in full. Whether you're interested in Cap's complicated history in the comics, want a serious comic story to sink your teeth into, or are simply curious about that one plot point in episode 2 of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, you should check out this series. Hopefully the MCU introducing elements of it will give the story some much-deserved recognition. Comixology doesn't currently have a collection of Truth: Red, White, and Black in its store, so here's a page where you can view all seven issues: Truth: Red, White and Black (2003) Digital Comics - Comics by comiXology - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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