'Captain America #1' Review and Analysis

I will be the first to admit, when it was announced that Ta-Nehisi Coates would relaunch the Star-Spangled Avenger with Captain America #1, I was really surprised. I had long admired Coates’ work on Black Panther, and I’m very much enjoying the current “Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda” storyline he’s writing, I just hadn’t thought he’d want to write any title other than Black Panther. I’m very glad he ended up branching out, however, because I absolutely loved the first issue of this new story. This is a story about the international and domestic ramifications of Hydra’s US takeover. On the domestic front, the audience sees that Captain America’s legacy has been tarnished, perhaps beyond repair. And not only has America lost faith in Cap, but Cap’s lost faith in America. America has forgot the values she was built on and allowed Hydra (led by a Hydra manipulated cosmic cube clone of Cap) to so easily take control. This first issue, beautifully drawn by Leinil Francis Yu (like everything he draws), sees Cap fighting members of the Nuke Army, enhanced soldiers with the American flag tattooed on their faces and twisted views on America, before being told to stand down by the U.S. government. Soon after, Cap has decided, even though he’s not officially sanctioned anymore, to find out who has poisoned his country, which will have him face his toughest enemy yet. The international consequences show us a potentially deadlier threat, with anti-American sentiments being spread throughout Russia under the guise of these sentiments being anti-Hydra.

Coates is not shy about criticizing what he believes to be wrong with America. The Baltimore-born writer frequently writes articles for The Atlantic, multiple memoirs and essays on being black in America, gender politics, theology, the 2016 presidential election, and other controversial topics. His run on Black Panther is teeming with these sentiments, as well. Black Panther has featured stories about King T’Challa’s nation Wakanda having seeds of civil war sewn in by a radicalized political group (reflecting America’s similar turmoil during and since the last election), the Dora Milaje, strong female warriors of Wakanda demanding more freedom (reflecting the current backlash over pay discrepancies between men and women and other issues of sexism), and feeling as though God has abandoned you or your country (people on both sides of the aisle believe this from time to time). Coates’ openness about voicing his opinions on America, popular or unpopular, is precisely why I think he’s a perfect choice to be writing Captain America.

Some of Captain America’s best stories feature him rebelling against the American government or abandoning the mantle of Captain America. Steve Englehart's “The Secret Empire” and “Nomad” stories, Mark Gruenwald's “Captain America No More,” and Mark Millar’s “Civil War” are all examples of great stories about Cap fighting his namesake. And that’s a great thing, believe it or not. Captain America is such an intriguing character because he loves America for what she represents and strives to be: equal and free for every person of every color, creed, culture, and gender. While a touching sentiment, the sad truth is there have been multiple times in America’s history where she strayed from the ideals she was founded upon and didn’t make the best choices (slavery, Japanese internment camps, McCarthyism, etc.). Captain America recognizes this truth and fights it, believing the America he loves exists and is worth fighting for. So, he does fight. He fights to achieve this ideal, even if he must fight America to make her reach her full potential. Cap’s philosophy is perfectly summed up in a quote from Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s phenomenal run on Daredevil, specifically Daredevil #233 (unofficially a part of the amazing story arc “Born Again”). When talking to a corrupt U.S. Army General about loyalty, Cap responds:

“I’m loyal to nothing, general – except the Dream”

Coates is really taking a deep dive into Cap’s worldview, specifically saying in his article “Why I'm Writing Captain America”:

“What is exciting here is not some didactic act of putting my words in Captain America’s head, but attempting to put Captain America’s words in my head”

Coates is trying to see why, despite constantly being let down by his country, does Cap still believe he and America can achieve the Dream? It’s a question that affects Coates and several other mistreated and impoverished people throughout the history of America. “Why believe in the Dream when I’m discriminated against because I’m black?”, “Because I’m a woman?”, “Because I’m Muslim?” Coates intends to use Captain America as a tool to discover the answer to this question and broadcast it once found. This issue was a phenomenal start to what I’m sure will be an excellent story, and I certainly look forward to more.