Review: Captain America #697
I will let you into a little secret; of all the Marvel movies, the Captain America ones are the most fun. Granted, the iconic boy scout, the last of the greatest generation, has been through the wringer recently, in an effort to boost sales, using the axiom that there is no such thing as “bad press”. Now Marvel are stuck with trying to rebuild their hero, as he strives to fight for the American dream. With storytellers Mark Waid and Chris Samnee, I am sure the good Captain couldn’t be in better hands.
You have to feel a little bit sorry for Steve Rogers. There he is, enjoying a quiet night, using his angle awareness skills to play some pool and win the affections of the girl. Unfortunately, the girl in question, has ulterior motives and quicker than you can say “8 ball, middle pocket”, Steve is in the hands of Kraven the Hunter, who at times has been a bit of a one trick villain (the only exception being the fantastic Fearful Symmetry / Kraven’s Last Hunt by J. M. DeMatteis). Here the simplicity of Kraven’s plan suits the naiveté of Captain America, who himself acts in a somewhat clichéd manner. Still, it is a sign of how far the Captain has fallen, or maybe that should be how far Marvel has fallen, that this tale feels fresh. Maybe it is because the story is so simple sans of any political metaphor or controversy.
Mark Waid is a classic comic book writer who delivers classic tales. This is no exception. Waid seems to be able to demonstrate the characters in his stories in a way the harbours great affection for key and classic elements. Here, we have Kraven as a hunter, his honour fully in place. Steve is as powerful as he is open. There is a charm about him, kind of like Clark Kent. Both characters try to live a life of quiet acceptance where their “louder” alter ego’s threaten to overwhelm them.
Chris Samnee is the perfect type of artist for the type of deconstruction that Waid has planned. Of course, this isn’t the first time the pair have worked together, Their work on the recent Black Widow book is a great example of the pairs’ work where Sammee’s art is a cartoon, comic strip influenced affair. Samnee has the ability to encompass the virtuousness of Captain America with a 60’s vibe. Samnee’s work stands out from the rest of the Marvel book, range because of the honesty in that Samnee isn’t trying too hard. Colors are provided by Matthew Wilson, who goes for direct contrasts and heavy shadow work to establish a dark environment.
Waid and Samnee have a style about them that I don’t think would suit every Marvel character, though I would like to see them take on Spider-Man. You never know, these two may yet make Captain America great again!
Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Mark Waid
Art by; Chris Samnee
Colors by; Matthew Wilson
Published by; Marvel Worldwide Inc.
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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