Review: FREEDOM FIGHTERS #5 (OF 12)

STORY

The Freedom Fighters are a team of super-humans led by the spirit of America known as Uncle Sam. In this maxi-series reboot from DC the Freedom Fighters and the Allied Nations lost WWII because in this reality Superman didn’t land in Kansas but in Germany, growing up to be a weapon of the Nazis as the Overman.

With America conquered and ruled by the Reich for a generation Uncle Sam had faded from existence but he wasn’t completely forgotten. The next generation of heroes to be called the Freedom Fighters has been performing acts across the country to revive the fighting spirit within Americans and the yearning for freedom in hopes of awakening Uncle Sam once more. Their ploy has worked, Uncle Sam is back!

A great portion of the story is from Sam’s perspective and as usual its always an honest one as he battles Nazi police forces on the streets of Philadelphia and reflects on the good and bad of the nation that birthed him. It’s a reintroduction of the character full of action and excitement while giving new readers the background needed to jump into the story with little trouble. Its good stuff all around seeing Sam in glorious action and hearing his inspiring words while getting a feel for the new America that he has returned to after being asleep for so long. You can see the reactions of people who fear the Reich as well as those who cheer on the appearance of the Freedom fighters to aid Sam. Plus there are some genuine stakes at play, with the American spirit being only just strong enough to revive Uncle Sam he is no longer the powerhouse he once was. Sam has stood toe to toe with juggernauts like Bizarro in previous incarnations but now he struggles to defeat dozens of soldiers. I’ve always been a fan of Uncle Sam in DC comics and this looks like an exciting new iteration of the most patriotic hero of them all and this series promises greater things to come with the revelation that Adolf Hitler II has been keeping Overman on ice for emergency situations.

ART

The art team does an amazing job in this book with a slightly grittier style than most superhero comics are known for but one befitting a war story. Its got some of the roughness of Joe Kubert’s work on Sgt Rock. The work here shares the visceral energy of those war comics especially when combined with the beautiful inks and the colors that harken back to an earlier age of comics, especially in the flashback sequences. This is some of the best Uncle Sam art ever, he practically leaps of the page and the action in this issue is equally explosive.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you’ve ever been a fan of DC’s Freedom Fighters and Elseworlds this book is for you, and even if not this is just a solidly satisfying comic book experience that combines superheroes with alternative history. 5 out of 5!

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

REVIEW: FREEDOM FIGHTERS #5
Writer: Robert Venditti
Art:Â Eddy Barrows
Inks: Eber Ferreira
Colors:Adriand Lucas