Captain America: Sam Wilson #5 - A Review

Sam Wilson's in the clutches of Serpent Solutions!  Misty Knight is on the case but even she's hard pressed to save Captain America in the nick of time now! Thankfully, help is coming form on high, in the form of a victim turned hero, who has unwittingly formed a special bond with Sam Wilson. Could a new Falcon be taking wing?  Perhaps... if he can survive the night.


I've praised Nick Spencer as a writer of comedy and political commentary before. This issue includes plenty of both (I particularly love Viper's speech about how a background in advertising is a natural fit for organized villainy) but it also showcases Spencer's talent for economy of storytelling.

There's several subplots going on in the background, ranging from Joaquin Torres's spirited retelling his life's story (which just so happens to give us a recap of the series so far) to the mostly silent flashback depicting Diamondback's downfall and return to supervillainy. Both are gripping tales for different reasons and the whole issue is a wonderful read.


The artwork by Paul Renaud and Romulo Fajardo perfectly matches the script, beat for beat. The action flows smoothly from panel to panel, even as it switches between multiple scenes. The action is well choreographed and the colors are well chosen.

Sam Wilson, Captain America #4 - A Review

Sam Wilson has big problems. And not just getting turned into a wolf-man, though that is annoying and Misty Knight's jokes aren't helping. No, the new Captain America's biggest problem is that The Serpent Society is going legit, offering their services to big Wall Street firms as Serpent Solutions. Because money can make anything respectful. Even human trafficking and illegal medical experimentation.

This month sees a new art team which proves to be the equal of the previous one. Paul Renaud proves more than capable of matching Daniel Acuna in terms of quality. And the palettes utilized by Romulo Fajardo are well-chosen and look great!

One would never accuse Nick Spenser of being subtle in his politics or his storytelling. Indeed, it's hard to imagine how less subtle a comic could be, featuring a werewolf Captain America and Viper of the Serpent Society playing golf with a bunch of CEOs - his mask still on under his jaunty golfing cap! No, this book is not subtle. But it makes its points well and is a laugh riot to boot. Yet we also get some good action sequences as well. In short, its everything you could hope for in a Captain America comic.