Ending a run on a comic book character is never easy, especially when it comes to Marvel and DC. Al Ewing’s work on Immortal Hulk helped redefine Bruce Banner for a generation, leaning into the Jade Giant’s horror roots. Likewise, Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman delved into a character study laced with cosmic horror during their tenure on Venom. On the other hand, Cates & Ryan Ottley’s Hulk run felt cut down in its prime with only 14 issues. Reading Captain America Finale #1 by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Carmen Carnero, Nolan Woodward and Joe Caramagna, I couldn’t help but feel the same way I did after Hulk #14.
Granted, it’s an issue that comes with a great pitch: after plenty of machinations and misdirections, Steve Rogers stands primed to take out the Outer Circle. So does Bucky Barnes – although the former Winter Soldier strained his friendship with Rogers by joining the Circle to take them down from the inside out. Will Steve, Bucky and their allies emerge triumphant, or will the Century Game consume them?
Lanzing and Kelly leave no stone unturned with their script, whether it’s the status of Steve and Bucky’s relationship or the fate of the Outer Circle. The tradeoff is that said story seems to move at a rapid pace, barely giving readers time to breathe or even process what they’re reading. What’s stuck out about Lanzing and Kelly’s work to me, other than the fact that they’ve seemed to tackle a host of comics that appeal to me, is that they’re very methodical in their storytelling. From the mystery of Grootfall in Guardians of the Galaxy to the mysteries underlying Batman Beyond: Neo-Year and the current Star Trek title, this is a pair of writers who take their time in building things up. Whether it’s editorial interference or having to wrap up for J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz’s incoming run, I can’t help but feel that we needed more time.
But the book itself is gorgeous, thanks in no small part to Carnero. She delivers some of the most amazing action sequences I’ve ever seen, including a pair of splash pages that feature Cap and his Invaders pitting against the might of the Outer Circle’s army. One of those pages has Cap sailing through the air, landing on the ground, and rolling to his feet – all in one motion. The other shows him moving from villain to villain, with his inner narration ruminating about how many times he’s faced said villains and how to take them out. It’s literal art in motion, and definitely worth the price of admission.
Woodward tops off the issue with a subtle shift in palettes, depending on who the scene follows. If it’s Steve, most of the issue is brighter – as befitting a man who calls himself the Sentinel of Liberty. Carmagna’s word boxes are also tinted a light blue, with a white star in the middle that only makes Steve’s thoughts transparent to the reader in more ways than one. With Bucky, whole panels are wreathed in shadows; again, fitting for the man known as the “Winter Soldier” to operate in darkness.
Captain America Finale #1 delivers a fitting, yet perfunctory finale to the Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty series. For what it’s worth I genuinely enjoyed the work this creative team brought to the table when it comes to Steve Rogers. But after the phenomenal ending of Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s Daredevil, not to mention Lanzing and Kelly’s other work, I can’t help but wish we had more time.
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