J. Michael Straczynski’s return to Marvel turned many heads. The renowned writer has penned some of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes while working for Marvel Comics, most famously Thor and Spider-Man. In fact, some – this writer included – consider Straczynski’s time on Amazing Spider-Man as the best modern run the character had, which left insurmountable shoes to fill. Naturally, it was only destiny for this writer to one day take on the reins of the First Avenger’s series. And in this closing arc, Straczynski took the time to bring together these pillars of Marvel for one last hurrah. The purpose? To save Broxton.
But before that, Steve Rogers had to pick up his shield and protect some of the most persecuted people in the Marvel Universe: mutants. With the fall of Krakoa, mutants have needed more allies than ever before, and Steve has decided to protect them from Death. And with all that said and done, this is also Straczynski’s last arc on the character before a series relaunch with Chip Zdarsky returning to Marvel to write the character. So, given all this, how does Straczynski’s final arc on the character look? Was it good? Well, let’s break it down.
Marvel
The first half of the story is about Captain America, Skinz, Becc, and Malik preparing to fight Death Incarnate. To be honest, this half moves incredibly slowly, and despite its great use of exposition, it feels a bit drawn out. We spend a bit more than necessary on the preparation to fight death, and then the battle itself falls short. Meanwhile, the latter half is about Captain America, Spider-Man, and Thor banding together to save Broxton. After the events of the last issue, Steve wants nothing more than solitude and closure. Easier said than done when the weight of responsibility hangs over your cape, or shield, or web-shooters. And when Thor comes knocking, Steve and Peter don’t hesitate to lend a hand to a friend.
That seems to be the theme of this short arc – helping those in need. Straczynski’s strength in writing these three heroes truly shines in these three issues; each has a moment or two to shine and show how never-ending their strength is; and how much more powerful it is when united together. While some of the magic elements are a bit confusing and hard to follow, it’s really not necessary to hyper-analyze as the story’s pacing helps translate what may confuse readers unfamiliar with Thor’s lore. The only moment that feels out of place is that it feels like there should have been more direct follow-up on Captain America fighting death and analyzing the repercussions of this. Overall, the latter half of the issue is significantly stronger than its first half, and feels like a true love letter to these characters.
Marvel
Jesús Saiz, Carlos Magno, Matt Hollingsworth, and Espen Grunderjern are the artists and colorists for this arc. Neither Saiz’s art nor Hollingsworth’s colors exactly do it for me. Saiz’s artwork is far too stationary, and every panel feels more like a flash into the next moment rather than a fluid motion. Similarly, Hollingsworth’s colors are quite dull and have little life to them. In many ways, the issues with this pair are comic in name only and lack any dynamic features of energy or urgency. An example of this is unfortunately the first issue, which felt like it dragged without any rhyme or reason to it, despite the clear emphasis on the severity of the situation that the narrative is trying to push for. As a result, the issues with this creative team create a lackluster story with little to enjoy reading.
However, where they fail, I find that Carlos Magno and Espen Grunderjern succeed in delivering a captivating story full of life and motion. Magno’s line work is much more creative and feels full of intentionality, with creative paneling to further emphasize moments we should focus on. Meanwhile, Grunderjern’s colors are more intense and deep, which helps to create action scenes that resonate far better. A great example of this is easily when we see Captain America fight death, where the colors from Grunderjern pop and make the sequence feel more gritty and remind us that we’re witnessing a single man fight death incarnate. Another great moment with Magno’s line work is issue #14, where we’re introduced to the role Spider-Man and Thor play; where the sheer loneliness of each character is encapsulated perfectly through their facial expressions and cagey posture. Through these moments, Magno can deliver a heartfelt and somber story about three lost souls trying to connect.
Marvel
Overall, the final arc of this Captain America run is quite enjoyable. It has great action and some heartfelt moments. While parts of the issue fall flat, such as artistic choices I find particularly unappealing and inconsistent follow-up, the story generally is enjoyable. And in the final moments of this story, the last few pages feel nostalgic and uplifting, which help to end on a high note. Given that, this would be a great collected read for fans of J. Michael Straczynski’s time on Captain America, Spider-Man, and/or Thor.
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