CREDIT: Marvel
Rating: 3.5/5 – Good But Not Great After a Seven Year Wait.
By ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
Believe it or not, it’s been seven years since the release of Captain America: White issue number zero. Seven…years. I’ve been a fan of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sales’ “color” books from the past that include Spider-Man: Blue and Hulk: Grey, so although the time it’s taken since the last issue till now has entered the ridiculous phase, I’m glad it’s finally out. Unfortunately I don’t think it was worth the wait. Captain America: White tells a story of Cap and Bucky before Bucky’s death so we’re dealing with World War II, a young Captain America, and the Howling Commandos. All great subject matter, but the writing fell flat for me.
At first when I picked up this first issue, I was pleasantly surprised by the weight and page count. Upon further inspection, Marvel has reprinted the zero issue as well as ten-plus pages of extras that includes a lengthy interview with the creators, which again, originally ran in issue zero. For those readers who haven’t read that zero issue, for $4.99 it’s actually a pretty good deal. For me who’s read the first issue as well as the interview in back, it left me feeling as though I had to pay a premium to get this first issue. Even though I paid for that zero issue 7 years ago, it is irritating to have to pay for it again, that just added to the aggravation I already felt after a seven year wait.
Tim Sale makes the most of the story with some gorgeous art. The tale takes place in the somewhat present day, but flashes back to the past with Cap and Bucky out on two different missions. Those missions are straight forward ops and don’t reveal any new information we haven’t seen before, but seeing Sale’s art especially in the WWII era was a treat. There are two splash pages in particular that really stand out, and the colors by Dave Stewart complete the look.
As much as I love Sale’s art and have enjoyed the previous “color” books by these two creators, my enthusiasm for this series has waned. Paying $5.00 for material that I’ve seen before and a story that wasn’t breaking any new ground is a let down, and one that has discouraged me from picking up the rest of this series “off the rack” as they come out. I’ll be waiting to see if I can find future issues on the cheap at a future convention since the idea of waiting for the trade seems like I’d be spending way too much money on something I’ve already paid for twice.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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