Written by: Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing
Art by: Carmen Carnero
Colors by: Nolan Woodard
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Carmen Carnero, Alejandro Sánchez
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: July 6, 2022
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #2 follows Steve Rogers as he traces the leads behind the 4th of July attacks and a cryptic message about the “true” owners of his shield’s symbol. As Steve gets closer to another target, he finds the problem is much bigger than anyone could have possibly realized.
Was It Good?
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #2 is a straightforward and solid issue in Kelly & Lanzing’s take on Marvel’s ultimate American soldier. The art is excellent, the pacing is smooth, and the cliffhanger unveils a massive threat bigger than Cap’s America-loving heart. However, there are two flaws – one a minor faux pas, the other a horse pill – that make this issue less than ideal.
When last we left Cap, he squelched the terrorist attack on NYC during the 4th of July festivities. Cap and his senior buddies learned an organization was using old radio frequencies to transmit targeting information to terror cells around the world. Now, Cap heads for Germany to stop the terrorists from attacking a massive power plant meant to provide green, sustainable energy for large swaths of Europe. So far, so good.
When Cap gets to the powerplant, he finds the terrorists are cobbled together from different organizations he’s fought with and fought against over his entire career. Agents from Hydra, SHIELD, the Hand, and more have been brought together by a dark, secret organization for some unknown purpose, and it’s up to Cap to figure it out and stop them.
Again, this is a solid issue in terms of essential execution. The pacing is excellent, the dialog (except for a minor but glaring faux pas) reads well, and the action is intense. Carnero and Woodard turn in fine art that portrays the quiet moments and raucous action with equal dexterity.
However, the minor dialog faux pas and the horse pill hit you hard. The little faux pas involves a line Cap throws out during the fight about Cap excepting men who “follow orders.” In context and with a generous attitude, the line is meant to rail against good men who follow evil orders. Still, the way it’s delivered here is so careless that it’s easy to interpret the line as insulting to men and women who serve in the military. That line should have been caught and worded better.
The glaring horse pill you need to swallow reveals that a massive, clandestine organization exists and is so powerful as to hold sway over every other secret, clandestine organization on the planet. This organization, the Outer Circle, is new, yet its mere introduction feels like a tired retread of stories we’ve already seen. How many more secret organizations can the Earth have before they start to run out of room? Again, it’s tiring and boring.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts:
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #2 unwraps a secret cabal powerful enough to wield power over every other secret organization on Earth, both good and evil. The pacing is excellent, the dialog (except for an inexcusable line that comes off as an insult) is natural, and the plot has plenty of meat on the bone. However, the main villain reveal feels like another “been there, done that” retread that sucks all the creative potential out of the series.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 