Written by: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly
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: September 7, 2022
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #4 takes Cap on a tour around his neighborhood to understand what his fellow Americans think the symbol of his shield really means. Then, he fights a T-1000.
Is It Good?
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #4 is not a good comic. The reasons have nothing to do with Kelly and Lanzing’s socio-political soapboxing that permeates every page or the dreadful pacing. It’s not a good comic because almost nothing of import happens until the last four pages. In short, it’s (almost) a waste of time and ink.
As the blurb above lays out, Cap reconsiders what the symbol of his shield means to the average American. He spends most of the issue asking friends, neighbors, and the blue-collar workers who frequent the nearby bar what they think the legacy of America means to them. Lanzing and Kelly take the opportunity to espouse an assortment of (mostly) cynical views of America that lead Cap to conclude that what you choose to do moving forward is more important than where you came from.
To Lanzing and Kelly’s credit, the cynicism issues from the mouths of random citizens, so they avoid the obvious “known characters repurposed as a mouthpiece” criticism, but the collective impression you get from random people is still pretty dour. Regardless, Cap does what Cap does best and takes the feedback to find the most optimistic approach. You may feel depressed reading this issue, but at least Cap gives you enough hope to move forward.
However, the down point isn’t the messaging. It’s the almost total lack of plot progress. So much time and page space are taken up with Cap’s focus group polling that you don’t get any story substance until the very end of the issue. After 80+ years of life, it’s hard to believe a writer with any sense believes nearly an entire issue needs to be devoted to helping Cap decide what he thinks about America, but unfortunately, you’re going to pay $3.99 to see it all over again.
The art in this issue is solid, even if Carnero isn’t given much to work with her besides Cap going around and talking to people in reasonably polite conversation. There’s a bit of action at the end when the liquid metal assassin makes a return, but ultimately, this issue is mostly people sitting around and talking, so kudos to Carnero for trying to make chit-chats look interesting.
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 #4 gives readers a grand tour of Cap’s neighborhood as he asks everyone he knows what they think about America. The cynical, jaded views of America will turn some readers off, but the message isn’t the flaw. It’s the fact that an entire comic is taken up with Cap figuring out what America means to him. This issue is a waste of space.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 