Captain America: Symbol of Truth #7 Review

Written by: Tochi Onyebuchi
Art by: Ig Guara
Colors by: Jesus Aburtov
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: R.B. Silva, Jesus Aburtov
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: November 30, 2022

Captain America: Symbol of Truth #7 begins Sam Wilson’s journey into international peacekeeper when he decides to fight a Civil War on foreign soil. Will Sam be branded an international menace for violating the sovereignty of other nations, or will he be hailed as a hero for picking sides in a fight that’s not his own?

Is It Good?

Okay, sure. I’m having a little bit of cheeky fun with the description above, but in truth, it’s accurate.

Captain America: Symbol of Truth #7 doesn’t have anything to do with solving the mystery behind Falcon’s poisoning or the murder of Mohannda’s visiting Prime Minister or White Wolf’s convoluted, secret plan to do… something. Captain America: Symbol of Truth #7 is all about Tochi Onyebuchi deciding that the Civil War in Mohannda is wrong, that there is a clear “right side” in the Civil War, and sending Sam Wilson into Mohannda to put an end to the war whether his government, Mohannda’s government, or anyone else likes it or not.

There’s nothing wrong with sending Sam Wilson into a political hotspot to provide assistance, but there are laws and governments in place for a reason. By taking this “torpedoes be damned” approach to problem resolution, Onyebuchi is ignoring the basics of what makes a well-done political thriller thrilling. The reader should be asking questions such as, “What Mohanndan allies can Sam collaborate with to lend aid?” or “Is Sam willing to give up his shield when he acts in violation of American laws and principles to satisfy his personal sense of vengeance?” Frankly, this story is too superficial to instigate those questions, so all you’re left with is a man acting on his personal code of justice/vengeance, which makes him fall short of the mantle he now claims.

The biggest wrinkle in this issue is the utter lack of plot development on an arc that started strong. Sam isn’t concerned with tracking down the terrorists who murdered the PM or poisoned Falcon. Sam has all but abandoned finding the person who bankrolled Crossbones’s attack on Wakanda (White Wolf). And there’s not a hint or mention that the Vibranium smuggling activities led to anything other than a plot device from the previous arc. Onyebuchi’s story is lost.

Well, at least the art is pretty good. Guara’s line work is crisp and detailed, and Aburtov’s color shading is outstanding. You may disagree with the story, as I do, but you can’t argue with the high-quality art.

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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Bits and Pieces

Whatever Tochi Onyebuchi intended to do with the first issue in this new arc has been completely abandoned in Captain America: Symbol of Truth #7. Sam forces his way into a Civil War on foreign soil because he chooses to do so, forgetting the plot elements set up in the previous issue and doing nothing to progress the plot in this issue. The art’s great, but the story is an utter miss.