Black Comics Month: Keeping It Real With ‘Captain America: Symbol Of Truth’

After almost four years, Sam Wilson is finally strapping back on the wings and shield for a Marvel Cinematic adventure. Yes, it really has been almost four years since Falcon and the Winter Soldier blinked onto Disney+, before being lost in the sort of mess of the MCU’s fourth phase.

Seems a perfect time, all that synergy, for Captain America to headline the second entry of Black Comics Month! Where every Friday this month we (myself & sometimes a friend) will be bringing you a column specifically focused on comics from Black creators. They’ll span the vast genres that comic books can touch from superheroes to magic to vampires and even cyberpunk.

Unfortunately for Sam, the amount of Black creators that have handled the character regularly, as Captain America, is pretty darn short (as has been his time slinging the shield in the comics) since they demoted him back to Falcon after Steve Rogers came out of his Hydra/Nazi duplicate state following Secret Empire.

That makes the choice for this column easy. Naturally, we’ll be covering Captain America: Symbol of Truth which was the second and most recent time that Sam took back up the shield. It ran alongside the Steve Rogers led Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty. For sake of ease, we’ll be looking at the first six issue (first trade) featuring the work of Tochi Onyebuchi, R.B. Silva, Zé Carlos, Julian Shaw, IG Guara, Jesus Aburtov, and Joe Caramagna.

As a Sam Wilson fan, and especially of him being Captain America, this was the series that myself and many were waiting for.

With Onyebuchi’s previous work as a civil rights lawyer, there was a strong undercurrent of politics and especially racial politics. Yet, never was there the “This guy ain’t the real Cap!” issue that the Sam Wilson: Captain America series from 2015 was dealing with near constantly. In these pages there is no doubt that he is Captain America as much as Steve who, as mentioned, concurrently holds the mantle.

Just like the movie, Sam has a partner here in the current Falcon Joaquin Torres. Their interplay and where things go for them is solid. Alongside them is Misty Knight, who has a romantic connection with Sam at this point, bringing them information and helping out where and when she can.

From the opening sequence action-packed train fight sequence of the book, it’s clear that Onyebuchi completely understands Sam and everyone else. Guest stars in this arc include Deadpool, Doctor Doom, Black Panther, Shuri and more, who are all written spectacularly. There is a hefty important feeling permeating this series, standing in contrast to the way that Marvel tends to treat Sam overall.

It’s a problem also highlighted by how the character went series-less after this one, until the recently debuted mini-series that was brought out just for movie synergy. I happen to have a whole article written about this very problem.

Back to the good Sam talk though!

Much of that importance also stems from the artistic side. Silva is one of the artistic stars at Marvel these days, after handling some of the biggest things they’ve had going on. Like many other artists before him, seeing Silva’s name attached to a book means that Marvel is putting some oomph and stakes behind it. Certain artists have that feeling to them where it’s clear that the publisher wants to sell some issues.

Carlos, Shaw, and Guara all have their unique styles that differ from one another as well as from Silva. Yet they all share a lot of the similar enough qualities to make this shifting of artists in the series first issues pretty smooth. Shifting between smoother and rougher art styles, most of it fits the story at hand and keeps the characters powerful and energetic.

Everything is just so big and bold in the book with the vibrant but also hefty darker color palettes that Aburtov brings to bear. Voices are solid and creative thanks to veteran letterer Caramagna who has all the skill and delivery.

As a whole the series works from start to finish, even if some of the end starts to feel a bit rushed.

For once it really allowed Sam as Captain America to be the huge hero. No Steve looming over his shoulder or doubts being piped into his ears by others. Just taking on the mantle and making it is own, standing up for the people and not backing down in the face of adversity or governments. Standing toe-to-toe with the likes of Doom is some big leagues stuff and makes this comic fan giddy.

Any fan of the character, or anyone that has been curious, needs to read this series right now. Maybe even read it instead of watching the film, if you’re on the fence about that.

Captain America: Symbol Of Truth is widely available in various formats from Marvel Comics.