Truth: Red, White & Black by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

Robert Morales and Kyle Baker "Truth: Red, White & Black" - 5/5

I wish I could give this more than five stars. This is such an amazing story. Wow. Really, just...wow.

What this is is a retcon history of Captain America. The story of Captain America is that he was a guy who didn't qualify for the army in WWII, and volunteered for a government experiment that would turn him into a super soldier and allow him to fight. This comic comes up with a backstory for that. What if Captain America was not actually the first Captain America? What if others were experimented on first? And who, in actuality, did the government like to experiment on? Based on the reality of things like the Tuskeegee Experiment, it makes sense that the government would test their super soldier serum on black men (though I also agree with one reviewer I read, who said, but would the government really want to take the risk of having black super soldiers around?). This is the story of those men, especially the one survivor, Isaiah Bradley.

The story is very powerful and I highly recommend this even if you never read comics and know nothing about Captain America. I haven't read American comics since I was a kid, and never knew anything about Captain America before this. It's unnecessary. The comic gives you all the info you need to know, and believe me, you will not regret reading this, though it is a very hard story to read.

My one complaint would be the art, which is very, very cartoony and doesn't really fit the tone of the story that well (as well as not really being to my taste, but American superhero comic art is not to my taste, period; I actually think I prefer this cartooniness slightly to the usual superhero style).

Also, personally, it was hard to get used to reading the right way, as I'm used to reading manga and thus my default for comics is top right to bottom left.

Comments

[alias_sqbr]

Oh wow, that sounds awesome *adds to ever growing list*

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

It's such a great idea and really well-executed. I was just blown away.

finally, a chance to use my Captain America icon appropriately!

[puritybrown.livejournal.com]

The funny thing is that at the time it came out, a lot of superhero fans complained about the art style, and I just assumed they were being typical grouchy superhero fans with narrow horizons. Now you've got me wondering. I like Kyle Baker's style, but I've only read GNs that he also wrote, and maybe the art synchs up better when that's the case.

It's odd that I've never read this, considering that Robert Morale came up with the Best Quote EVAR in an interview around that time:

RICHARD: A number of people felt you betrayed the concept of Captain America, indeed America itself, in Truth with what some saw as crude exaggeration. Is your work more caricature than satire?

"BOB: Those people are stupid, Rich. I'm not responsible for stupid people. I'm aware of them, though, and I plan my travels accordingly."

Ever since then, I have used "Those people are stupid, and I'm not responsible for stupid people" as a daily mantra. It makes life so much easier.

Re: finally, a chance to use my Captain America icon appropriately!

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

LOL! That's a great quote!

I did go back and forth on the art, and there are definitely some panels I like a lot, but overall I just wasn't that thrilled.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_stranger_here/]

The book linked above seems to be out of print, so I just wanted to add that there's an in-print edition available here (http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Truth-Robert-Morales/dp/0785136665/).

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that link!

[marinarusalka.livejournal.com]

Heh, I read this just a few days ago! Like you, I had some issues with the art, but loved the story. It was just... such a logical extension of the Captain America origin story, I'm almost surprised no one thought of it sooner.

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

I'd like to say I'm surprised, but honestly I'm half surprised it was allowed to be published at all. I've seen fan reaction that was ranting about how this "ruins" Captain America, etc. It's not something people want to think about.

[sanguinity]

:: I've seen fan reaction that was ranting about how this "ruins" Captain America, etc. ::

SO. TIRED. OF. THAT. EXCUSE. I think it's especially horrible in history class, but I don't like it any better anywhere else.

Ever since I saw first mention of this, it made so much sense. Dying to read it.

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I mean, I know a lot of people don't want icky reality intruding on their fantasy, but...deal with it. :p

[b-writes.livejournal.com]

SO. TIRED. OF. THAT. EXCUSE. I think it's especially horrible in history class, but I don't like it any better anywhere else.

It's especially ludicrous in Marvel Comics, where they never saw a timeline they couldn't screw up.

[billies-blues.livejournal.com]

i am sooo interested right now.

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

It's really, really good!

[b-writes.livejournal.com]

I really want to read this, and am glad to hear it's good! Isaiah Bradley's grandson ends up in the Young Avengers, which I really enjoyed.

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's cool that they tied it in even further like that.

[b-writes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have a lot of problem with current Marvel, but it was cool to have the continuity. (And I do love YA.)