ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Captain America: Symbol of Truth,’ Issue #1

Captain America: Symbol of Truth #1 is written by Tochi Oyenbuchi, illustrated by R.B. Silva, colored by Jesus Arbutov, and lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna. It’s published by Marvel Comics. Part 1 of “Homeland” finds Sam Wilson, who’s taken up the mantle of Captain America once again, being alerted by his on-again/off-again girlfriend Misty Knight that a smuggling operation has managed to get their hands on a component of the Super-Soldier Serum that empowered Steve Rogers. However, what he doesn’t know is that the White Wolf, the Black Panther’s adopted brother, is launching a plan of his own that involves the deadly assassin Crossbones.

This week also features the debut of the Moon Knight: Black, White, & Blood anthology, which piggybacks off of the finale of the Moon Knight television series. Symbol of Truth takes a similar approach, as it’s debuting after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier saw Sam taking up the mantle of Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I think that’s a great way to build up interest in a character when they debut in other media; whether they’re old or new, fans will be looking for comics to read featuring these characters and this happens to be a great jumping-on point.

A large part of that is thanks to Oyenbuchi’s scripting and Silva’s artwork. The opening of the issue wastes no time in getting to the action, as Sam and Joaquin engage in battle with the armored mercenaries on the train. Silva, best known for his work on X-Men titles including X-Men Gold and Powers of X, brings the same sense of scale to Sam’s adventures. Cap is shown weaving and dodging gunfire, and a series of panels features him taking out the mercenaries with a series of punches, kicks, and shield throws. Combined with Aburtov’s bold color palette, especially the use of red and blue, and Caramagna’s in-your-face lettering adding oomph to the fight scenes, this is a visually vibrant book.

Oyenbuchi also starts to weave an intriguing narrative that includes elements of the Black Panther mythos as well as Captain America’s. Using the White Wolf as a potential enemy is an intriguing choice, especially since it’s juxtaposed with a “Wakanda Forever” movement that’s said to take off in America. Oyenbuchi also has fun writing Sam and Joaquin’s partnership, which mirrors Sam’s old partnership with Steve Rogers, as well as flirtatious banter between Sam and Misty. And while this isn’t Sam’s first go-around as Captain America, this is the first time that he’s been written by a Black writer, which makes a sentence where Sam says he’s trying to make America “a place where we can live and thrive” hit far harder than it would have under another writer’s pen.

Captain America: Symbol of Truth #1 launches a new era of Sam Wilson wielding the shield, with plenty of action and character interaction to hook fans old and new. This title and the upcoming Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty is launching a new era for Captain America and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Especially since the next issue features Sam teaming up with Deadpool, of all people.

Captain America: Symbol of Truth #1 will be available wherever comics are sold on May 11, 2022.