ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty,’ Issue #1

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1 is written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly, illustrated by Carmen Carnero, colored by Nolan Woodard, and lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna. It’s published by Marvel Comics. Steve Rogers is attempting to find some sense of normalcy in his life after cross-country journeys and attempts to clear his name. However, the peace doesn’t last long as Steve and his friend Bucky Barnes, better known as the Winter Soldier, halt a mysterious attack on the Fourth of July. The assailant reveals a startling secret: the organization that hired him has a connection to Steve – and it’s connected to the shield he uses as Captain America.

Lanzing and Kelly have made a habit out of reinventing and/or reinvigorating beloved comic book characters, including Batman Beyond at DC Comics and The Harbinger at Valiant. Here, the duo turns their attention to Steve Rogers, with the first half of the issue showing the patriotic Avenger carving out time for himself. He takes art classes at community college and becomes friends with some of his fellow students. He teaches one of his younger neighbors to fight when the boy is cornered by bullies in an alley. He even goes to baseball games and, in true Steve Rogers fashion, roots for the Mets because they’re “underdogs.” It’s a nice change of pace to see a major superhero have a normal life. Steve even admits that it’s nice to have friends who aren’t billionaire geniuses or literal gods.

The book does have plenty of action as well, and that’s where Carnero steps in. Her layouts are epic in every sense of the word; double-page spreads feature Cap and Bucky looking out over New York City. Another has Cap standing tall in front of a series of concentric panels that feature his life history, including his deadliest enemies and others who have taken up the mantle of Captain America over the years. It’s that big, bombastic style that has served Carnero well in other Marvel titles, including Captain Marvel and Miles Morales: Spider-Man. And it even makes Steve’s more mundane activities like a morning job or even moving into his new apartment feel big, as each panel is filled with life.

Carnero is joined by her longtime colorist Woodard, whose palette consists of mostly red, white, and blue – no surprise given the character at the center. That combo of colors isn’t just in Cap’s costume; it’s also in the Fourth of July celebration and Steve’s civilian clothing. It’s even in Caramagna’s lettering, as Steve’s letter captions are a pure blue. In contrast, the mysterious assailant that Cap and Bucky battle is clad in red, black, and silver, with a menacing mask in the shape of a skull and has weaponry that fires blood-red or jet black energy, depending on the function.

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1 is the first step on a bold new journey for Steve Rogers, as the new creative team understands what makes Captain America tick and wants to push him forward,  or at least as far forward as they can. If you enjoyed the debut issue of Captain America: Symbol of Truth, or you love Captain America as a character, I’d highly suggest picking this issue up.

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1 will be available wherever comics are sold on June 15, 2022.