Steve Englehart

It takes a bit for this series to rise above a basic "ride the kung fu wave" that it was started under, but the reader can really feel the story begin to kick into gear once artist Paul Gulacy signs on, then almost immediately after, writer Doug Moench comes aboard.

Gulacy, as a comic artist, definitely has his growing pains in the first few issues, but almost immediately, this goes from a standard Marvel comic in the 70s to something far deeper and far more cinematic.

Pains are taken with the supporting characters and, with each issue from the 20s on, the book overall gets better and better. Yes, there are the silly, dumb issues, but overall, this was one of the shining examples of what could be done on a series with the right team in place.… (mer)

In Secret Empire, Captain America finds himself framed for murder and shunned by mainstream America as a criminal organisation known as the Secret Empire seeks to destroy his reputation. His journey to redeem his good name sees him team up with the X-Men, and leads him to a very unexpected final battle in the White House. Disgusted by what he finds, he ditches his patriotic uniform and starts going by Nomad. Beard and all.

This comic explores the tension between duty and dissent, and shows a conflicted Captain America, torn between his patriotic devotion and his own principles. Additionally, It's interesting how this comic reflects the era in which it was created. In 1974, America was gripped by the Watergate scandal, as President Richard Nixon was accused of criminal acts involving breaking-and-entering and a subsequent cover-up. With all the scandals going on in the Trump administration, this comic still remains relevant and a classic although it does read often like a product of its time and place (and has one too many Fooms! and Pows! to describe actions for my 21st taste).… (mer)

Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing with the lowest amount of bias.

The characters match their game counterparts, but the book is paced out in a way that prevented me from getting a firm grasp on what was happening and why I was supposed to be emotionally invested in it. The time keeps hopping back and forth but with the same characters, so it is difficult to keep track of what situation the heroes were in at any given time.

I listened to the audiobook version: I did not like the narrator though. His Gamora voice and his Kor-El voice hardly sounded any different and his switching between character voices wasn't very smooth.… (mer)