Back to the Basics: Legacy's Captain America Brings Back A Whole Lot More Than Just Classic Numbering

Welcome back to another edition of Comic Relief! Where we talk about all the goings on in the world of nerd!

This passed Wednesday, we saw the release of a book I have impatiently been awaiting. Marvel released their first issue of their Rebirth Captain America series. Captain America 695 returns the icon to his classic issue numbering, however, that is far from the only classic thing brought back in this book. The whole first issue feels like an homage to a Jack Kirby book. The feel, the art (even though it's more stylized for modern times) feels like it's being ripped from the golden age. This is a book that will be well worth adding to a collectors stock.

The first arc of this new series is aptly named: Home of the Brave. The whole point of this arc is that Cap is doing some soul searching after the events of Secret Empire, but before we go too far into that, let's talk a bit about what happens in this book. The story starts off with a brief overview of the Steve Rogers story, but then takes us on an adventure of Captain America right when he got out of the ice. A town is being held hostage by a white supremacist group called Rampart. The panels showcase Cap fighting off these Nazi goons, and it just feels so right.The colors, the action, all of it screams Jack Kirby and it sends you down a massive nostalgia train while simultaneously delivering new material.What's probably one of the best parts is that, in the process of saving a group of kids, one of them is inspired by Cap's example and gets involved. This little girl draws a Rampart goon's attention from shooting Cap while his back is turned. The memory comes to a close with Cap using the American flag as a shock blanket to wrap around this little girl who has just saved his life. It's just 100 percent what a Cap book should be, and this is only the first 3 pages.

The book then takes a jump to the present day. Steve Rogers is riding a Harley down the highway, to find a giant sign that Welcomes him to Captain America Nebraska. Surely enough, it is the same town that we saw him save at the beginning of the book. They are holding an annual Captain America festival, celebrating the man and what he did for the town. Now it is important to note that Steve is fresh on the heels of facing down the Hydra version of himself in the finale of Secret Empire, and that this journey is in no small part his path to earning back the trust of the American people. Even after the terrible events of Secret Empire, these people never forgot who Steve really was, what he really stood for. Steve walks around the festival and hears the people tell stories about what Captain America means to them, or a story about how he had saved them that day years before. Then action comes up again, as agents from Rampart take the stage at the show. Cap springs into the fight and reveals his true intention of hunting this organization down.

Cap beats the nazis and the townspeople show their gratitude. They thank him for saving their town once again, however, Steve refuses the thanks. He points out the instincts of people in the town to take care of one another during the fight, to make sure everyone was okay. These heroics weren't inspired by anybody but themselves, and that is something to be proud of. "The Strong protect the weak," he says, and is met with a reply from a familiar girl who has grown quite a bit, but still clutching onto an American flag that is draped about her like the last time we saw her. "That's the rule, welcome back." Cap drives off into the sunset after saluting the town for what they did.

While that essentially wraps up the first issue my favorite part to read was the author's note left by Mark Waid. In it he gives a very touching and fun story about how Cap was his favorite Marvel hero as a kid amidst a preference for DC characters. He details his admiration for the character's nobility and never say die attitude. However, the most important thing he says comes in the end:

I share these confessions with you not because I'm in a mood to cringe in embarrassment now. (And yet...) I'm just willing to go that far to reassure you, if you're a new reader not sure what you're getting into, that Cap has been a meaningful part of my entire life. As unfashionable and retro-corny as it is, I have always believed that it's possible to be a good guy not because you need to exorcise some personal demons or because your expecting some reward, but because life is just better when I watch your back and you watch mine. And I choose to think that, at heart you believe the same.

I don't recommend, as an adult, drawing all your morality and ethics from super heroes. They are fortunate enough to live in a wonderful world where might always makes right, one sometimes absent the gray areas we struggle with as we mature. Nonetheless I will share Steve Rogers' core belief until the day I die. If you have the ability to help, then you have the responsibility, because everybody ultimately benefits. Life isn't fair, but people can strive to be, and we are all better for it when we do. 

It would appear that the Sentinel of Liberty is indeed in trustworthy hands. This was a helluva first issue to start off a run and I am looking forward to checking out what this team will bring to the character as they have already brought back so much that has felt missing for quite some time.

I hope you all have enjoyed and please check out Captain America 695: Home of the Brave! We will see you next time on Comic Relief!