Marvel Comics has a long history of mantles and legacy characters. In 2014, former Falcon Sam Wilson joined this tradition after taking up the title of Captain America for a then-decommissioned Steve Rogers. The move was a big deal for fans and creators alike, but as is often the case with comics, it wasn’t permanent. Steve Rogers eventually returned to his iconic role, and Sam Wilson’s future was left in a state of limbo. Now, however, Marvel has announced that it will allow both character to maintain the identity moving forward.
Two new comics, Captain America: Symbol of Truth and Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, will follow the adventures of both men as they navigate what it means to be a hero in modern times. Symbol of Truth will arrive first, in May, and will be written by Tochi Onyebuchi with art from R.B. Silva. The series is set to center around Wilson as the “public-facing” Captain America, or “the one people think of as holding that title.” The story will see the air-born Cap trying to untangle America’s messy, and sometimes shady, foreign policy.
Onyebuchi confirmed the plot is based heavily on action thrillers, with Sam finding himself in the middle of a government conspiracy. Highlighting the “truth” aspect of the title, he continues:
We’ve seen Sam Wilson deal with the legacy of Captain America and race in very inward terms with regards to America: What does it mean for America to accept a Black Captain America? One of the things I’m teasing in my book is, what does it mean for the rest of the world to accept a Black Captain America? That’s another part of the equation. If Captain America is in many ways a mimesis of America, with all the good and bad pathologies, what does that mean for the way in which America interacts with the rest of the world?
Tochi Onyebuchi
Meanwhile, Sentinel of Liberty hits shelves in June. That comic, written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing with art by Carmen Carnero, will focus on Rogers and his quest to figure out who he really is. While Sam acts as the main event, Steve will take time to determine how he fits into the world and the impact of his legacy. Lanzing explains:
In our book, he is going to be really looking at what it means to be Steve Rogers. We’ll see what it means when he finds a threat that truly needs his version of Captain America, and what he has to step up to become that. What does Captain America mean to Steve beyond being the leader of the Avengers and answering to the government? Since he feels he’s handed that off. So what is Steve building? What is he organizing? What do his friends need from him specifically? What does Bucky need from him?
Jackson Lanzing
The new books will be preceded by Captain America #0, co-written by Kelly, Lanzing, and Onyebuchi with art from Mattia De Lulis.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
