Post by goldenfist on Oct 30, 2008 11:21:09 GMT -5
Ign.com reviews Captain America: Theater of War - Operation Zero Point
Considering my love for genre fiction, the pitch of a new installment of the golden age Captain America isn't a hard sell. Keeping that in mind, even if it is a bit by the numbers, the Knaufs' foray into period fiction provides yet another example of how much better the Steve Rogers version of Captain America works when confined to the WWII era.
The whole ideology behind Captain America's existence makes a great deal more sense when framed within the time period of his creation. The 1940's era of America was a far more patriotic, far less cynical time period than the one we live in today. One could argue both sentiments are/were warranted when taking into consideration their respective trials and tragedies, but it is, without a doubt, clear that the two periods are not in any way congruent.
While the initial Silver Age stories worked by placing Rogers into the "fish out of water" schematic, eventually that well dried up, resulting in a prominently featured character that had been stripped of nearly all of his unique facets and tribulations. The Knaufs waste no time in taking Cap back to his roots. The hero serves as a beacon of the general American sentiments from the era, using the "American Way" to highlight civility and morality even during the throws of war. Both enemies and allies alike view Captain America as wholly representative of America and its burgeoning capabilities. In many ways, the rise of Steve Rogers serves as a metaphor for America's growth as a world power, a point the Knaufs reinforce quite well, especially considering the brevity of the issue at hand.
Somewhat ironically, however, this declaration of morality serves as a double-edged sword. While the sweeping jingoistic sentiments are somewhat refreshing, they also wander a bit into the realm of clich?. Some of the introspective narrations work astoundingly well, while others feel a tad overstated. This is particularly true towards the tail end of the issue, where Cap gives a comparatively sappy speech in honor of a fallen comrade, delivering a monologue that seems to be ripped right out of a George Reeves era Superman episode.
As for the artwork, Mitch Breitweiser's pencils are spot-on. For the sake of comparison, his designs, helped in great part by the colorist (Elizabeth Breitweiser), holds a small degree of similarity to Darwyn Cooke's The New Frontier. The character designs are much more realistic, but the yellow hues of the backgrounds make the book appear authentically dated, which in the case of a story like this is of monumental importance.
In the end, the Knaufs present a well-told, if not predictable period piece. The story itself, with its UFOs and altruistic scientists, isn't anything original, but some of the character moments manage to stir enough interest to make the book easy to recommend. The authors' exploration of a young and unsure Captain America works on a conceptual level, but is also executed well enough that I'd certainly like to see more.
Review Score: 7.9 Good
Considering my love for genre fiction, the pitch of a new installment of the golden age Captain America isn't a hard sell. Keeping that in mind, even if it is a bit by the numbers, the Knaufs' foray into period fiction provides yet another example of how much better the Steve Rogers version of Captain America works when confined to the WWII era.
The whole ideology behind Captain America's existence makes a great deal more sense when framed within the time period of his creation. The 1940's era of America was a far more patriotic, far less cynical time period than the one we live in today. One could argue both sentiments are/were warranted when taking into consideration their respective trials and tragedies, but it is, without a doubt, clear that the two periods are not in any way congruent.
While the initial Silver Age stories worked by placing Rogers into the "fish out of water" schematic, eventually that well dried up, resulting in a prominently featured character that had been stripped of nearly all of his unique facets and tribulations. The Knaufs waste no time in taking Cap back to his roots. The hero serves as a beacon of the general American sentiments from the era, using the "American Way" to highlight civility and morality even during the throws of war. Both enemies and allies alike view Captain America as wholly representative of America and its burgeoning capabilities. In many ways, the rise of Steve Rogers serves as a metaphor for America's growth as a world power, a point the Knaufs reinforce quite well, especially considering the brevity of the issue at hand.
Somewhat ironically, however, this declaration of morality serves as a double-edged sword. While the sweeping jingoistic sentiments are somewhat refreshing, they also wander a bit into the realm of clich?. Some of the introspective narrations work astoundingly well, while others feel a tad overstated. This is particularly true towards the tail end of the issue, where Cap gives a comparatively sappy speech in honor of a fallen comrade, delivering a monologue that seems to be ripped right out of a George Reeves era Superman episode.
As for the artwork, Mitch Breitweiser's pencils are spot-on. For the sake of comparison, his designs, helped in great part by the colorist (Elizabeth Breitweiser), holds a small degree of similarity to Darwyn Cooke's The New Frontier. The character designs are much more realistic, but the yellow hues of the backgrounds make the book appear authentically dated, which in the case of a story like this is of monumental importance.
In the end, the Knaufs present a well-told, if not predictable period piece. The story itself, with its UFOs and altruistic scientists, isn't anything original, but some of the character moments manage to stir enough interest to make the book easy to recommend. The authors' exploration of a young and unsure Captain America works on a conceptual level, but is also executed well enough that I'd certainly like to see more.
Review Score: 7.9 Good