Captain America #696 review: Duel with the Swordsman
By Alex Widen
Captain America crosses swords with the Swordsman! Yet does a man without a blade have an edge?
Captain America #696
Writers: Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
Artist: Chris Samnee
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
More from Comics
- X-Men: 6 reasons why Marvel’s mutants are the best superhero team
- Harley Quinn renewed for a fifth season on Max (and it’s well-deserved)
- Marvel Comics announces seven important X-Men comic books
- The X-Men were betrayed by Captain America in Uncanny Avengers
- Spider-Man: Miles and Peter team-up for their first ongoing series
Often after a franchise experiences controversy, a “back to basics” run follows. It’s often part of the cyclical nature of franchise superhero comics. Considering the dilemmas with maintaining eternal stories, it can become as predictable as the spin cycle. Yet Mark Waid and Chris Samnee bring something different. What could have simply been “damage control” or returning the franchise to an old scribe has a sense of purpose. There is a renewed mission statement and premise.
Image by Marvel Comics
Part of what makes Waid and Samnee a great team isn’t their desire to remake the wheel, but the exact opposite. Both their runs on Daredevil and Black Widow were about making the contemporary clash with the timeless. Their Eisner award for the former was well deserved. Much as he often does, Waid has narrowed down his lead character’s motive in simple terms. Steve Rogers wants to help, because he can. And after spending so much time away from “common folk,” Cap’s hit the road.
Image by Marvel Comics
Hope He Ordered Some Apple Pie!
As a result, Steve has found himself riding into Sauga River, Georgia. A sleepy town “a little north of Atlanta,” it represents another stop on Rogers’ American tour. As he explains to Sharon Carter on the phone, he’s tired of relying on the bankrolls of Tony Stark or SHIELD for his keep. In addition, he’s spent much of his life in New York City, and felt it was time to see more of the country again. Captain America’s gone on road trips before, but the timing seems like its right.
Image by Marvel Comics
Considering he writes Archie, Waid is familiar with “small town America.” As a result, it’s hard not to think of Pop Tate when Steve finds himself inside a plucky mom-and-pop diner. Insisting on washing dishes to earn his supper, the owner and everyone else inside immediately recognize the icon. While everyone is eager for a photo op, others are concerned about the safety of their town. After all, the appearance of a superhero tends to follow an attack by a super villain.
Image by Marvel Comics
That one little girl who was suspicious turned out to be on the money. Sauga River has found itself targeted by a super villain. This time it’s the Swordsman, a rogue who dates back to classic Avengers history. With a blade as sharp as ever, the Swordsman seeks to make Captain America’s stay a short one. Engaging in something of a super villain “protection racket,” Swordsman dreams of blackmailing towns into paying him to avoid crafting disasters there. Icing Cap will boost his credibility!
Image by Marvel Comics
Sword versus Shield!
Meanwhile, the banter between Steve and “Not-Tate” continues. The diner owner refuses to make Steve earn his food, even at the Avenger’s insistence. Yet he also gives Rogers some down to earth advice on how to try to avoid attention to himself. Despite having been impersonated by a Nazi version of himself for two years, Captain America remains the most recognized man in the states! As a result, Steve’s efforts to lay low will have to take a more concerted effort.
Image by Marvel Comics
The plot reveals itself as quickly and bluntly as a golden age comic book. The Swordsman makes a televised challenge to Captain America, daring him to save the Sauga River Dam. His plan is to flood the town to propel his lofty racket. Steve becomes a blur of motion, undressing and riding to the rescue with the speed of any legendary gunslinger. Yet he has his suspicions. After all, the original Swordsman is long dead. Turns out this is yet another new kid out to use an old rogue’s gimmick.
Image by Marvel Comics
While the Swordsman may have the costume and mustache of the original, his sword is brand new. Composed of a Vibranium alloy, it is every bit the match of Captain America’s famous shield. Hence, the pair have a duel which sees them battle all across the dam. Yet its floodgates have been opened electronically, and it seems like the town will be lost! Yet in the end, Cap gets the upper hand on the Swordsman and uses a little cleverness — and brute strength — to save the day!
Image by Marvel Comics
Great Characters Don’t Have to Be Pretentious!
Much like the first issue, Waid and Samnee showcase that a simple story doesn’t have to be boring. The pair have been collaborating together for so long that their rapport and skill translates onto every panel. There is no doubt that Waid understands Captain America completely. There isn’t much to understand, which is what makes him so iconic. The strong protect the weak, and since he’s strong, it’s what he does. The wrinkle now is doing it outside of Time’s Square more often.
Image by Marvel Comics
The angle of a patriotic hero traveling America to reconnect isn’t a new one. J. Michael Straczynski did that in Superman: Grounded in 2011. Captain America himself his hit the open road on his motorcycle to this end several times. Yet this time something seems different. Mark Waid is showcasing a genuine willingness to avoid the status quo for longer than six issues and have Rogers establish his humility again. After all, as Steve notes, it’s been years since he held down a “real” job.
Image by Marvel Comics
Captain America is a celebrity, but it isn’t a status that Rogers wants. The adulation embarrasses him, and being handed things simply because of who he is feels wrong. He has to all but beg “Not-Tate” to allow him to wash just one dish in order to earn his meal. While Steve wants to live undercover, the very concept of that is foreign to him, so he doesn’t even wear a hat. In battle, Captain America is focused on the mission and is ever the professional, keeping chatter to the point.
Image by Marvel Comics
With Art This Good, Even Swordsman Shines!
It may seem odd that Captain America remains so popular within a universe where he was the evil Hydra leader and president for a crossover event. Yet while this serves as a bit of convenience, it also borders on genre savviness. After all, Captain America has been impersonated by others many times in the Marvel Universe. From the Grand Director to alien Skrulls to robots (including the 20′ Ameridroid), it’s a cover story which civilians of the Marvel Universe could easily accept.
Image by Marvel Comics
Swordsman is hardly a deep villain, yet he doesn’t have to be. He represents a threat to be beaten, and little more. Created by Stan Lee and Don Heck in 1965’s Avengers #19, he began as an enemy of Hawkeye. He would later become an anti-hero and ultimately a member of the Avengers who died in battle. Three others have claimed the mantle, including an illegitimate daughter and a guy from another dimension. This new Swordsman is just a placeholder, yet he looks as cool as ever.
Image by Marvel Comics
Speaking of which, Chris Samnee’s artwork is as breathtaking as ever. His role as co-storyteller allows him to craft each other to suit his strengths and artistic whims. Alongside Wilson’s colors, Samnee even makes the gaudy costume of the Swordsman work. Much like the late Darwyn Cooke, there is a timeless elegance to his pencils and inks. The line-work is simple, yet conveys plenty of detail and emotion with a few simple strokes. Their duel alone is worth the cover price.
Image by Marvel Comics
Comics This Good Can Be a Lost Art!
The end of the issue provides a peak at who Captain America’s next adversary is. Subsequent covers reveal it to be Kraven the Hunter, Spider-Man’s old nemesis. It reminds me of Waid’s Daredevil run where he spent a lot of time having Murdock fight villains from other hero’s galleries (like the Spot or Mole Man). It is a little more justified with Cap since many of his key rogues, from Red Skull to Baron Zemo to HYDRA and those affiliated within, have been overused as of late.
Image by Marvel Comics
Next: Cap starts his comeback tour right in #695!
The phrase “instant classic” is often overused, yet it doesn’t feel that way here. After so much controversy and negativity surrounding the franchise ever since 2015, Waid and Samnee are forging a return to form. They’ve removed all of the elements they feel are detrimental and are returning the character to his roots. By becoming a hero of the people again, Captain America is offering a well executed comic series where substance means more than flash. More Marvel comics should be this way.