THE TRUTH: RED, WHITE & BLACK By Robert Morales & Kyle Baker Publisher: Marvel Comics Format: Trade Paperback
“If the army determines they need a Steve Rogers, they’re going to move Heaven and Hell to get one, the poor b%stard.”
This trade collects a miniseries from 2002, a series that came when John Ney Reiber and Chuck Austen had pretty much destroyed Cap’s own book. Initially it caused quite the negative hoo-haa amongst The Fanboys but soon became unjustly forgotten by most. Such a fate is quite in keeping with the premise of the series but is harsh given its quality.
Morales & Baker shine a light into the forgotten corners of wartime American history to provide a cerebral adventure yarn that is both educational and entertaining. Steve Rogers was the first and only recipient of The Super Soldier Serum as we all know. But what we all know appears to be wrong. Before giving the brew to an all-American blue eyed boy it was first tested on a group of black soldiers, with mixed results. The Truth charts the experiences of these guinea pigs while also examining the role of ethics and morality in The War Machines of America and Nazi Germany; sometimes the only thing that separates the good guys and the bad guys is the colour of their uniforms. And it also revisits the perennial question of the ends justifying the means.
Which probably sounds a bit dull and preachy, but it really isn’t. There’s two fisted combat action the way you like it; with daring convoy ambushes and night-time drops into the heart of Enemy territory. Thrill as a Test-Cap crushes a Nazi’s head with his bare hands! Swoon as a whole team of Test-Caps go toe to toe with the Fatherland’s Finest! Cringe as Der Fuhrer out evils Evil itself! Morales proves a deft hand at providing the Thrills along with the history lesson. And it’s history you weren’t taught in school. No, sir. Learn about The Blackvine, The Red Summer of 1919, The Double “V” Campaign and the Tuskegee experiments, amongst others. It’s frequently interesting and nauseating in equal part.
And Kyle Baker just rocks the house. Initially I was put off by his choice of a cartoony style, but it soon becomes apparent this was a wise move. Some of the scenes here would be nigh unpalatable were they rendered realistically, and he has a nice visual joke of caricaturing one of the odious villains in a manner similar to that historically used against the “Lesser Races”. But Morales trumps him by making the little sh*t a Marvel fanboy.
The artistic highlight for me was the scene between The True Cap and the main villain. It’s a fight scene where the only sparring is verbal. But Baker draws Cap in the stylised hysterical Kirby-Kombat poses as the conversation progresses. Which nicely gets the idea across that it isn’t Cap’s superior fighting skills that will be of use here while also poking fun at the reader’s expectations. Of course Cap has a brain as well as brawn and it isn’t long before the villain is throwing ineffectual shapes instead. It was a neat scene, cleverly executed.
A top drawer series excellently written and superbly illustrated which will entertain, amuse and enlighten. It even comes with a gushing quote from Alan Moore. So if you don’t trust me, trust The Moore. If anyone knows The Truth, he does.
