Who’s excited for the Disney Plus Falcon and Winter Soldier show?
It’s safe to say that the MCU has been a massive success and for the past ten years it has managed to tell a great story while setting the standard for how every other studio wants to set up their future movie slates. Now, Disney is trying to do it again by placing shows with important MCU information on their new streaming service and Falcon and the Winter Soldier seem to be a big part of this plan.
Personally, I’m cautiously optimistic. The MCU has always maintained a certain level of quality over the years and it will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
In the mean time, we have the comics to fall back on.
Written by Derek LandyCover by: Dan Mora
Illustrated by Federico Vincentini
Colored by Matt Milla
Lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna
An office of dead government agents. A gifted new killer. Two ex-Captain Americas…
When a dramatic attempt on the life of Bucky Barnes reunites him with Sam Wilson, the two old friends are plunged headlong into a race to uncover the new leader of Hydra before a mass casualty event announces the terror group’s resurgence to the world. The clock is ticking…
Derek Landy (BLACK ORDER, SECRET EMPIRE: UPRISING) and Federico Vicentini (ABSOLUTE CARNAGE: MILES MORALES) team up for a pulse-pounding action spectacular!
“Falcon and Winter Soldier” #1 follows two of Captain America’s best friends and one time replacements as they find themselves working together to investigate the massacre of a top secret government organization that was tasked with tracking and destroying American terrorist camps and organizations. Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier is a former operative of said organization while Sam Wilson aka The Falcon is investigating the disappearance of a member of his support group for former soldiers.
Long story short, they wind up discovering a sinister plot that promises to see the return of HYDRA in a big way, which isn’t really a spoiler because massive terrorist organizations in comic books are harder to kill than roaches.
“Falcon and Winter Soldier” #1 is a comic that eschews the high concept moral righteousness that a lot of superhero stories are known for and leans very heavily into the more realistic elements of a secret agent spy thriller. Both of the heroes are known for being very human and down to earth and this is a very human and down to earth book. It’s brutal, nasty, bloody and swaps strange tech and epic powers for knives, bullets, and shady government agent types who are used to keeping secrets and killing in order to protect them. The two most prominent pieces of technology in the book are Bucky’s metal arm and Sam’s wings and bird tech, both of which are heavily downplayed and make the briefest appearances in the story.
Writer Derek Landy has crafted a story that does lean into the violent and paranoid underbelly of Marvel’s government sponsored superheroes, he has chosen to make “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” #1 a very character focused story and he pulls it off very well. While Bucky and Sam have great chemistry, with Sam’s straight edge play by the rules mentality contrasting very well with Bucky’s willingness to bend the rules and resort to violence and murder in order to get what he wants. Both of these men have stumbled into the same bad situation through different means and even though they would probably never willingly work together, the fact that the situation is forcing them to work together feels very believable and natural. With that being said, the highlight of the issue comes at the very end, where the comic subverts a ton of clichés by introducing the two main characters to the person who committed the crime in the first place, and this new assassin is deadly, capable, and a huge fan of both men. He’s a great villain for the series and it will be so much fun learning more about him and what the larger plan is.
While Landy does a great job with the characters and having them play off one another there is a trade-off. The comic lacks a real sense of atmosphere and creeping dread that a lot of people would probably feel when they heard that one of the most insidious and vile criminal organizations in comic book history was making a comeback. This is a book that feels like it should be taking place at night and in the shadows of some of the grimiest and dirtiest parts of New York City. Instead, it’s high rise office buildings, relatively high end apartments, and boring old suburbia. Sure, having violent and bloody action take place in seemingly mundane locations is an understandable choice, but it’s just a tiny bit disappointing to think about how effective the book could have been with a more atmospheric feel.
Continued belowThe artwork in “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” #1 continues the trend of favoring its characters over setting and atmosphere, although artist Federico Vicentini does do a bit to help give the book a sense of place. While the comic does commit to having a substantial number of small, tight panels that focus on the upper halves of the character’s bodies with minimal attention to background, there are a few moments where Vicentini has some space to cut loose and show off. The comic is at its best when it gets to show blood and guts, and between an office massacre and two incredibly brutal fight scenes there is plenty of blood. Also, the art has this vicious angular cartoonish feel to the character design that allows the comic to have an incredibly dynamic motion and exaggerated facial expressions which work well in both the quiet and violent moments.
“Falcon and Winter Soldier” #1 is the start of what will probably turn out to be something big, nasty, and introduce something that will probably set a new paradigm shift in the Marvel Universe. In the meantime, we have a relatively small stakes mystery on our hands helmed by two characters who have great chemistry and a really interesting villain.
This should be fun.
Final Verdict: 9.1-If the upcoming show is good this will be a great little appetizer; If the show sucks, it’ll be a great replacement.
