The events of “Infinity Wars” have merged parts of the Marvel universe together – every hero is now an amalgamation of two more, along with their supporting casts. The first one we get to see is the combined Captain America and Doctor Strange – do they blend well, or are some things just not meant to go together?
There will be spoilers as we look at some of the key details of this comic.
Written by Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Adam Kubert
Colored by Matthew Wilson
Lettered by VC’s Clayton CowlesINFINITY WARPS?!
Classified 4-F by the military, Stephen Rogers was unable to serve his country in World War II…until a secret government program tapping into arcane sorcery transformed him into the Soldier Supreme, the magical warrior embodiment of the American spirit!
When combining characters, first one must wonder where the synergy is. Where do the characters overlap to make their combination successful? In this case, it sometimes feels like Doctor Strange and Captain America were chosen because their names are Steven and Stephen, and for the alliteration of their new title. But Gerry Duggan still makes it work as best he can.
The first issue of “Soldier Supreme” is essentially a retelling of Captain America’s backstory with the mysticism of Doctor Strange thrown in. It’s definitely more on the Cap side of things, set in World War 2 and substituting science for magic. As such, we get an overview of his training and adventures in the war, while getting to see more of the amalgamated timeline.
Some of these combinations work better than others. For instance, the way that the Soldier Supreme’s shield is formed of magic sigils is clever from a story and an artistic standpoint – it’s drawn as a magic circle, with a pentagram forming the iconic star and the mystic sigils within the circle’s shield shape. There’s also a rather funny training sequence where we see the army testing just how much the shield can withstand, up to and including firing a tank at it.
On the other hand, the new Howling Commandos of Hoggoth don’t work quite as well. While combining Bucky and Wong makes perfect sense from a thematic standpoint, it doesn’t quite work as a character; what we get is Bucky’s body and personality with Wong’s head. Even then, he’s inexplicably designed with the Winter Soldier appearance, metal arm and all, instead of the look Bucky had during World War 2. The amalgamated Dum Dum Fury is basically Dum Dum Dugan with an eyepatch, and even that goes away later.
Yet those mediocre combinations can be forgiven when we meet his arch-nemesis, Dormammu Red. Yes, it’s a combined Red Skull and Dormammu, and it works so well. The design is excellent – a burning red skull and hands under a dark but decorative cloak – perfectly merging the most ominous aspects of both characters. It’s hard to tell which of the halves that form him are more evil, and he serves as a great villain for the combined Soldier Supreme.
Fortunately, the story does not simply paste magic onto Captain America’s adventures. Instead we see how things would play out differently with magic on his side – how a supernatural power can impact the course of a war. A chilling moment comes in a subtle way when we see Dum Dum Fury tells Soldier Supreme he needs to do more than “fix our bodies up when we break,” and the following panels show us both sides of his head, including a bullet wound that seems to have gone right through it. It adds a layer of characterization onto the Soldier Supreme that’s just different enough from the characters he’s based on to have an impact.
Artistically, Adam Kubert does an excellent job with the character designs, action, and comic layout. We get some excellently-drawn scenes, such as the first time Stephen Rogers calls up his magic shield; the way the scene is lit from the gunfire and the glow of the spell creates a great effect that sells the moment.
Kubert’s style is very distinctive; there’s plenty of dramatic shading, and line work that often looks like sketches, but they add a layer of depth to the artwork. His work with the characters’ facial expressions is also top-notch – the look of confusion and concern on Stephen’s face when he first unlocks his powers, the smug grin on Bucky Wong’s face in a post-victory celebration, and the grim determination Soldier Supreme shows in his battle against Dormammu Red all add to the voice and characters while enhancing the moment.
Continued belowAs previously mentioned, some of the designs work better than others, but that will happen depending on the characters getting combined.
Even just the size and spacing of the panels can help pace the story. When we see the military testing the defensive capabilities of Soldier Supreme’s shield, the equal-sized panels paced down the page do a great job at pacing the scene. By keeping Stephen and his shield in one spot while the weapons used grow bigger and bigger, we get a quick look at the escalation of the tests, before getting the rather humorous moment where he’s facing down a tank and just sighs “Oh boy.”
However, the color work doesn’t always work with the art. I mean no disrespect to Matthew Wilson, who is a very talented colorist, but the overuse of yellows and greens often make the scenes harsh on the eyes. That is not always the case, though – there are some moments where his color work fits the tone and art very well, such as in the final battle against Dormammu Red. There, the dark backgrounds are illuminated by the glow of Soldier Supreme’s magic, and the reds accentuate the flames of his foe. So while there are many moments where it feels saturated and dull, there are just as many where it adds energy to the scene.
Overall, this is a good look at the altered history of the Marvel universe in the wake of “Infinity Wars.” It’s an amusing concept, which the writer and art team work with well, but this issue is more a recounting of events than a full story. Within that recounting, though, we do get some good moments of drama and comic relief.
Final Verdict: 5.9 – “Infinity Wars: Soldier Supreme” is a mixed bag. Some parts of the combination work better than others, and not every scene is a masterpiece, but there’s still plenty of good to be gleaned from it. I’m still a fan of each individual behind this issue, and for what it is, it’s a worthwhile read with an engaging idea behind it.
