Basic training can be hard for anyone. But going through basic as a black man in the 1940s has a unique specific set of challenges of its own. The US and other allies were gearing up to fight fascism, most would say that’s a noble cause. But black soldiers were very aware that their bravery and sacrifice in battle didn’t mean they would ever see equality and justice at home. They were training to bravely fight the fascists overseas but faced racism and discrimination from their fellow soldiers in basic training. Add to that a top secret sinister government project that treats you like a lab animal instead of humans and things can get really complicated. Writer Robert Morales and artist Kyle Baker’s second installment of the Isaiah Bradley comic “Truth: Red, White and Black” depicts the character’s stint in boot camp.
Written by Robert MoralesCover by
Illustrated and Colored by Kyle Baker
Lettered by JG and Comicraft’s WesWitness the shocking secret history of Captain America! And it’s not Steve Rogers!
The more cartoony art style induces a dreamlike hypnotic effect and tone but the exaggerated proportions of the faces and figures of the comic keep it grounded in comic relief. The character designs are not your typical uniform square jawed figure of classic superhero artists. At times with that style, faces and figures seem to look the same, but Baker’s characters each have their own distinct look. Facial expressions are also exaggerated at times almost with the skill of a mime. Even their movements, or how they fall in line when standing attention are indicative of each individual characterThere is a big ensemble black cast, but each character is distinct and fully fleshed out visually and verbally by Morales and Baker.
Each moment of agony during basic training is seen on the faces of the characters. When their faces droop and sag after hours of hard labor digging latrines you can see the exhaustion and practically smell the dirt and shit wafting off their bodies in a bit of synesthesia where you can see smells in a way only comics can do. Also the villains (the officers in charge of the program) are pretty evil and devoid of character, but they are still realistic. It is no accident that even the shape of their faces are conventional and even boring, unlike the variety of shapes and sizes of our heroes. As I said before, the events of this comic are inspired by the actual Tuskegee Experiments where black men were intentionally inflicted with syphilis so these superior officers are pretty evil, but also connected to actual doctors who actually performed horrible experiments on real life people. We haven’t gotten to the actual super-soldier experiments yet, but the stage is being set and the stakes are being raised.
Even though this is set nearly 80 years ago at the beginning of World War II, it is still timely and applicable in today’s world. There is a reason some black people do not trust doctors or hospitals, even today. They have been the subject of terrible, unethical experiments and are less likely to be believed by their doctors than their white counterparts leading to a lot of misdiagnosis and malpractice. Even mental illnesses go undiagnosed because doctors tend to blame obvious mental illness on what they portray as “moral” defects.
This cast of characters in issue 2 not only face medical and scientific abuses they also face the institutional injustices as people (both superior officers and subordinates) heap on abuses on top of abuses. But each character reacts to these abuses differently with a variety of actions and animated facial expressions. It’s hard enough going through basic training, but adding to that racial injustice? The cast of characters are nothing short of courageous in this issue. Not only are they rising to the challenge of the Axis Power’s attempt at world domination, they are doing it while being hated and reviled by the very people they are bravely preparing to fight for (and with).
The colors in this issue are pretty consistent with the previous one. The colors are vivid and varied, but also distinct and purposeful. Baker’s lines are wavy and less precise (and less committal) than other comics, but that is something I like the most about the look and design in this comic. Their faces actually change based on their mood or circumstances. The more cartoony aspects of the figures and the backgrounds give the book a sense of sincerity that might not have been drawn out so much by a more traditional superhero style. Overall, this issue is actually an improvement upon an already stellar book.
