Birth Of The First Superheroes
Set in the late 1930's up until the early 1940's, the birth of the first superheroes are revealed like never before.
My Thoughts:
Ed Brubaker has brilliantly crafted yet another masterpiece as he so eloquently delivers the origins of the first superheroes to arise in the midst of harsh times for the United States. All fans of Captain America, the Invaders and the Howling Commandos will not want to miss out on this epic piece of work. Brubaker intertwines U.S. history and the origins of these superheroes to perfection.
I really enjoyed reading all these characters and not just Captain America. Seeing some of the first costumed heroes was awesome. The first appearance of Jim Hammond and his fight with Namor was incredible. You can feel all the tense emotion and drama behind Brubaker's writing and get a sense of these characters personalities and find yourself actually caring for them. Of course reading Steve Rogers experience with the Super Soldier Serum and becoming Captain America was awesome as well but his part didn't overshadow the other characters in my opinion.
Without spoiling too much, some of the other highlights were when Namor dropped a tidal wave on New York and the addition of the Pearl Harbor attack. This book is eight issues and after finishing it I find myself wanting more. It would be awesome to have more quality stories during this time period and of the same caliber as this. Brubaker truly is a phenomenal writer who puts an ample amount of effort into everything he does.
The art is by Steve Epting whose style is so perfect for this comics time period. He is no stranger to working with Brubaker and is known to capture all the action and drama behind his writing. The darker coloring was perfect giving off a noir-type feeling. All the variant covers at the end were amazing as well.
I think this is something all comic fans can appreciate. Everything about this is great. Ed Brubaker scripted an amazing thriller packed with hard-hitting action and pulse-pounding drama that Steve Epting captures in every panel so beautifully.
Rating: 5/5