The Super Powered Fancast

Falcon #1

Marvel Comics

Written by Rodney Barnes

Art by Joshua Cassara

Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg

Letters by VC’s Joe Caramanga

Bad Kid, Mad City

Sam Wilson has put down the mantle of Captain America in the aftermath of Secret Empire and gone back to being Falcon. He has decided to take on some street level threats as he talks about the gods and monsters he’s taken on in the past. As he stops a pair of roving gangs, he and the local politician on the scene have a verbal disagreement with how to heal the wounds of the city and as Falcon leaves, an ominous new threat emerges.

As he takes some down time, he’s joined by Patriot who is looking forward to dealing with some of the issues plaguing the community that they both belong to. As the two split to speak to both rival gangs, Falcon is confronted by one of the gang leaders and a host of weapons pointed right at him. After he takes out the threat, he tries to talk to the gang leader again. After he refuses, his crew decides that they want to hear him out.

Meanwhile the rival gang is giving Patriot the same reception and getting roughly the same result. Patriot tells them about how his circumstances are the same as theirs and the leader decides to hear him out. At the Mayor’s office, Sam and the Mayor get into it about the proposed truce between the gangs and the mayor accuses Falcon of being a HYDRA agent by his association with Steve Rogers.

Shaun proceeds to ask Sam why they are doing what they are doing and Falcon tells him a story of his father and how he had to use symbols to gain the trust of people around him. Sam’s sense of betrayal is noticeable in that moment when he talks about the symbol that Captain America was to him. The next day, at the meeting between the rival gangs, the threat teased in the beginning of the issue reveals itself and this person’s plans could extend far beyond this one city.

There are moments in this issue when I hoped that the narrative would not become preachy. It came close on a few occasions, but it held off enough to continue to be entertaining. I actually feel bad for Sam Wilson in this story. You get the sense that there are things that he hasn’t resolved with those around him and, especially, within himself. Hopefully this story will continue to explore that and give Falcon the purpose that he needs.