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The Cape
Joe Hill's The Cape: 1969
It’s 1969 and the war in Vietnam rages on. Captain Chase, a Medevac helicopter pilot for the US Army, is shot down over enemy territory. He and his crew are in a fight for their lives as they play a deadly game of cat and mouse with the Vietcong. We soon learn that machine guns and grenades aren’t the only scary things hiding in the jungle. Find out what happens in this origin prequel to last year’s Eisner Award-nominated hit, with story by Joe Hill and Jason Ciaramella, and art and colors by Nelson Daniel (Road Rage, The Cape). Explore your dark side.
108 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 22, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
June 26, 2018
For as much as I liked The Cape, I did not like this prequel. The story shows us what happened to the boys' dad in Vietnam and how he received the power of flight that later made its way into Eric's cape. The story just doesn't explain enough to me. There are too many subplots that are left hanging. Where did this witch doctor come from? I've never heard of magic in a Vietnam setting. Why is there an American born Vietnamese kid in the village? It's never explained why the dad brought him here. Overall it just felt like a way to bilk readers out of a few bucks after the success of The Cape.
April 5, 2021
I asked for a sequel and I got a prequel, it was definitely needed so we could make sense of the Cape overall but man it was way too short. I need to know more about the magical man. How did he get his power, what was it, how did he pass it on and why? So many questions, no answers.
February 10, 2024
This story was an interesting prequel to "The Cape". We are transported back to the Vietnam War to explain how Eric’s cape came to have powers. First, we meet Eric and Nick as even younger children with their mother reading their father’s letters from Vietnam. Their father Cory is a captain and is a medevac helicopter pilot. We learn he is MIA after his helicopter crashes in the jungle.
We are shown how Cory makes it out of the crash alive but is quickly captured by the Viet Cong. Forced into a cage, he is later joined by a tattooed witch tribesman that the soldiers found living in the jungle. The two men are pitted against one another by the cruel captors, with the intent for only one to survive. Cory is shocked when the mystical man begins to levitate, and despite the other man not seeming to be evil, Cory kills him so he can survive the contest. Before the tribesman dies, he touches Cory’s army patches on his shirt and imparts his power to him. This begs the question- what’s the story behind the magical man? Unfortunately, we never learn more.
With this newfound power, Cory is able to escape his captors but wants revenge. He comes back determined to kill all the men in the Viet Cong encampment. Instead of using his powers to truly leave and return to his family, Cory is determined to inflict as much pain on others as he can, and to no one’s surprise, it proves to be his downfall. Later another soldier finds some remains of Cory which includes the patch that is mailed back to his wife. She sews it on Eric’s cape to remember his father, not knowing that it is infused with power and rage.
The art is again excellent and very evocative of the era. Despite much of the story taking place in the jungle, little to no green is used. Instead, the camp is a dull brown, which I think embodies the loss of hope. Oranges and reds are used liberally in the Vietnam narrative, with the colors symbolizing to me the phrase “war is hell”. The colors definitely influenced my interpretation of the story, which was melancholy and grim. You knew as a prequel this story would not end well, and it did not disappoint in that regard.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2017/09/0... *Also includes a review for the original "The Cape"
We are shown how Cory makes it out of the crash alive but is quickly captured by the Viet Cong. Forced into a cage, he is later joined by a tattooed witch tribesman that the soldiers found living in the jungle. The two men are pitted against one another by the cruel captors, with the intent for only one to survive. Cory is shocked when the mystical man begins to levitate, and despite the other man not seeming to be evil, Cory kills him so he can survive the contest. Before the tribesman dies, he touches Cory’s army patches on his shirt and imparts his power to him. This begs the question- what’s the story behind the magical man? Unfortunately, we never learn more.
With this newfound power, Cory is able to escape his captors but wants revenge. He comes back determined to kill all the men in the Viet Cong encampment. Instead of using his powers to truly leave and return to his family, Cory is determined to inflict as much pain on others as he can, and to no one’s surprise, it proves to be his downfall. Later another soldier finds some remains of Cory which includes the patch that is mailed back to his wife. She sews it on Eric’s cape to remember his father, not knowing that it is infused with power and rage.
The art is again excellent and very evocative of the era. Despite much of the story taking place in the jungle, little to no green is used. Instead, the camp is a dull brown, which I think embodies the loss of hope. Oranges and reds are used liberally in the Vietnam narrative, with the colors symbolizing to me the phrase “war is hell”. The colors definitely influenced my interpretation of the story, which was melancholy and grim. You knew as a prequel this story would not end well, and it did not disappoint in that regard.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2017/09/0... *Also includes a review for the original "The Cape"
April 19, 2020
3
Great artwork but a book that is not a grand origin. You don't need to read this book, it only tells of the time before the main storyline. Joe Hill attempts to create a beginning to The Cape series but it never reaches the heights of the first book.
Why the 3?
Joe Hill was still finding his feet in the medium and even the first volume of Locke and Key had slight missteps. This is not an essential book to read and because Joe Hill ended the storyline in the original he had to invent stories to keep the series alive. This could've been good if it wasn't so muddled.
Great artwork but a book that is not a grand origin. You don't need to read this book, it only tells of the time before the main storyline. Joe Hill attempts to create a beginning to The Cape series but it never reaches the heights of the first book.
Why the 3?
Joe Hill was still finding his feet in the medium and even the first volume of Locke and Key had slight missteps. This is not an essential book to read and because Joe Hill ended the storyline in the original he had to invent stories to keep the series alive. This could've been good if it wasn't so muddled.
June 6, 2023
The prequel or origin story of The Cape.
Set in the Vietnam War this story follows Eric's dad when he is captured during the aforementioned war and the mysterious being he then encounters. From here events unfold and lead us into the original story.
Although this was as enjoyable and as beautifully presented as The Cape I felt this lacked a little when compared to the original.
I also felt that it didn't provide any insight into the true origin of what powers the Cape.
Regardless of these points, this was still an exceptional graphic novel and one which works well as a companion piece
Set in the Vietnam War this story follows Eric's dad when he is captured during the aforementioned war and the mysterious being he then encounters. From here events unfold and lead us into the original story.
Although this was as enjoyable and as beautifully presented as The Cape I felt this lacked a little when compared to the original.
I also felt that it didn't provide any insight into the true origin of what powers the Cape.
Regardless of these points, this was still an exceptional graphic novel and one which works well as a companion piece
March 17, 2025
Good prequel!
Fun prequel story to “The Cape.” I really enjoy everything I’ve read by Joe Hill. 4 stars for the art, 4.5 stars for the story, 4.25 stars over… rounded down to 4 stars.
Fun prequel story to “The Cape.” I really enjoy everything I’ve read by Joe Hill. 4 stars for the art, 4.5 stars for the story, 4.25 stars over… rounded down to 4 stars.
January 6, 2023
Como analepsis de La capa cuenta la historia del capitán Chase, padre de Eric y todo lo que pasó con él durante la guerra de Vietnam.
La historia llega para justificar el origen de la capa de Eric y cómo es que llega a sus manos.
Me lo leí en menos de una hora, pues me gustan este tipo de historias y esta no fue la excepción. Quizá me causó menos impresión que el primero, pero de igual manera lo disfruté bastante.
La historia llega para justificar el origen de la capa de Eric y cómo es que llega a sus manos.
Me lo leí en menos de una hora, pues me gustan este tipo de historias y esta no fue la excepción. Quizá me causó menos impresión que el primero, pero de igual manera lo disfruté bastante.
September 24, 2024
A fun prequel to The Cape but there were a lot of sub plots that weren’t explained at all. I know comics are supposed to be very shallow but geez
July 31, 2021
An origin story for horror fiction (especially the supernatural kind) doesn't always work out, as it doesn't really explain the base origin and one'll be stuck with more questions. But then again, more unanswered questions are the bread and butter of horror.
June 2, 2017
Want to know how the cape's power came to be?
This is a prequel to Joe's short story "The Cape"
This is a prequel to Joe's short story "The Cape"
October 9, 2019
Another fun graphic novel acting as prequel to “The Cape” - a short story published in Joe Hill’s first book release titled, “20th Century Ghosts” (published in 2005). Published in 2011, “The Cape: 1969” was co-written with Jason Ciaramella and illustrated by Zach Howard - collaborators of the original comic. I purchased the hardcover edition, printed by IDW Publishing in 2013….. The boards are nice and thick, the spine is tight and sturdy, the pages are crisp with a smooth texture, and the graphic designer inlays on the cover really pop next to the dark colored matte finish. Like all of IDW’s Joe Hill graphic novels, the hardcover version is solid and impressive looking.
“The Cape: 1969” is about the origin of how the cape inherited the power of flight and evil…. To tell this tale, Joe Hill and company takes you back to 1969 into the jungles of Vietnam. Serving as a Medevac helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army, Captain Chase (Eric’s father) and his crew are shot down from their chopper by the Vietcong and ultimately become prisoners of war. During their brief incarceration, they come upon the presence of a witch, who possesses powers beyond that of man. A transfer of this power is given to Captain Chase, against his will, and Chase becomes reborn and filled with a murderous rage and revengeful hate (can you blame him?).
Like the first book, “The Cape: 1969” was great and action packed from start to finish. Although it was a bit shorter than the first book, this prequel delivers and was completely relevant if “The Cape” had any plans of becoming a series in the future.
At first, I was not fond of the idea of the story incorporating the likes of an evil, tattooed witch lurking among the jungle trees…. But after its capture, I realized the importance of that character.
The book’s artwork is gruesome with lots of blood splattering and body parts being blown apart…. My pulse was definitely elevated with excitement throughout my reading session…. I absolutely can’t wait for the third book in the series, “The Cape: Fallen”, which is expected to be released before the end of the year.
FINAL VERDICT: I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Joe Hill’s darker stuff and enjoyed “The Cape”…. I’m not going to say it was better (or worse), but different. Once again, I will warn parents…. This comic series (and really all Joe Hill graphic novels in general) are not for kids. Stick with Marvel….
“The Cape: 1969” is about the origin of how the cape inherited the power of flight and evil…. To tell this tale, Joe Hill and company takes you back to 1969 into the jungles of Vietnam. Serving as a Medevac helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army, Captain Chase (Eric’s father) and his crew are shot down from their chopper by the Vietcong and ultimately become prisoners of war. During their brief incarceration, they come upon the presence of a witch, who possesses powers beyond that of man. A transfer of this power is given to Captain Chase, against his will, and Chase becomes reborn and filled with a murderous rage and revengeful hate (can you blame him?).
Like the first book, “The Cape: 1969” was great and action packed from start to finish. Although it was a bit shorter than the first book, this prequel delivers and was completely relevant if “The Cape” had any plans of becoming a series in the future.
At first, I was not fond of the idea of the story incorporating the likes of an evil, tattooed witch lurking among the jungle trees…. But after its capture, I realized the importance of that character.
The book’s artwork is gruesome with lots of blood splattering and body parts being blown apart…. My pulse was definitely elevated with excitement throughout my reading session…. I absolutely can’t wait for the third book in the series, “The Cape: Fallen”, which is expected to be released before the end of the year.
FINAL VERDICT: I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Joe Hill’s darker stuff and enjoyed “The Cape”…. I’m not going to say it was better (or worse), but different. Once again, I will warn parents…. This comic series (and really all Joe Hill graphic novels in general) are not for kids. Stick with Marvel….
July 17, 2019
I enjoyed The Cape:1969. It's a prequel to The Cape (based on a short story by Joe Hill), and it sort of answers 'some' of the questions readers had after finishing the original comics. Great art, colors, and writing, and with some great pacing. My only real complaint is that this prequel kind of needs a prequel of it's own to fully explain the origin of the 'what made the cape special.' Still, a great read and leaves me wanting more, in a good way.
January 23, 2018
Creo que es una obra que se entiende bastante mejor si se ha leído el relato homónimo. Aun así, resulta un poco flojilla para lo que nos tiene acostumbrados Hill con su producción en cómic.
(Aquí dejo una reseña en la que se habla de la antología en la que se encuentra el relato que mencionaba: http://sentidodelamaravilla.blogspot....)
(Aquí dejo una reseña en la que se habla de la antología en la que se encuentra el relato que mencionaba: http://sentidodelamaravilla.blogspot....)
September 25, 2020
Works just as well on it's own or as a precursor to the initial volume.
January 3, 2022
Many plot holes and questions unanswered. Characters not fleshed out. 3 stars is being generous because the story was good without everything that was so bad.
December 10, 2024
Not bad series so far.
March 16, 2021
Joe Hill’s The Cape: 1969 is drive-through.
May 25, 2018
3,25 / 5
Hace unos cuantos meses me dejaba embriagar por La Capa, un cómic de Joe Hill y Jason Ciaramella basado en un relato del primero. En este quedaba un misterio por resolver: ¿Cómo llego Eric a conseguir su capa? Pues bien, llego el momento.
El guionista Jason Ciaramella, con Joe Hill ejerciendo de consultor, ha elaborado La Capa 1969. Se trata de una miniserie de 4 números donde recoge el guante del relato original y nos pone en la piel del Capitan Gordon Chase, responsable indirecto del objeto que llevaría a la perdición a su hijo. Viajamos a 1969, en plena guerra de Vietnam, para ver que le ocurrió a los padres de Nick y Eric.
La historia abandona el tono superhéroico para lanzarse de pleno a una historia militar con tintes sobrenaturales .Es una historia corta, que avanza a ritmo vivo y trompicones, retomando el tema de como el poder corrompe a las personas. En este caso carece de la fuerza de su predecesora, ya que salvo por conocer el origen de la curiosa capa de Eric no aporta mucho más.
Lo mejor es que aunque el dibujante es Nelson Daniel y no Zach Howard, el estilo punteado se ha respetado, por lo cual la línea artística sigue siendo similar. Un cómic únicamente interesante para los lectores curiosos de La capa.
Hace unos cuantos meses me dejaba embriagar por La Capa, un cómic de Joe Hill y Jason Ciaramella basado en un relato del primero. En este quedaba un misterio por resolver: ¿Cómo llego Eric a conseguir su capa? Pues bien, llego el momento.
El guionista Jason Ciaramella, con Joe Hill ejerciendo de consultor, ha elaborado La Capa 1969. Se trata de una miniserie de 4 números donde recoge el guante del relato original y nos pone en la piel del Capitan Gordon Chase, responsable indirecto del objeto que llevaría a la perdición a su hijo. Viajamos a 1969, en plena guerra de Vietnam, para ver que le ocurrió a los padres de Nick y Eric.
La historia abandona el tono superhéroico para lanzarse de pleno a una historia militar con tintes sobrenaturales .Es una historia corta, que avanza a ritmo vivo y trompicones, retomando el tema de como el poder corrompe a las personas. En este caso carece de la fuerza de su predecesora, ya que salvo por conocer el origen de la curiosa capa de Eric no aporta mucho más.
Lo mejor es que aunque el dibujante es Nelson Daniel y no Zach Howard, el estilo punteado se ha respetado, por lo cual la línea artística sigue siendo similar. Un cómic únicamente interesante para los lectores curiosos de La capa.
March 24, 2015
That was TERRIBLE! What do you mean it ended like that? I want more! I have so many questions.
This was a pretty good book. Set during the Vietnam war, it tells the story of a soldier who is captured by the Vietnamese. And somehow acquires the mysterious ability to fly. The same ability that his skin inexplicably has. And a magic witch man. I want to know how that works! In terms of story telling and explanations, we get almost nothing. The whole father-son dynamic is interesting when placed in this setting, but really, it wasn't what I found most interesting. I wanted to know more about the magic. So I'm very disappointed that I didn't find out more.
In terms of art, this book is great. I particularly loved the colour palette. The oranges and reds work so well. They give the impression that this place is hell on earth. And I also wonder if the abundance of orange was a nod to Agent Orange, the chemical used during the war. Either way, the art works.
I just wish the story did too.
This was a pretty good book. Set during the Vietnam war, it tells the story of a soldier who is captured by the Vietnamese. And somehow acquires the mysterious ability to fly. The same ability that his skin inexplicably has. And a magic witch man. I want to know how that works! In terms of story telling and explanations, we get almost nothing. The whole father-son dynamic is interesting when placed in this setting, but really, it wasn't what I found most interesting. I wanted to know more about the magic. So I'm very disappointed that I didn't find out more.
In terms of art, this book is great. I particularly loved the colour palette. The oranges and reds work so well. They give the impression that this place is hell on earth. And I also wonder if the abundance of orange was a nod to Agent Orange, the chemical used during the war. Either way, the art works.
I just wish the story did too.
January 15, 2014
Nice artwork and I like the Vietnam theme. I don't mind a bit of swearing in my comics/ Graphic novels but this had way too much. Swearing is often used to cover up a lack of meaningful dialogue and good storytelling, i believe that is certainly the case in 'The cape'. Another pet peeve of mine is when a major event goes unexplained as occurs in this story, why did the witch doctor willingly force his own death? And why did the main character not see that the witch doctor was potentially saving him from their predicament? I felt this had a lot of potential and sad to see it wasted.
July 27, 2017
The characters were one-dimensional, especially the villain.
The plot was uninspired, especially since the protagonist had the power to fly.
It didn't work as a superhero story, a war story, or a revenge story.
The plot was uninspired, especially since the protagonist had the power to fly.
It didn't work as a superhero story, a war story, or a revenge story.
February 15, 2013
Preferred the first one, but still o.k., wish the story of the witch man had been more developed.
July 2, 2017
Excelente comic....
August 26, 2021
Good artwork.
The idea of an origin story as to where the magic in Eric's cape came from isn't a terrible idea, but it also isn't entirely necessary. The Cape works without any explanation, after all. The idea of magic coming into play in the setting of the Vietnam War isn't a terrible idea, especially given where Eric ends up going in terms of The Cape and the naturally muddy morality issues that come into play with every Vietnam story. So, you know, it isn't the worst idea overall.
It just didn't really work for me.
There were a ton of plots that were left hanging or just didn't have enough explanation overall. The whole idea of the magical medicine man was questionable to me from the start and just didn't... work in my head. It just fell flat for me and left me shrugging rather than feeling riveted or staring in fascinated horror the way I wanted to be. So yeah, just didn't really do it for me.
The idea of an origin story as to where the magic in Eric's cape came from isn't a terrible idea, but it also isn't entirely necessary. The Cape works without any explanation, after all. The idea of magic coming into play in the setting of the Vietnam War isn't a terrible idea, especially given where Eric ends up going in terms of The Cape and the naturally muddy morality issues that come into play with every Vietnam story. So, you know, it isn't the worst idea overall.
It just didn't really work for me.
There were a ton of plots that were left hanging or just didn't have enough explanation overall. The whole idea of the magical medicine man was questionable to me from the start and just didn't... work in my head. It just fell flat for me and left me shrugging rather than feeling riveted or staring in fascinated horror the way I wanted to be. So yeah, just didn't really do it for me.
August 8, 2025
More outstanding artwork in this second installment in Joe Hill's link: The Cape graphic novel series. This volume uses a different artist, but you could easily miss that fact if you weren't paying attention. As it turns out there was more to the origin story of The Cape...
Chapter 1: War, and war crimes, are hell... Who's the creepy guy?
Chapter 2: Starts with bureaucratic politeness that goes beyond telling you nothing to skirt the edge of outright lies. Ends with what amounts to child abuse and a gift that Captain Chase may or may not deserve. Hopefully he'll do better things with it than his son will.
Chapter 3: Vengeance seems to be a strong motivating theme. Pity it destroys everything in its path, not just the guilty. Including the avenger, one way or another.
Chapter 4: Does the patch have a life of its own? How else does a piece of fabric survive that?
Not quite as good as the first volume, but adds so much depth to it. And so many questions...
Chapter 1: War, and war crimes, are hell... Who's the creepy guy?
Chapter 2: Starts with bureaucratic politeness that goes beyond telling you nothing to skirt the edge of outright lies. Ends with what amounts to child abuse and a gift that Captain Chase may or may not deserve. Hopefully he'll do better things with it than his son will.
Chapter 3: Vengeance seems to be a strong motivating theme. Pity it destroys everything in its path, not just the guilty. Including the avenger, one way or another.
Chapter 4: Does the patch have a life of its own? How else does a piece of fabric survive that?
Not quite as good as the first volume, but adds so much depth to it. And so many questions...
September 2, 2020
The one thing that was not going through my mind as I gritted my teeth through The Cape was "where did the magic of the cape come from?" This prequel answers that question anyway, and if the first book didn't do much for you, this won't either. I give it a grudging second star because it at least grounds its excessive violence in a war that at least attempts to justify the actions taken. But this is still a story of people being terrible to each other, beyond any level of redemption. Only it takes place in Vietnam, mostly in a POW camp. It's dark, bloody and gritty, all of which the art supports well.
While I didn't hate this as much as I did The Cape, I still can't really recommend it; unless you were fascinated by The Cape and want to know more about the patch (and really, the explanation for its magic is pretty unfulfilling), or are really into stories about atrocities in Vietnam, there's not much to make this worth the time.
While I didn't hate this as much as I did The Cape, I still can't really recommend it; unless you were fascinated by The Cape and want to know more about the patch (and really, the explanation for its magic is pretty unfulfilling), or are really into stories about atrocities in Vietnam, there's not much to make this worth the time.
October 6, 2017
Leí el relato de LA CAPA hace muchos años, y con ganas de hacerme al tomo dibujado por Howard, pero es que mi lista de espera es muy, muy larga, pero no perdí la oportunidad de hacerm ocn este tomo de 4 numeritos en los que nos vamos a Vietnam y un helicóptero con perosnal medico es abatido, y su piloto es el único sobreviviente , aunque es atrapado y termina compartiendo celda con un brujo/shaman/wtf, que puede volar y en una escena muy chunga, termina pasandole ese poder a el militar y de ahi, solo queda venganza y sangre, oh si, aca nadie se ahorra en casquería y tenemos un relato simple,duro y violento que es muy disfrutable, con el arte del chileno Nelson Daniel que nos regala paginas muy dinámicas, oscuras y sangrientas cuando la historia lo requiere.este tipo tiene talento y espero grandes obras en su futuro.
March 23, 2025
Joe Hill’s The Cape 1969.
Publisher: IDW.
Written by Jason Ciaramella and Joe Hill.
Art by Nelson Daniel.
Lettering by Shawn Lee.
…The Cape 1969 collects three comic book installments into graphic novel format. A U.S. Army medic who is taken prisoner in Vietnam is subjected to the sadistic whims of his captors, who include an American who has “gone native.” The prequel to Joe Hill’s Eisler Award-winning The Cape.
***
Joe Hill is the author of numerous works of graphic fiction including the Locke & Key series, A Basket Full of Heads, and Wraith.
Hill is also the acclaimed author of novels and short stories, including King Sorrow , which will be published later in 2025.
Publisher: IDW.
Written by Jason Ciaramella and Joe Hill.
Art by Nelson Daniel.
Lettering by Shawn Lee.
…The Cape 1969 collects three comic book installments into graphic novel format. A U.S. Army medic who is taken prisoner in Vietnam is subjected to the sadistic whims of his captors, who include an American who has “gone native.” The prequel to Joe Hill’s Eisler Award-winning The Cape.
***
Joe Hill is the author of numerous works of graphic fiction including the Locke & Key series, A Basket Full of Heads, and Wraith.
Hill is also the acclaimed author of novels and short stories, including King Sorrow , which will be published later in 2025.
June 15, 2017
I actually enjoyed this more than The Cape because the violence actually belonged in a story about Vietnam. It certainly went a long way to explain the cape itself, and also to explain, in some small way, why Eric was the way he ended up being.
I'm not one for war stories usually, but I didn't mind the setting here. The art work was on par and I spent quite a bit of time examining the illustrations of the "witch." Very original and spooky.
I'm not one for war stories usually, but I didn't mind the setting here. The art work was on par and I spent quite a bit of time examining the illustrations of the "witch." Very original and spooky.
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