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Falcon (2017) #1-8
FALCON: TAKE FLIGHT
Sam Wilson — winged warrior, avian Avenger and one-time Sentinel of Liberty — takes to the skies once more! Reborn and recommitted, Falcon takes on a personal mission to reconnect with the American people and train his new partner, Patriot. But when a gang war overtakes the streets of Chicago, Falcon finds himself up against an enemy way out of his weight class: the demonic Blackheart! Falcon and Patriot must fight to restore order as a full-scale riot threatens to destroy the city. But with the son of Mephisto fanning the flames, the heroes will be put through hell! And if that isn't horrific enough, Sam's romantic (or rocky) reunion with Misty Knight is wrecked by…vampires? As Chicago's future hangs in the balance, can Sam's indomitable spirit triumph in the face of unspeakable evil?
Collects Falcon (2017) #1-8.
Collects Falcon (2017) #1-8.
176 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2018
39 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
May 29, 2018
So I was pretty excited for this. I like Boondocks (Same writer) and I enjoyed Sam Wilson: Captain America so I gave this a try and...well...
So Sam is done being Cap. After the betrayal of his best friend Steve Rogers, and then the media and people backstabbing him, he decided to going back to being the Falcon. He decided to go back and recruit the Patriot, a new kid, to be part of his fighting crew to help fight crime and corruption. His first act? Trying to solve gang issues by having them meet up and solve their issues. However, something terrible happens, and the evil Blackheart is behind it all!
Good: I enjoyed the art a lot here, especially the covers. I also thought Sam was pretty cool, a little goofy, but fun. And him and Patriot worked well together.
Bad: Less stakes, less real issues, and some really forced dialog. Some made me cringe at the jokes, as they don't carry well like they do in the Boondocks. I also thought Blackheart was a super super weak villain.
Overall this was okay. Some cool moments otherwise lost in just a average superhero comic. A 2.5 out of 5.
So Sam is done being Cap. After the betrayal of his best friend Steve Rogers, and then the media and people backstabbing him, he decided to going back to being the Falcon. He decided to go back and recruit the Patriot, a new kid, to be part of his fighting crew to help fight crime and corruption. His first act? Trying to solve gang issues by having them meet up and solve their issues. However, something terrible happens, and the evil Blackheart is behind it all!
Good: I enjoyed the art a lot here, especially the covers. I also thought Sam was pretty cool, a little goofy, but fun. And him and Patriot worked well together.
Bad: Less stakes, less real issues, and some really forced dialog. Some made me cringe at the jokes, as they don't carry well like they do in the Boondocks. I also thought Blackheart was a super super weak villain.
Overall this was okay. Some cool moments otherwise lost in just a average superhero comic. A 2.5 out of 5.
September 7, 2020
This was a disappointment to say the least. Falcon takes on a new partner, Patriot, and heads to Chicago to stop a gang war. Turns out it was instigated by the mayor, Blackheart, Mephisto's son. Yeah, that's just dumb. It's all downhill from there. Barnes seemed more interested in writing about Marvel's supernatural characters from the 70's than Falcon.
October 16, 2020
3.5 stars.
I don't feel right rating this book for 2 reasons:
1) It's a well known fact that Marvel treats their creators of color and books about marginalized characters like shit. No promotion, no help, no real resources put in to making the books successful. They really love to give the appearance of having diverse characters but they don't put the work in when they're being written by creators of color.
2) This book could've easily been 5 stars if Marvel had put more resources into it.
This book is dark - literally. The colors and the art are rather rough with harsh lines and it's not always easy to discern what's going on. It's a style that I've seen in other books, but at times it wasn't that pleasant for me to look at. Which is a problem when you're reading a graphic novel. You have to want to look at the artwork.
I had a few issues with some of the more flowery writing. The part where Sam says he has to "bond with their hearts" when talking about getting through to the gang members or when he says he was "shaking like a fawn." Other than some of those issues, I didn't have any problems with the writing. Barnes had to contend with the huge garbage fire Nick Spencer set off in the Cap books. Barnes did a great job and I say that having repetitively said how much I will never forgive Marvel for letting Spencer write that shitty storyline.
Sam is full of doubt about everything he believed: about Steve, about what the shield means, about the work he did, about himself. He's having an existential crisis and it's affecting the way he trains his ward Shaun (who I love!) and how he does his job. Shaun is a ray of sunshine and I really love how he lifts Sam's spirit in this book. He was hilarious, and sweet and admires Sam so much. His one liners never got boring and, while he was used for exposition quite a few times, he felt like a real character and I can't wait to read more about him, to be honest.
I loved the elements of magic in this book! Reminded me a tiny bit of what Walker did with Power Man & Iron Fist in that it's brought in seamlessly and fits perfectly. I loved Jericho Drumm having a big role and I really loved seeing the Son of Satan pop up. Kinda sad I won't get to see them work more together. Joaquin, the former Falcon, appears and I know nothing of this character. I couldn't make it through Remender's Sam book and I won't touch anything Spencer wrote, so he might have been introduced there? Either way, I enjoyed him here. I really love the little family between Shaun, Sam, Joaquin and Redwing! (Can't forget the "crazy chicken").
I didn't quite love Blade and Sam fighting over Misty as a love interest. I have no idea why Misty was ever paired with Sam, to be honest? I get that Sam never had a big love interest (I don't even remember his girlfriend's name from the 70s and 80s comics). I just don't get why we had to make it Misty in this book? But, it seems like that was done before this run, so that's not really Barnes' fault.
Anyway, I enjoyed this and I can tell Marvel didn't put much focus on it, which is a damn shame. Sam was given the shield in the films and I just hope that means he'll get another solo or something more than a 5 issue short series. This is the first book I read that gave us a lot of insight into his background, how he deals with problems and I loved seeing him as Shaun's mentor.
It's a recommend if you like Sam Wilson and want to learn more about him. I just wish this was still an ongoing because I think Barnes could've told way more stories with this cast.
I don't feel right rating this book for 2 reasons:
1) It's a well known fact that Marvel treats their creators of color and books about marginalized characters like shit. No promotion, no help, no real resources put in to making the books successful. They really love to give the appearance of having diverse characters but they don't put the work in when they're being written by creators of color.
2) This book could've easily been 5 stars if Marvel had put more resources into it.
This book is dark - literally. The colors and the art are rather rough with harsh lines and it's not always easy to discern what's going on. It's a style that I've seen in other books, but at times it wasn't that pleasant for me to look at. Which is a problem when you're reading a graphic novel. You have to want to look at the artwork.
I had a few issues with some of the more flowery writing. The part where Sam says he has to "bond with their hearts" when talking about getting through to the gang members or when he says he was "shaking like a fawn." Other than some of those issues, I didn't have any problems with the writing. Barnes had to contend with the huge garbage fire Nick Spencer set off in the Cap books. Barnes did a great job and I say that having repetitively said how much I will never forgive Marvel for letting Spencer write that shitty storyline.
Sam is full of doubt about everything he believed: about Steve, about what the shield means, about the work he did, about himself. He's having an existential crisis and it's affecting the way he trains his ward Shaun (who I love!) and how he does his job. Shaun is a ray of sunshine and I really love how he lifts Sam's spirit in this book. He was hilarious, and sweet and admires Sam so much. His one liners never got boring and, while he was used for exposition quite a few times, he felt like a real character and I can't wait to read more about him, to be honest.
I loved the elements of magic in this book! Reminded me a tiny bit of what Walker did with Power Man & Iron Fist in that it's brought in seamlessly and fits perfectly. I loved Jericho Drumm having a big role and I really loved seeing the Son of Satan pop up. Kinda sad I won't get to see them work more together. Joaquin, the former Falcon, appears and I know nothing of this character. I couldn't make it through Remender's Sam book and I won't touch anything Spencer wrote, so he might have been introduced there? Either way, I enjoyed him here. I really love the little family between Shaun, Sam, Joaquin and Redwing! (Can't forget the "crazy chicken").
I didn't quite love Blade and Sam fighting over Misty as a love interest. I have no idea why Misty was ever paired with Sam, to be honest? I get that Sam never had a big love interest (I don't even remember his girlfriend's name from the 70s and 80s comics). I just don't get why we had to make it Misty in this book? But, it seems like that was done before this run, so that's not really Barnes' fault.
Anyway, I enjoyed this and I can tell Marvel didn't put much focus on it, which is a damn shame. Sam was given the shield in the films and I just hope that means he'll get another solo or something more than a 5 issue short series. This is the first book I read that gave us a lot of insight into his background, how he deals with problems and I loved seeing him as Shaun's mentor.
It's a recommend if you like Sam Wilson and want to learn more about him. I just wish this was still an ongoing because I think Barnes could've told way more stories with this cast.
April 30, 2022
In the wake of Secret Empire, the Falcon flies again! With the new Patriot at his side, Sam sets out to deal with gang violence in Chicago, only to discover that the roots of evil have embedded themselves in the city, and it'll take more than some high-flying to save the souls of the damned. Plus, date night with Misty Knight goes awry when Deacon Frost and his vampire army come looking for revenge!
Having caught up on Killadelphia recently, I thought I'd go back and check out some of Rodney Barnes' other comics work, which led me to his short-lived Falcon run. Reading these eight issues, it's easy to see how Killadelphia was born from it - vampires notwithstanding, the idea of trying to save a city from an evil far greater than one man, the relationship between a father and son, the DNA is all here, just run through a superhero filter. I'm curious as to how I would have reacted if I'd read this first rather than the other way around.
That said, these eight issues are still a good read even from a standalone perspective. Barnes doesn't shy away from what Sam's been through recently, embracing both of his recent sidekicks and his love interest to tell an unapologetic story that picks at the themes of gang violence, racial prejudice, and self-reflection in equal measure. It doesn't quite end as satisfyingly as I'd have liked, but I expect the run was cut short quite a bit so it's not a bad ending overall, just a kind of To Be Continued... type deal.
Joshua Cassara pencils seven of the eight issues here, bringing a particular brand of grit to the proceedings. The later issues with the vampires especially gave me Gabriel Hernandez Walta vibes, that kind of uncanny valley between everything being totally normal and bland while the superhero punches the vampires in the background. My only complain would be that his depiction of Blackheart often looks goofy instead of intimidating - I think it's the funny tentacle face he gave him. Sebastian Cabrol handles a single fill-in issue, but you'd be hard pressed to notice the difference overall.
Is it derivative if you riff on your own work? Who cares. Barnes' Falcon run is fun, poignant, and down to earth even as Sam punches the devil in the face. Great stuff, and gone too soon.
Having caught up on Killadelphia recently, I thought I'd go back and check out some of Rodney Barnes' other comics work, which led me to his short-lived Falcon run. Reading these eight issues, it's easy to see how Killadelphia was born from it - vampires notwithstanding, the idea of trying to save a city from an evil far greater than one man, the relationship between a father and son, the DNA is all here, just run through a superhero filter. I'm curious as to how I would have reacted if I'd read this first rather than the other way around.
That said, these eight issues are still a good read even from a standalone perspective. Barnes doesn't shy away from what Sam's been through recently, embracing both of his recent sidekicks and his love interest to tell an unapologetic story that picks at the themes of gang violence, racial prejudice, and self-reflection in equal measure. It doesn't quite end as satisfyingly as I'd have liked, but I expect the run was cut short quite a bit so it's not a bad ending overall, just a kind of To Be Continued... type deal.
Joshua Cassara pencils seven of the eight issues here, bringing a particular brand of grit to the proceedings. The later issues with the vampires especially gave me Gabriel Hernandez Walta vibes, that kind of uncanny valley between everything being totally normal and bland while the superhero punches the vampires in the background. My only complain would be that his depiction of Blackheart often looks goofy instead of intimidating - I think it's the funny tentacle face he gave him. Sebastian Cabrol handles a single fill-in issue, but you'd be hard pressed to notice the difference overall.
Is it derivative if you riff on your own work? Who cares. Barnes' Falcon run is fun, poignant, and down to earth even as Sam punches the devil in the face. Great stuff, and gone too soon.
October 30, 2018
Duh. I really liked Sam Wilson of late. Him being Captain America was a good idea imho and the character fit right during the Hail Hydra period.
So Sam is back in the streets. 's cool, that's where he should and needs to be.
Then Rodney Barnes does the mistake that should (almost) never be done: mixing streetwise characters with demons, magic and stuff. Enters Blackheart, a D-list looser from hell trying to take the world starting with Chicago.
And so it goes all over the place, with the compulsory-and boring- passage in Hell. It feels half-baked, with the wrong ingredients anyway (Sam Wilson vs Blackheart, really)
Add forced dialogues-though there are some cool lines here and there- an irritating sidekick, at least one redundant issue and mediocre art and voilà.
Sam's back in the streets.
In the gutter.
So Sam is back in the streets. 's cool, that's where he should and needs to be.
Then Rodney Barnes does the mistake that should (almost) never be done: mixing streetwise characters with demons, magic and stuff. Enters Blackheart, a D-list looser from hell trying to take the world starting with Chicago.
And so it goes all over the place, with the compulsory-and boring- passage in Hell. It feels half-baked, with the wrong ingredients anyway (Sam Wilson vs Blackheart, really)
Add forced dialogues-though there are some cool lines here and there- an irritating sidekick, at least one redundant issue and mediocre art and voilà.
Sam's back in the streets.
In the gutter.
January 1, 2019
Not sure about this....for sure didn't expect it to be supernatural. From Cap sidekick to his own title....worth watching to see if it gets better. A lot of good cameos such as brother voodoo and blade.
March 2, 2021
Some things go great together. Bacon and eggs, peanut butter and jelly. Captain America and The Falcon. This book goes the opposite way.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
: : : You have been warned. : : :
A promising start about gang violence in Chicago that is completely undercut by adding demons to the mix. Street-level heroes without superpowers like Falcon are some of my favorite characters, and I’ve been a fan of his since the 1970s. As soon as you add demons and supernatural goings-on to these stories they tend to fall apart unless you do it right. Just dropping them in out the blue like kersplunking a big rock in a puddle wrecks it. That disintegration is aided by some truly clunky dialogue and uneven pacing.
Such a great opportunity to discuss the causes and cures of gang violence, but the problems in Chicago — which are real and have their roots in generations of racism — are treated so cavalierly here that it should anger anyone involved with the real-world effects. How is this book using that situation as a mere backdrop any different from how conservative politicians use it to promote their racist agenda? When you reduce the complexity of an entire generation destroying itself and the neighborhoods they live in to “the devil made me do it”, you’re absolving everyone of responsibility.
Of course, this is just a comic book, so one can argue it shouldn’t have that sort of responsibility thrust upon it, but the flipside of that coin is why even go there in the first place? If you’re just going to do such a disservice to real people with real suffering, you’re part of the problem. Set the tale somewhere else. Find another venue to talk about Sam Wilson’s crisis of confidence. Don’t make light of real shit.
The Satan of the Marvel universe is Mephisto, and one of his demonic offspring is Blackheart, who’s the dude behind all the gang violence. Blackheart has always been a weak-ass character, and here he’s basically just a lesser version of Hate-Monger. John Byrne did this exact same story with Hate-Monger stirring up trouble for the Fantastic Four back in the day, which led directly to Sue Storm demanding people stop calling her the Invisible Girl and start treating her with some damn respect. That’s when she became the Invisible Woman and everyone realized that, holy shit, she’s actually the strongest member of the FF, yes, in terms of superpowers but also in emotional resilience.
We don’t get that same arc here. Sam goes to actual hell and over a page decides that, by golly, he is worthy. So yay, epiphany and bad guys get beaten up. It feels cheap. The Marvel universe is flexible and forgiving, allowing hell-demons and intergalactic star warriors to coexist with gun-toting vigilantes, and lots of writers have managed to blend these extremely disparate elements well without resorting to dumb deus ex machina tricks, so it’s disappointing and aggravating to see lackluster rationales used here to justify a teenage kid with a flying shield beating up a lord of the underworld without breaking a sweat.
Other problems I had with the story include the misuse of existing characters. Why is Two-Gun Kid in hell? That’s kinda rude. Of all the Western heroes in the stable, he’s the least likely to end up there. I mean, Phantom Rider is basically the template for Moon Knight, an ambiguous antihero who — get this — regularly possesses his own descendants to enact vengeance. THERE’S a guy who would be in hell. Two-Gun is about as squeaky clean as they get. Dumb.
I wasn’t cool with how pathetic Brother Voodoo was here, either. He’s the damn Sorcerer Supreme! The equal to Doctor Strange! And he regularly gets his butt whooped by third-string demons. Sad.
It feels like they just decided to cram as many black characters as possible into the story, regardless of whether they might fit together. It’s a form of stunt casting that’s annoying.
One of my favorite stories of this century is Young Avengers, Volume 1: Sidekicks, and Elijah Bradley as Patriot was able to do more effective commentary on race relations in America in 3 pages than this entire 170-page collection. I have no idea when this new Patriot, Shaun Lucas, showed up, but he feels more like a shadow of Miles Morales than a fully-fledged character in his own right, despite all of his page time.
And these new outfits... yeesh. They’re just fugly. I can kinda see what they were going for with Patriot, with a sort of red-and-white version of Captain America’s stealth outfit, but it doesn’t work. It’s so busy and unfocused, it comes across as a motorcycle racer outfit with five sponsors. The less said about Falcon the better. The original green 70s suit was pretty bad with the follow-up red and white one not much better, and they clearly took the new look from that yet somehow made it worse. I guess it’s also bulletproof now, too? Cool upgrade, but maybe mention that.
By the time we get back to NYC and vampires and Blade, even the ultra-cool Misty Knight can’t save the story. It’s just a hot mess from start to finish, to be honest. Take out all the horror elements and the basic idea of Sam doing some soul-searching is a solid continuation of his arc over the past decade. But all of this busy-ness with demons and vampires and lame-o versions of Mephisto and Deacon Frost just completely detracts from the core concept.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
: : : You have been warned. : : :
A promising start about gang violence in Chicago that is completely undercut by adding demons to the mix. Street-level heroes without superpowers like Falcon are some of my favorite characters, and I’ve been a fan of his since the 1970s. As soon as you add demons and supernatural goings-on to these stories they tend to fall apart unless you do it right. Just dropping them in out the blue like kersplunking a big rock in a puddle wrecks it. That disintegration is aided by some truly clunky dialogue and uneven pacing.
Such a great opportunity to discuss the causes and cures of gang violence, but the problems in Chicago — which are real and have their roots in generations of racism — are treated so cavalierly here that it should anger anyone involved with the real-world effects. How is this book using that situation as a mere backdrop any different from how conservative politicians use it to promote their racist agenda? When you reduce the complexity of an entire generation destroying itself and the neighborhoods they live in to “the devil made me do it”, you’re absolving everyone of responsibility.
Of course, this is just a comic book, so one can argue it shouldn’t have that sort of responsibility thrust upon it, but the flipside of that coin is why even go there in the first place? If you’re just going to do such a disservice to real people with real suffering, you’re part of the problem. Set the tale somewhere else. Find another venue to talk about Sam Wilson’s crisis of confidence. Don’t make light of real shit.
The Satan of the Marvel universe is Mephisto, and one of his demonic offspring is Blackheart, who’s the dude behind all the gang violence. Blackheart has always been a weak-ass character, and here he’s basically just a lesser version of Hate-Monger. John Byrne did this exact same story with Hate-Monger stirring up trouble for the Fantastic Four back in the day, which led directly to Sue Storm demanding people stop calling her the Invisible Girl and start treating her with some damn respect. That’s when she became the Invisible Woman and everyone realized that, holy shit, she’s actually the strongest member of the FF, yes, in terms of superpowers but also in emotional resilience.
We don’t get that same arc here. Sam goes to actual hell and over a page decides that, by golly, he is worthy. So yay, epiphany and bad guys get beaten up. It feels cheap. The Marvel universe is flexible and forgiving, allowing hell-demons and intergalactic star warriors to coexist with gun-toting vigilantes, and lots of writers have managed to blend these extremely disparate elements well without resorting to dumb deus ex machina tricks, so it’s disappointing and aggravating to see lackluster rationales used here to justify a teenage kid with a flying shield beating up a lord of the underworld without breaking a sweat.
Other problems I had with the story include the misuse of existing characters. Why is Two-Gun Kid in hell? That’s kinda rude. Of all the Western heroes in the stable, he’s the least likely to end up there. I mean, Phantom Rider is basically the template for Moon Knight, an ambiguous antihero who — get this — regularly possesses his own descendants to enact vengeance. THERE’S a guy who would be in hell. Two-Gun is about as squeaky clean as they get. Dumb.
I wasn’t cool with how pathetic Brother Voodoo was here, either. He’s the damn Sorcerer Supreme! The equal to Doctor Strange! And he regularly gets his butt whooped by third-string demons. Sad.
It feels like they just decided to cram as many black characters as possible into the story, regardless of whether they might fit together. It’s a form of stunt casting that’s annoying.
One of my favorite stories of this century is Young Avengers, Volume 1: Sidekicks, and Elijah Bradley as Patriot was able to do more effective commentary on race relations in America in 3 pages than this entire 170-page collection. I have no idea when this new Patriot, Shaun Lucas, showed up, but he feels more like a shadow of Miles Morales than a fully-fledged character in his own right, despite all of his page time.
And these new outfits... yeesh. They’re just fugly. I can kinda see what they were going for with Patriot, with a sort of red-and-white version of Captain America’s stealth outfit, but it doesn’t work. It’s so busy and unfocused, it comes across as a motorcycle racer outfit with five sponsors. The less said about Falcon the better. The original green 70s suit was pretty bad with the follow-up red and white one not much better, and they clearly took the new look from that yet somehow made it worse. I guess it’s also bulletproof now, too? Cool upgrade, but maybe mention that.
By the time we get back to NYC and vampires and Blade, even the ultra-cool Misty Knight can’t save the story. It’s just a hot mess from start to finish, to be honest. Take out all the horror elements and the basic idea of Sam doing some soul-searching is a solid continuation of his arc over the past decade. But all of this busy-ness with demons and vampires and lame-o versions of Mephisto and Deacon Frost just completely detracts from the core concept.
October 31, 2021
I read this book via Kindle Unlimited.
I love Sam Wilson.
Can that be the entire review? I just UGH. His character really is the purest form of superhero there is. This book is set soon after it is revealed Steve was working for Hydra under the Cosmic Cube and how Sam feels that the mantle of Captain America is a lie he can no longer uphold. He has gone back to being Falcon and is now trying to protect Chicago from it's growing gang violence. That backfires however when an old foe, Blackheart, steps out of his hiding place as the town's mayor and spearheads chaos. Killing, looting, riots and all under the name of the Falcon. Sam who has already lost so much at this stage, feels lost and when Blackheart traps him in hell, he needs to figure out his identity and who he is as a person to escape with the help of Joaquin and Shaun. When that story is over, Mephisto isn't happy that Sam gets out of hell and sends Deacon Frost to kill him. Frost unleashes his vampires on Brooklyn, taking some people close to Sam and putting them in grave danger. We get a gratuitous Blade cameo in this comic, even if he is a little bit of an ass, I loved it. I really enjoy Rodney Barnes writing, I'm a big fan of Killadelphia and I love what he has done here. We see Sam low, lost and yet, we also see his spirit and how GOOD Sam really is. Because he is. He's a great person.
I love Sam Wilson.
Can that be the entire review? I just UGH. His character really is the purest form of superhero there is. This book is set soon after it is revealed Steve was working for Hydra under the Cosmic Cube and how Sam feels that the mantle of Captain America is a lie he can no longer uphold. He has gone back to being Falcon and is now trying to protect Chicago from it's growing gang violence. That backfires however when an old foe, Blackheart, steps out of his hiding place as the town's mayor and spearheads chaos. Killing, looting, riots and all under the name of the Falcon. Sam who has already lost so much at this stage, feels lost and when Blackheart traps him in hell, he needs to figure out his identity and who he is as a person to escape with the help of Joaquin and Shaun. When that story is over, Mephisto isn't happy that Sam gets out of hell and sends Deacon Frost to kill him. Frost unleashes his vampires on Brooklyn, taking some people close to Sam and putting them in grave danger. We get a gratuitous Blade cameo in this comic, even if he is a little bit of an ass, I loved it. I really enjoy Rodney Barnes writing, I'm a big fan of Killadelphia and I love what he has done here. We see Sam low, lost and yet, we also see his spirit and how GOOD Sam really is. Because he is. He's a great person.
April 8, 2021
The weakest points of the series are the supernatural plot points and characters. Sam gets actually less development and play then some of these supporting characters. And, quite frankly, the vampire plot, besides being a plot device to have Blade and Misty Knight interact (which was fun), is rather pointless.
Read
July 5, 2019So Sam Wilson, having become Captain America for a while, now becomes the Falcon again in the comics even as he's become Captain America on screen*. Much like Occupy Avengers before it, this series kicks off with a hero deciding to step back from the national and cosmic level and instead sort out street-level crime in the sort of place where he grew up, here Chicago. Which offers a grand opportunity to talk about pressing issues in the modern US, like inequality and militarised policing and the self-destructive attitudes fostered in communities which are raised without hope.
And then by the second issue, we've had cameos by Thanos, Galactus, Death, Lord Order, Master Chaos, and Mephisto.
Because it turns out that the gang war in Chicago, exacerbated by counterproductive policing, isn't just down to the faultlines in late capitalist society: it's being manipulated by Blackheart as stage one of a plan to earn himself a seat at the table where the big boys hang out, by succeeding where they all failed and conquering Earth**. Now, obviously there's an argument that this is poor taste, and exculpates the real culprits, but you might as well trot out the old line about how long it takes people to die in opera. This is how superhero comics, especially at Marvel, work – like morality plays before them, they give humanity's sins and failings faces and names, in order better to identify them (and in order to punch them in the face). But when you've begun the comic with a statement that this is about tackling street-level crime, and then you go this cosmic this quickly, the transition is jarring all the same. On top of which, of all the villains who manipulate people's emotions, Blackheart is both one of the dullest, and one of the toughest for a non-magical character to fight, meaning that as often happens when a non-magical character faces an occult threat, he'll tend to become a supporting character in his own book. So just as Spidey ended up playing second fiddle to Doctor Strange in Brendan McCarthy's Fever, so here Falcon spends a while reduced to providing feed lines and muscle for Doctor Voodoo. And just when you're thinking, OK, well, at least it's still giving a black hero some spotlight time, even if it's not the guy with his name on the cover, Voodoo in turn has to go and ask Hellstorm for help and the whole thing gets completely out of hand.
None of which would be such a problem if this were volume 3 or something, and you were establishing that Falcon could still operate usefully at this level. But this is volume 1, and that's where you need to make sure readers get a handle on the central character, before you expand his world or sideline him briefly as a guest star arrives. Of course, one legitimate reply to that is that nowadays Marvel books, especially ones with solo black leads, often don't make volume 3, so maybe you can't afford to wait to tell that story. Which, yeah, would that it were otherwise. But as is, I don't get enough of a sense from any of this of how Barnes sees Sam Wilson, which is a shame because he's clearly very engaged with the character's long and messy history. Foregrounding the shock of Steve Rogers' Secret Empire betrayal makes perfect sense, because yes, when your friend and mentor is revealed as a fascist tyrant***, it is going to shake a person. But that's also the spur to Ta-Nehisi Coates' current Captain America run, and the contrast does the Falcon series no favours at all. Here, Sam gets lumbered with dialogue like "Steve being a traitor validated every cynic who felt America was an idealized metaphor for the dominant culture's survival, and the minority's suffering." Which is exactly the sort of theme Coates is also addressing – but Coates turns it into poetry, instead of leaving it lying there bald on the page. And when it's not that it's slightly awkward pop culture references, which somehow manage to sound just as unlike any sentence a real person might ever utter. Worse, they're shared among the cast, with little except the era to distinguish Patriot's ungainly judging of a crowd size as '25 Wu-Tang Clans' from Sam's riposte in terms of Earth, Wind & Fires. And then a little later Joaquin comes out with the priceless "This is some Warriors plus American Me times Colors type #$%& out there!"
And then at the end of the fifth issue, when Blackheart has been dealt with and the good guys are having dinner, and we hope it might at least get a bit of a breather as a Falcon comic rather than a supernatural comic guest-starring Falcon – Deacon Frost turns up! Meaning Blade can't be far behind, and so it proves; Misty Knight, too, as it turns out. Despite which, the last three issues are a vast improvement on the five which came before. The characters' dialogue varies recognisably from one to another; Blade is very much support and rival, rather than stealing the show. The pop culture references are dialled back to a level where it resembles 21st century human interaction, rather than a Martian pastiching same. And while Mephisto is still mentioned as being somewhere in the background of it all, we get to read a Falcon book with challenges Falcon can meet – by which I mean not just vampires, but his own fear of commitment. All of which, inevitably, happens just in time for the series to be cancelled. Between the book's own mis-steps and Marvel's trigger-happy ways, this comes as no great surprise, and I can't claim it as any kind of underappreciated classic. But as against all the books which seem to exist just to exist, X-Men comics only published because Marvel feels it should publish X-Men comics, this was at least trying to do something definite, even if it didn't always go about that in anything like the best way.
*Meanwhile Joaquin, the interim comics Falcon, searches for a new codename, in a running joke which – outrageously – never even gets a resolution.
**Yes, this is very much an underpants gnome sort of plan, as regards the step between 'rioting in Chicago' and 'Earth conquered', but as villainous masterplans go, that's hardly unique.
***Even if it turned out to be a duplicate or whatever that mess of a resolution ended up as – I read it, and I still couldn't properly tell you.
And then by the second issue, we've had cameos by Thanos, Galactus, Death, Lord Order, Master Chaos, and Mephisto.
Because it turns out that the gang war in Chicago, exacerbated by counterproductive policing, isn't just down to the faultlines in late capitalist society: it's being manipulated by Blackheart as stage one of a plan to earn himself a seat at the table where the big boys hang out, by succeeding where they all failed and conquering Earth**. Now, obviously there's an argument that this is poor taste, and exculpates the real culprits, but you might as well trot out the old line about how long it takes people to die in opera. This is how superhero comics, especially at Marvel, work – like morality plays before them, they give humanity's sins and failings faces and names, in order better to identify them (and in order to punch them in the face). But when you've begun the comic with a statement that this is about tackling street-level crime, and then you go this cosmic this quickly, the transition is jarring all the same. On top of which, of all the villains who manipulate people's emotions, Blackheart is both one of the dullest, and one of the toughest for a non-magical character to fight, meaning that as often happens when a non-magical character faces an occult threat, he'll tend to become a supporting character in his own book. So just as Spidey ended up playing second fiddle to Doctor Strange in Brendan McCarthy's Fever, so here Falcon spends a while reduced to providing feed lines and muscle for Doctor Voodoo. And just when you're thinking, OK, well, at least it's still giving a black hero some spotlight time, even if it's not the guy with his name on the cover, Voodoo in turn has to go and ask Hellstorm for help and the whole thing gets completely out of hand.
None of which would be such a problem if this were volume 3 or something, and you were establishing that Falcon could still operate usefully at this level. But this is volume 1, and that's where you need to make sure readers get a handle on the central character, before you expand his world or sideline him briefly as a guest star arrives. Of course, one legitimate reply to that is that nowadays Marvel books, especially ones with solo black leads, often don't make volume 3, so maybe you can't afford to wait to tell that story. Which, yeah, would that it were otherwise. But as is, I don't get enough of a sense from any of this of how Barnes sees Sam Wilson, which is a shame because he's clearly very engaged with the character's long and messy history. Foregrounding the shock of Steve Rogers' Secret Empire betrayal makes perfect sense, because yes, when your friend and mentor is revealed as a fascist tyrant***, it is going to shake a person. But that's also the spur to Ta-Nehisi Coates' current Captain America run, and the contrast does the Falcon series no favours at all. Here, Sam gets lumbered with dialogue like "Steve being a traitor validated every cynic who felt America was an idealized metaphor for the dominant culture's survival, and the minority's suffering." Which is exactly the sort of theme Coates is also addressing – but Coates turns it into poetry, instead of leaving it lying there bald on the page. And when it's not that it's slightly awkward pop culture references, which somehow manage to sound just as unlike any sentence a real person might ever utter. Worse, they're shared among the cast, with little except the era to distinguish Patriot's ungainly judging of a crowd size as '25 Wu-Tang Clans' from Sam's riposte in terms of Earth, Wind & Fires. And then a little later Joaquin comes out with the priceless "This is some Warriors plus American Me times Colors type #$%& out there!"
And then at the end of the fifth issue, when Blackheart has been dealt with and the good guys are having dinner, and we hope it might at least get a bit of a breather as a Falcon comic rather than a supernatural comic guest-starring Falcon – Deacon Frost turns up! Meaning Blade can't be far behind, and so it proves; Misty Knight, too, as it turns out. Despite which, the last three issues are a vast improvement on the five which came before. The characters' dialogue varies recognisably from one to another; Blade is very much support and rival, rather than stealing the show. The pop culture references are dialled back to a level where it resembles 21st century human interaction, rather than a Martian pastiching same. And while Mephisto is still mentioned as being somewhere in the background of it all, we get to read a Falcon book with challenges Falcon can meet – by which I mean not just vampires, but his own fear of commitment. All of which, inevitably, happens just in time for the series to be cancelled. Between the book's own mis-steps and Marvel's trigger-happy ways, this comes as no great surprise, and I can't claim it as any kind of underappreciated classic. But as against all the books which seem to exist just to exist, X-Men comics only published because Marvel feels it should publish X-Men comics, this was at least trying to do something definite, even if it didn't always go about that in anything like the best way.
*Meanwhile Joaquin, the interim comics Falcon, searches for a new codename, in a running joke which – outrageously – never even gets a resolution.
**Yes, this is very much an underpants gnome sort of plan, as regards the step between 'rioting in Chicago' and 'Earth conquered', but as villainous masterplans go, that's hardly unique.
***Even if it turned out to be a duplicate or whatever that mess of a resolution ended up as – I read it, and I still couldn't properly tell you.
February 17, 2021
A dreadful waste of a comic book.
The first five issues draw on the worst era ever from Daredevil, facing Sam with Blackheart, son of Mephisto, in a story that goes from Chicago to Hell and rarely makes sense. It's a mess.
The next three issues share the first fives' love of meaningless fighting, but at least offer some additional characterization thanks to the introduction of Misty and Blade.
But overall, this isn't worth the time spent reading it.
The first five issues draw on the worst era ever from Daredevil, facing Sam with Blackheart, son of Mephisto, in a story that goes from Chicago to Hell and rarely makes sense. It's a mess.
The next three issues share the first fives' love of meaningless fighting, but at least offer some additional characterization thanks to the introduction of Misty and Blade.
But overall, this isn't worth the time spent reading it.
September 1, 2020
A brilliant follow-up to the events of Secret Empire, the personal journey of Sam Wilson and the anger he harbors for the betrayal he felt after Steve Rodgers (actually a faux-Rodgers at the time) led a HYDRA invasion. With the true Steve Rodgers returned as Captain America, Sam begins his life as Falcon once more. Introducing the character to the world of the supernatural while also showcasing the racial tension and violence in our world today made this an instant must-read for Marvel fans.
March 12, 2021
Falcon: Take Flight is a great standalone volume that picks up with Sam Wilson having become the Falcon once more after his tenure as Captain America. Sam himself is such a wonderful character and he is joined by equally memorable and fun Patriot (Rayshaun Lucas) and Misty Knight. I do feel, however, that the writer wanted to write Blade and the more supernatural Marvel characters rather than Falcon as the volume steered more toward the former by the end of this.
March 30, 2024
Goodreads let me give half star ratings I'm begging. I would give this 3.5 instead
May 22, 2021
This book was not at all what I expected! It was weird like an old school defenders book. The cast was interesting. I loved the dialogue between the characters. I laughed out loud at some of Shaun’s comments. I remember initially dismissing this book after reading the first issue, but the I wouldn’t mind reading more now that I’ve read all 8 issues. I had at least hoped that the run would have ended with Joaquin getting a new moniker.
March 27, 2023
I have mixed feelings about this book on one hand I really like the portrayal of Sam Wilson in here feels like a real person with confliction’s and issues. I’m not a fan of the art style in this book I think it’s serviceable, but it’s not great and the supernatural element of this book which I was not expecting is a mixed bag. I really enjoy seeing Dr. voodoo because he’s a marvel character that barely gets used and seeing blade is fun, but any time Pfister shows up or they use supernatural Reasons for the way things are happening I think takes away from the story I would’ve rather had seen the corrupt politician, be a corrupt politician, than actually be the son of Mephisto. I also felt a little waft because I didn’t know who Sam Wilson’s junior partner was since I haven’t been reading comics featuring him. I got context clues, but I would’ve liked him to have more of a story of his own and not be a sidekick. Also, by the end, I was kind of glazed over not as engaged. I finished it, but I was checked out
July 23, 2019
Absolutely fantastic book! I love Sam from the MCU movies, so this was my first comic with Sam. I really loved his character and all the other fun characters, the art was phenomenal, and on top of that all the antagonists were all supernatural based (which is my jam!). I would say it feels like the last couple issues were rushed. It would have been perfect if it were a total of 10 issues in this comic, but 8 still works out ok.
December 2, 2019
3 stars. First half was trash. Second half had blade and was great.
December 14, 2018
This volume is mostly about setting up a new status quo for Sam as Falcon rather than Captain America (or as just Sam Wilson, as he was for a while there during all the Secret Empire stuff) and it does that well. Barnes' handling of Sam makes great sense, and I love what he's doing with him as a character. I like the relationship we see built--and built in the best way, right in front of us through active storytelling--between Sam and Shaun, and ties to Dr. Voodoo; the last Falcon, Joaquin; Misty Knight, and even Blade.
The initial story here, in its outer layers continues the socially conscious storytelling from Captain America: Sam Wilson, and it's sincere and well-done. I'm especially impressed with the resolution for that outer level of storytelling at the end of the book's initial arc. But the it's the interior story that's really the focus here. The first arc is really all about Sam facing his inner demons. Honestly, adding literal demons to the mix felt a bit...on the nose. And while it provided the setup for a well-written reflection scene (during which Sam is literally in Hell), the supernatural elements felt out of place in what was otherwise very much a street level story. I can see where Barnes is coming from, inner demons, hatred, etc. being taken advantage of and played up by literal demons in a bid to get us to destroy ourselves, but it just...I don't know. Didn't fit quite well-enough for me.
The second arc moves to Sam's insistence on having a life of his own, in the form of attempting to reach out to Misty Knight. In the process we get more supernatural stuff as Blade shows up and a pissed off Mephisto--I did say Sam was literally in Hell--sends vampire hitmen after Sam. This one is less on the nose--there's no heavy pairing of battling inner demons while battling outer demons here, but the supernatural vibe still seems a bit of a stretch. At least Barnes allows Blade to be themost effective against the undead as only makes sense. Although Sam's smart use of fire works as well.
In any case, the volume ends very much with a looking to the future vibe that felt right. I love how Sam is handled directly here, and enjoyed the key supporting characters for themselves and their ties to Sam as Barnes established them. I'm hoping the next volume is not quite as weird a pairing of genres etc. as I'll definitely be there to read it.
The initial story here, in its outer layers continues the socially conscious storytelling from Captain America: Sam Wilson, and it's sincere and well-done. I'm especially impressed with the resolution for that outer level of storytelling at the end of the book's initial arc. But the it's the interior story that's really the focus here. The first arc is really all about Sam facing his inner demons. Honestly, adding literal demons to the mix felt a bit...on the nose. And while it provided the setup for a well-written reflection scene (during which Sam is literally in Hell), the supernatural elements felt out of place in what was otherwise very much a street level story. I can see where Barnes is coming from, inner demons, hatred, etc. being taken advantage of and played up by literal demons in a bid to get us to destroy ourselves, but it just...I don't know. Didn't fit quite well-enough for me.
The second arc moves to Sam's insistence on having a life of his own, in the form of attempting to reach out to Misty Knight. In the process we get more supernatural stuff as Blade shows up and a pissed off Mephisto--I did say Sam was literally in Hell--sends vampire hitmen after Sam. This one is less on the nose--there's no heavy pairing of battling inner demons while battling outer demons here, but the supernatural vibe still seems a bit of a stretch. At least Barnes allows Blade to be themost effective against the undead as only makes sense. Although Sam's smart use of fire works as well.
In any case, the volume ends very much with a looking to the future vibe that felt right. I love how Sam is handled directly here, and enjoyed the key supporting characters for themselves and their ties to Sam as Barnes established them. I'm hoping the next volume is not quite as weird a pairing of genres etc. as I'll definitely be there to read it.
April 15, 2025
I thought this book was tear-inducing. No, really, the last frame had me almost crying. Because at the end of the hero's journey, don't we all want love? Not just constant perilous state after another, but true love? I'll be frank, I'm not super in-the-know about this cast of characters, but this Misty Knight I can get behind. She is self-respecting, but also willing to give Sam another chance. And since he's now been to literal Hell and back, he's changed. (Again, not that I'm aware of all their history, but I love a look-in-the-mirror-and-make-that-change kind of person.)
It's a miracle that there were able to pull back from the gang fighting after Dray shot the other gang's leader. I will never fully comprehend that kind of violence or why anyone could justify those sort of actions, but at least we know the trigger had Blackheart's hand on it the whole time. I have heard of Mephisto before, but hadn't realized he had a son. Or how ugly he would be lol. A solid effort to try to be taken seriously by some of the big bads, but the decimation of a planet earth, really?
Dude had the ass-whooping coming, and it came from Dray, of all people after a conversation with Doctor Voodoo. Who, I'm also not sure I'd know before now, so I'm curious to know more about this righteous Jericho. Dray sacrificing himself to save the world? Commendable, even if it did take til the very end. Not sure his soul deserved to end up in Hell after all that, but not totally sure we got the full story on this "Hell." Considering Sam had to fight his own demons while down there anyway.
I hope Brianna can be turned back from a vampire by Blade. Now, that was kind of a twist I wasn't expecting. We've got Falcon and Patriot here, and come to find out, Shaun's a real good kid. But you're adding supernatural elements into the mix with demons, devils, and Hell. When Mephisto gets pissed at Sam for escaping Hell and defeating his son, he sends Deacon Frost and his vampires after him. And I've heard a lot about Blade, although I wasn't expecting his featuring here. He's kind of a pill, trying to come onto Misty like that, isn't he? But I guess all's well that ends well. I recommend this book to those who want love after their adventure is over.
It's a miracle that there were able to pull back from the gang fighting after Dray shot the other gang's leader. I will never fully comprehend that kind of violence or why anyone could justify those sort of actions, but at least we know the trigger had Blackheart's hand on it the whole time. I have heard of Mephisto before, but hadn't realized he had a son. Or how ugly he would be lol. A solid effort to try to be taken seriously by some of the big bads, but the decimation of a planet earth, really?
Dude had the ass-whooping coming, and it came from Dray, of all people after a conversation with Doctor Voodoo. Who, I'm also not sure I'd know before now, so I'm curious to know more about this righteous Jericho. Dray sacrificing himself to save the world? Commendable, even if it did take til the very end. Not sure his soul deserved to end up in Hell after all that, but not totally sure we got the full story on this "Hell." Considering Sam had to fight his own demons while down there anyway.
I hope Brianna can be turned back from a vampire by Blade. Now, that was kind of a twist I wasn't expecting. We've got Falcon and Patriot here, and come to find out, Shaun's a real good kid. But you're adding supernatural elements into the mix with demons, devils, and Hell. When Mephisto gets pissed at Sam for escaping Hell and defeating his son, he sends Deacon Frost and his vampires after him. And I've heard a lot about Blade, although I wasn't expecting his featuring here. He's kind of a pill, trying to come onto Misty like that, isn't he? But I guess all's well that ends well. I recommend this book to those who want love after their adventure is over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2021
Haven’t read a proper Sam Wilson book in ages and this does the character justice. He’s conflicted, he’s a teacher, he’s finding himself, he’s being a hero, and he’s being the best version of himself that he can be.
For me, the star of the book was Sam’s ward, Shaun/ Patriot. I’ve never met this kid before but he’s great. He says it like it is, he’s smart and witty, he unfailingly loves Sam, but isn’t afraid to call his hero/ mentor out on his crap. Shaun steals the show here.
I like the art but why are the faces obscured in darkness even during the day? A weird choice when there is such richness in the details of everything else. Also, Joaquin’s design didn’t work for me. It was the eyes. They weren’t proportional to his face or frame.
Now, the issues I had with this book. In the first volume, there are three female characters, one of whom is Shaun’s mum who he talks to for one scene. How do you have this many characters in a volume but not make any space for women?
The second volume brings in Misty Knight but her entire arc is about her romantic relationship with Sam, and the second half is her dodging Blade’s endless propositions. I know he’s an anti-hero but a man who can’t take a ‘no’ from a woman is a villain in my book. And then of course, Misty is relegated to damsel in distress. Sigh.
The complete disregard for female characters is infuriating.
The majority of Sam’s inner thoughts are about Steve’s betrayal. It would have been nice if the Black characters got to talk about something, anything, aside from a white man. Alas.
So, Shaun was great. Sam was nice. The art had its moments. But Steve coming up in every conversation and the appalling lack of female characters was really irritating.
For me, the star of the book was Sam’s ward, Shaun/ Patriot. I’ve never met this kid before but he’s great. He says it like it is, he’s smart and witty, he unfailingly loves Sam, but isn’t afraid to call his hero/ mentor out on his crap. Shaun steals the show here.
I like the art but why are the faces obscured in darkness even during the day? A weird choice when there is such richness in the details of everything else. Also, Joaquin’s design didn’t work for me. It was the eyes. They weren’t proportional to his face or frame.
Now, the issues I had with this book. In the first volume, there are three female characters, one of whom is Shaun’s mum who he talks to for one scene. How do you have this many characters in a volume but not make any space for women?
The second volume brings in Misty Knight but her entire arc is about her romantic relationship with Sam, and the second half is her dodging Blade’s endless propositions. I know he’s an anti-hero but a man who can’t take a ‘no’ from a woman is a villain in my book. And then of course, Misty is relegated to damsel in distress. Sigh.
The complete disregard for female characters is infuriating.
The majority of Sam’s inner thoughts are about Steve’s betrayal. It would have been nice if the Black characters got to talk about something, anything, aside from a white man. Alas.
So, Shaun was great. Sam was nice. The art had its moments. But Steve coming up in every conversation and the appalling lack of female characters was really irritating.
October 10, 2024
After a some time filling in for Steve Rogers as Captain America, and a lot of introspection, Sam Wilson finally takes back control of his own legacy and steps back into the shoes of the Falcon.
When I first heard about this, I thought: Great! now we get Sam doing what he does best and being a semi street level hero that kicks ass and does the right thing. Unfortunately, Rodney Barnes had other things in mind. He does get Sam back in the Falcon suit, and to be fair, he did have some interesting stuff about his new partner and some interesting character interaction with his old partner and new Falcon - but for some odd reason, he decided to go supernatural with it. Supernatural and demonic. The main villain is Mephisto's son, Blackheart, who is using a gangster to instil chaos and try "to take over the earth".
It's such a convoluted and... frankly dumb antagonist to Falcon that the whole book kind of falls flat after the villain reveal. It really doesn't fit the character of Falcon and comes really out of left field. Sam going to hell and fighting demons/devils is... kinda cool - but maybe do this down the line, not as the first story in his new book.
Anyways, I'm sorry this misses the mark so badly as I was really looking forward to it. If you're a fan of the Falcon.... check it out I guess?
When I first heard about this, I thought: Great! now we get Sam doing what he does best and being a semi street level hero that kicks ass and does the right thing. Unfortunately, Rodney Barnes had other things in mind. He does get Sam back in the Falcon suit, and to be fair, he did have some interesting stuff about his new partner and some interesting character interaction with his old partner and new Falcon - but for some odd reason, he decided to go supernatural with it. Supernatural and demonic. The main villain is Mephisto's son, Blackheart, who is using a gangster to instil chaos and try "to take over the earth".
It's such a convoluted and... frankly dumb antagonist to Falcon that the whole book kind of falls flat after the villain reveal. It really doesn't fit the character of Falcon and comes really out of left field. Sam going to hell and fighting demons/devils is... kinda cool - but maybe do this down the line, not as the first story in his new book.
Anyways, I'm sorry this misses the mark so badly as I was really looking forward to it. If you're a fan of the Falcon.... check it out I guess?
May 8, 2021
Marvel panicked at all the backlast to Nick Spencer's Captain America saga, and went right back to the status quo. That meant that Sam Wilson was no longer Captain America but instead became the Falcon! And what does he do? Fights gang wars and devils and vampires! You see, Sam's biggest problem is that when the hero and best friend he revered turned out to be a Nazi... he stopped being friends with the Nazi! Shame on you, Sam Wilson! Forgive and forget! That's the real moral! And who better to show Sam Wilson's complicated relationship with his American identity and his identity as a Black man than the villain Blackheart? Even his heart is black! What a great connection!
I really wanted to see more of Sam Wilson. He should have stayed Captain America. He should have had a better relationship with Patriot and Jaoquin and Misty Knight. And this book certainly tries but wow were gang wars against devils and vampires not the best way to tell the politically important story Falcon needed to tell.
I really wanted to see more of Sam Wilson. He should have stayed Captain America. He should have had a better relationship with Patriot and Jaoquin and Misty Knight. And this book certainly tries but wow were gang wars against devils and vampires not the best way to tell the politically important story Falcon needed to tell.
March 18, 2023
This is a good read for someone who is ready to move into a new age of comics. Sam Wilson stars as the Falcon, and Rayshaun Lucas is his sidekick/trainee Patriot. I'm still trying to figure out what Joaquin's deal is. I think there may actually be a half man-half bird superhero. But that probably isn't the most unbelievable thing in comics.
Misty Knight and Blade both make appearances here. Blade is made more interesting because he's less perfect than Wilson. He clearly has a thing for Misty Knight and doesn't want to take 'No' for an answer. It's a character flaw, but it makes him more interesting. Misty Knight is a Mary Sue. There's nothing she can't do. She's beautiful, smart, tenacious, forgiving. I'm not angry, but it doesn't make her more compelling.
The story doesn't shy away from social issues- Chicago is being run by a demon who is intent on appealing to the worst in people. What will a Black man of principle do to fix the situation? And will it be permanent?
Misty Knight and Blade both make appearances here. Blade is made more interesting because he's less perfect than Wilson. He clearly has a thing for Misty Knight and doesn't want to take 'No' for an answer. It's a character flaw, but it makes him more interesting. Misty Knight is a Mary Sue. There's nothing she can't do. She's beautiful, smart, tenacious, forgiving. I'm not angry, but it doesn't make her more compelling.
The story doesn't shy away from social issues- Chicago is being run by a demon who is intent on appealing to the worst in people. What will a Black man of principle do to fix the situation? And will it be permanent?
January 13, 2019
Two stars may seem a bit unfair as this collection actually does have its moments and occasionally even strays into three-star territory, but not consistently enough to merit that extra star.
The artwork is not bad, the designwork involved in places actually pretty good, but the muted colouring muddies up too much of it.
The story is all over the place, trying to handle too many things at once and ends way too abruptly. No idea if that is intentional or because the book was cancelled.
But overall this took me almost three days to read and left me rather dissatisfied.
On the plus side, I really liked the character of Rayshaun, whom I had previously considered to be derivative and unnecessary. "Patriot" is still a dumb code name, though, and should not have been taken from the Young Avengers' eponymous character.
The artwork is not bad, the designwork involved in places actually pretty good, but the muted colouring muddies up too much of it.
The story is all over the place, trying to handle too many things at once and ends way too abruptly. No idea if that is intentional or because the book was cancelled.
But overall this took me almost three days to read and left me rather dissatisfied.
On the plus side, I really liked the character of Rayshaun, whom I had previously considered to be derivative and unnecessary. "Patriot" is still a dumb code name, though, and should not have been taken from the Young Avengers' eponymous character.
July 6, 2020
This may come as a shock to you but I don't have any street cred. No, it's true! My only experience with city slang is what I'm exposed to through film and television. This collection (at least the first half) reads like something I would write, someone trying so hard to sound like they know what they're doing. And when the characters aren't speaking like this, they are constantly (I mean constantly) making cultural references. I mean every other sentence. People don't talk like this!
The second half of the book annoys me in another way. Not once but twice characters are having a banal conversation while in the midst of fighting for their very survival. Some readers may find this cute, I find it irritating. Pay attention! Conserve your breath! This is not the time or place to talk about your love life!
The second half of the book annoys me in another way. Not once but twice characters are having a banal conversation while in the midst of fighting for their very survival. Some readers may find this cute, I find it irritating. Pay attention! Conserve your breath! This is not the time or place to talk about your love life!
July 31, 2020
The real problem here is that Falcon doesn't have a villain—let alone a rogue's gallery. His entire story is in the shadow of Captain America.
When he was Captain America, it made a lot of sense. You could transplant the whole story. Here, they make the villain his self-doubt.
It's not a bad story—pretty good actually. A little politics, a little magic.
But it's clear that Falcon can't support an ongoing without some more worldbuilding.
Also, doesn't it seem like Jericho Drumm (1) has abandoned the "Brother Voodoo" name and (2) has time to be everyone's friend without having his own life.
He hangs out with Black Panther, he hangs out with Falcon, he dates Scarlet Witch. But doesn't he have, like, massive responsibilities of his own? There's a guy who could use a built-out world, too!
When he was Captain America, it made a lot of sense. You could transplant the whole story. Here, they make the villain his self-doubt.
It's not a bad story—pretty good actually. A little politics, a little magic.
But it's clear that Falcon can't support an ongoing without some more worldbuilding.
Also, doesn't it seem like Jericho Drumm (1) has abandoned the "Brother Voodoo" name and (2) has time to be everyone's friend without having his own life.
He hangs out with Black Panther, he hangs out with Falcon, he dates Scarlet Witch. But doesn't he have, like, massive responsibilities of his own? There's a guy who could use a built-out world, too!
April 29, 2021
After the events of Secret Empire, Sam Wilson has gone back to being The Falcon, and is trying to find himself by helping more down to Earth issues, starting with achieving peace between warring gangs. This is a good idea, taking the character back to the ground level to tackle very real issues, which is a shame that it doesn't stick. Very quickly, supernatural elements are thrown in, and effectively dominate this book to become something less interesting, which is a shame. Sam is also training a young hero who's taken the title of Patriot, and there's a good mentor/apprentice relationship going on between them, even if there's too many quips which fall flat from Patriot (particularly with renaming Joaquin, Sam's previous sidekick who was Falcon to his Captain America). It felt like Rodney Barnes had a good idea, and then lost hope in it.
May 18, 2021
I did not expect to like this book so much. I will say I preferred the character moments and interactions to the overall main superhero plot. I liked the cultural references to blackness, it was nice to see black superheroes actually act like real life black people I knew. I will say a number of the cultural references felt too much or unrealistic, however once I realized it was the writer of the boondocks that did this it made sense. I really had fun with this and I loved seeing Falcon interact with Misty as well as apologize for the mistakes he made. Overall a fun run but if you’re more plot driven and don’t have an attachment to the characters I’m not sure if you’d enjoy this as much as I did.
August 10, 2022
Haven’t ever really been a fan of the marvel art style in their comics tbh. A bit too gritty and honestly hard to decipher for me and this continues. I liked this much better than Not My Captain America. Less over-exposition with the text which I was thankful for. Haven’t met a lot of these characters but loved Shaun, Misty, and Doctor Voodoo was a pretty cool character. First time I’ve ever read about Blade which I’m excited for. Felt like the characters played well with each other and the plot felt well connected, coming from someone who never reads these in order.
Interesting this had to follow the story after Cap has been revealed as a Hydra agent so interesting how they have to have Falcon contend with that and I think they did a nice job. Overall, good!
Interesting this had to follow the story after Cap has been revealed as a Hydra agent so interesting how they have to have Falcon contend with that and I think they did a nice job. Overall, good!
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