PopCultHQ

PopCultHQ received an advance review copy of the MARVEL VAULT OF HEROES: Captain America TPB from IDW Publishing. Available Wednesday, July 8th, the creative team for this trade paperback features writing from Scott Gray, Roger Langridge, Paul Tobin, Todd Dezago, and J.M. DeMatteis, pencils from Craig Rousseau, Matteo Lolli, Ronan Cliquet, ChrisCross, Lou Kang, and Wellinton Alves, inks by Christian Vecchia, Amilton Santos, Rick Ketchum, Pat Davidson, and Nelson Pereira, colors by Chris Sotomayor, Digital Rainbow, and Bruno Hang, and lettering from Dave Sharpe.

MARVEL VAULT OF HEROES: Thor Vol. 1 TPB

Writers: Scott Gray, Roger Langridge, Paul Tobin, Todd Dezago, J.M. DeMatteis
Pencils: Craig Rousseau, Matteo Lolli, Ronan Cliquet, ChrisCross, Lou Kang, Wellinton Alves
Inks: Christian Vecchia, Amilton Santos, Rick Ketchum, Pat Davidson, Nelson Pereira
Colorists: Chris Sotomayor, Digital Rainbow, Bruno Hang
Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Cover Artists: Clayton Henry w/ GURU-eFX

FC • 160 pages • $15.99

The legend of Captain America begins when Steve Rogers survives a WWII experiment to become a Super-Soldier and the Sentinel of Liberty! He’ll face off against Hydra, P.R.O.D.O.K., the Rhino, A.I.M., and even an army of genetically re-created cavemen. Shield-slinging adventures lead to Avengers team-ups with Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Doctor Strange, and even the Hulk!

Includes Marvel Adventures Super Heroes (2008) #8 and #12 and
Marvel Adventures Super Heroes (2010) #3, #5, #15, #16, and #21.

Writing: The writing for these stories is fantastic. Unique and different, with each one bearing the style of the writer, yet all feel connected in a way. When telling tales of Captain America, one of the oldest and most well-known figures in comics, the stories can go a lot of different ways due to the complex nature of Cap as a character. What stood out is that every single story within this collection was a delight to read, not a dull moment at all. They were engaging and added lots of layers to Captain America and who he is both as a person and a hero, which made the book a fantastic read.

Art: Art is one of the key things that helps bring comics to life. It has been that way since the Golden Age of Comics and will continue to be that way so long as comics last as a form of entertainment. Page after page of the TPB was chock full of gorgeous art from the vast array of artists who contributed to it. Something to note is that while the styles are different with every story, there was one thing they all had in common. Cap himself never seemed to change physically. Of course the art is different but at the core, it captured the essence of the man, a soldier committed to making the world a better place.

Colors: Gorgeous colors abound, adding such gorgeous elements to the art. As it was with the artwork, so it was that the colors kept this reviewer going until the end of the book. Each colorist clearly took their time selecting the right hues for everything, from the different skin tones to cars, costumes and even buildings. What was distinct with the coloring was that for Captain America’s costume was always the same in terms of the brightness. Red, white, and blue aren’t just the colors of the flag, they are Cap’s colors and they stood out on every page.

Letters: Dave Sharpe is a master of the craft of lettering. He has lettered for everyone from Marvel to DC and Valiant. The man’s skill is amazing and shines out in this wonderful collection of Captain America stories. Something that stood out was that there was serious conviction radiating from Cap thanks to Dave’s lettering. Almost as if the Super Soldier were speaking directly to the audience, sharing his thoughts and adventures with them. To achieve that kind of effect is an amazing thing, and it’s all thanks to Dave Sharpe.

Captain America is one of the core characters of Marvel. Having been around since the company’s early days during the 1940s, he has become a bedrock for the Marvel Universe, valued member of the Avengers, and more. This TPB is filled with comics written, drawn, inked, colored, and lettered by some of the best teams in the business. It is non-stop action and excitement from start to finish and will leave readers wanting to start it all over again.

 5 out of 5 Stars

---

---