Captain America will regain his honor as Ta-Nehisi Coates' iconic run comes to an end in Captain America #30. It is no surprise that Ta-Nehisi Coates' Captain America run has been game-changing; Coates is best known as a prolific author and journalist, who cast a critical eye to cultural issues such as white supremacy. His Black Panther run has been popular and critically acclaimed, exerting a profound influence on Ryan Coogler's portrayal of Wakanda in the MCU.
At its heart, Coates' Captain America run has been an exploration of American self-identity. What does it mean to be Captain America in a modern, diverse world? Coates has wrestled with the philosophical implications of a man seen to almost embody the American Dream, especially a flawed man who - at the time Coates started his run - was fresh out of Secret Empire, which saw a man wearing the face of Steve Rogers leading Hydra. Along the way, Coates has introduced whole new ideas into the Captain America mythos, such as the Daughters of Liberty and the villainous Power Elite. Given Coates' work has already influenced the MCU so profoundly, it will be fascinating to see whether any of those aspects wind up making the jump to the big screen.
Marvel has confirmed June's Captain America #30 will be the end of Coates' run, with the skilled writer working with artist Leonard Kirk on this final issue. According to the publisher, the story will see Steve Rogers regain his honor in a climactic battle with, of course, the Red Skull. "After a stellar two and a half year run, Ta-Nehisi is bringing his tenure on Captain America to a close, with an epic finale to the story that he’s been building all throughout his time on the title," Executive Editor Tom Brevoort said in an official press release. "And Leonard Kirk is providing some epic artwork—it’s going to be a climax to remember!"
"The acclaimed author’s run began with Captain America on the run as the most wanted man in America but will end with him restoring his honor," the release teases.
It will be fascinating to see how Coates pulls this off. As Brevoort notes, he's been setting up this fateful final confrontation for a long time, and the pressure is on to deliver. What's more, the end of any comic book run is a crucial one, and writers typically take one of two approaches. Some writers choose to end their stories with a whole new status quo, one that will challenge their successor to deliver a new look at a classic character. Others carefully put the superhero back in a familiar position, giving the next writer a maximum amount of freedom to do their own thing. Whichever of the two approaches Coates takes, he has left a strong mark on the Captain America mythology, and no doubt Marvel will build on this.
Captain America #30 will release in June, and Marvel has yet to announce who will take over and chart the Star-Spangled Avenger's next comic book series. Whoever it is will have some big shoes to fill.
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March 18, 2021 at 05:22AM
