Captain America is a symbol of a proud nation but on multiple occasions the end of the media seems to prevail. We thought Steve Rogers was the only supersoldier to come out of WWII but there were other experiments. Panini Comics presents us with a hardcover tome that will uncover the story of Isaiah Bradley.
An incongruous world
The United States is a country of contradictions. On the one hand we are faced with a discourse that ponders opportunities and freedom but seems to be intended only for a select few, those whose skin color is appropriate and also the majority. More than 150 years since slavery was abolished, the road continues to be traveled slowly, perhaps too much. There are still episodes of interracial hatred in the communities, it is a current problem that appears in the news to remind us that we have not yet passed that phase in which we must prevail as human beings, as people, over our appearance, limitations or choices like who to love.
And although the USA regularly appear in the focus of international information, it does not turn out to be an exclusive problem for them, although they do have some of the most macabre stories that can be extracted from the archives. Captain America: The Truth It brings us face to face with a dark world that will not measure the suffering caused if it serves its purpose. The corpses that are left behind do not matter, hidden under mountains of papers that do not reflect the human beings who were subjected to experiments, who not only harassed them but did not seek their well-being, only that they were inferior beings whose life was far below of the interest of the powerful.
Isaiah Bradley
The figure of the protagonist of our narration has been very well reflected in the Disney + series, Falcon and the Winter Soldier. If anyone wonders where Mr. Bradley came from, here is the answer and it is not easy to assimilate. Not only was he used conveniently, putting his health and his own life at risk, but when it was no longer necessary, he was dispensed with in the most base way, they locked him up, hid his exploits and the consequences that remained were so severe that he was not I would never be the same again. He did his part but his country defended him because of his skin color.
In the end, hardly his family knows the truth of what happened so many years ago, but time dusts off the terrifying stories that laws, designed to protect real criminals and murderers, hide for fear that the guilty will find punishment throughout their lives. . Many facts are known when those who are responsible no longer walk through our world but are found two meters under the ground, covered with earth, without having paid for their capital sins. Official Secrets they call them, true black legends of a corrupt society.
Choosing who narrates it
It is not easy to take charge of a project that directly reveals some of the most macabre stories of a nation that prides itself on its honesty and cult of journalistic truth. Marvel chose a team of authors whose skin color is shared with Isaiah. He could not have made a better choice to deal with a subject that arouses many sensibilities, although in the face of works of this kind we are also going to find criticism that defends the opposite position, appealing to necessity, to a spirit of revenge, to arguments that place black people in the spotlight. At the end of the day there is a problem and neither party ends up putting the necessary means to solve the problem.
Robert Morales does not have a revengeful spirit when executing the script. It places the figure of Steve Rogers as a mere observer who is aware of the pain and appreciates the need to compensate the person even if he cannot return the honors he deserves. Bradley’s story is tremendously hard, but the worst thing is not what happened at the hands of the Nazis, but the response of his own government, of the silence in the face of injustice, of covering up his existence until when the protagonist could no longer even defend himself. same.
On the other hand, Kyle Baker portrays in a very cartoonish way the whole plot of Captain America: The truth, although his drawing has a very important narrative weight when it comes to representing a hero who has not been given the opportunity to vindicate himself, to exploit his potential in the service of his own country. All for not having the skin color of the Caucasian race. Bradley never wanted to be a different symbol, he never thought that his difference could mark the course of his life. He gave everything for the United States, he fought against the enemies of the country and later found himself with punishment instead of the prize, the stick that hit him without the reward of the carrot.
The importance of reading certain works
Captain America: The Truth is a look at a drama that is still very present in today’s society worldwide. Look not only at the Tuskegee experiment with men of color who had contracted syphilis, between the 1930s and 1970s, or deaths from police brutality like George Floyd’s. We continue to witness intolerance on a daily basis, the absolute lack of respect for others, regardless of race or sex, religion or sexual orientation. We will only be able to advance as a society when we are truly capable of finding what unites us as opposed to what differentiates us.
This comic is a reflection on the need to find common ground, to heal old wounds and also take steps in the right direction. It is one of those comics that must find space even in the study plans, which must generate debate about its need and convenience but above all awaken in our minds that differences only contribute diversity because under the skin, of the soul of each one, the blood that flows through our veins is one color and we must be judged by our actions, not by what covers us.
.