Sam Wilson gets some closure.
It's a shame that Nick Spencer's Captain America saga didn't end as strongly as it began. Secret Empire's lackluster conclusion really did a number on that long-running story. Spencer had one last chance to end things on a high note thanks to Generations: Captain America, and luckily, he's up to the task. More than just the finale to Marvel's Generations one-shots, this issue is the sendoff Spencer's Captain America run needed.
Most of the Generations comics have been pretty vague about how they tie into Secret Empire and Marvel Legacy, as well as what impact they're meant to have on these characters' lives going forward. Not so here. Having recently established the Generations/Secret Empire link in Secret Empire #10, here Spencer digs deeper. This issue offers a better sense of what Kobik was trying to accomplish by sending these ten heroes on their journeys, as well as how those journeys feed into the framework of Marvel Legacy. Generations is ultimately a bridge from Secret Empire to Legacy, and an especially poignant one in the case of Sam Wilson. Spencer makes a stronger case than expected for why it's not only time for Sam to put down the shield, but why it may be the best move for the character.
It helps that this time travel adventure feels like such a meaningful addition to Sam's story. This isn't merely another case of one hero taking a brief detour into the past to meet their predecessor. Sam actually spends decades in the past, fighting in the height of World War II, participating in the Civil Rights Movement and even forming a family. He lives an entirely new life in this story, watching himself grow old and feeble even as Steve Rogers returns to usher in the age of heroes. And in the process, Sam winds up serving as a vital mentor to Steve in the same way Steve once did for him. Spencer showcases Steve in rare moments of vulnerability here, with the character frequently worrying about living up to the impossible standard set before him. There's a real chicken and egg scenario here, as it each Captain America proves to be a profound influence on the other.
It's fitting that Captain America: Sam Wilson artist Paul Renaud stops by for what really amounts to the true series finale to that book. Renaud brings a clean, elegant look to this issue. It's not the flashiest Marvel book on the stands by any means, with the action mostly dying down after the early WWII scenes. Still, Renaud keeps the story humming along, and he has no troubling mining the maximum amount of emotion out of the story as Sam slowly ages and takes stock of a life well lived.
Now, obviously this comic isn't going to close with Sam dying of old age and never returning to his own time. Sooner or later, this journey has to end. And there's where this issue misses some of its potential. There's surprisingly little focus on the "man out of time" angle, either in terms of Sam missing the world he left behind or dealing with the prospect of returning to his own time and losing the family he established in the past. The book devotes almost no space to showcasing Sam's family in the first place. There's no conflict there, and no sense that Sam is particularly bothered by seeing an entire lifetime suddenly vanish before his eyes.
To be fair, Spencer and Renaud only have so much room to work with here. It's too bad this story wasn't an entire miniseries unto itself. Perhaps Generations should have been retooled. Instead of publishing this series as ten barely connected one-shots, maybe Marvel could have told a more cohesive story that allowed them to explore these time-defying pairings in greater depth. Alas, it's too late now. And at least Generations closes with an emotionally resonant finale.
The Verdict
Generations: Captain America is essential reading for anyone who's been following Nick Spencer's Captain America saga, regardless if you've been reading the other one-shots. This issue reads like the proper finale to that long run, offering the closure to Sam Wilson's tenure as Cap that Secret Empire didn't. It doesn't take full advantage of the time travel premise, but it works as well as could be hoped given the limited space available.
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