America #2 Review and *SPOILERS* - Marvel Monday

Breakneck Speed

Written By: Gabby Rivera
Art By: Joe Quinones, Ming Doyle, Joe Rivera, Jose Villarrubia
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017
Publisher: Marvel

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

So, I’ll admit that this is clearly a book that is not aimed at me in any way. That being said, I do like America Chavez as a character and tons of people feel that same way. That being said, the previous issue was not very good. Granted, if you go to any other comic review site you’ll see the exact opposite of that opinion but I honestly really disliked it. It had choppy and questionable dialogue all while setting up the most clichéd storyline that I’ve ever read. This all came to an end with America traveling through time to punch Hitler in the face. That page was really nice to look at but really came out of left field. However, I really want this series to succeed and I’m hoping the next few issues will change my mind. Let’s just jump right in to this book.

We begin on Planet Maltixa where an America fan club has shown up after her victory that saved them in the previous issue. The girl that she saved has basically become obsessed with America Chavez and is doing everything she can to become just like her and reach out to her on Beamz (which I’m assuming is like a Twitter). We cut to World War II in Germany as America has just beaten Hitler’s face in. She is immediately confronted by the Allies’ Commander, Peggy Carter. The two argue about how America just interfered in a major operation and basically ruined everything. America doesn’t really see how she did anything wrong. Peggy then leads America down to her base where the two talk some more. Peggy reveals that someone tipped her off that America was coming and then the two compliment each other for a little while. Nazi’s surround the bunker and America fights them off for a moment, allowing Peggy Carter to get away.

America then returns to the present where she lays in her bed and gets a bit emotional about her former girlfriend Lisa and of course her many other issues. We get a scene showing that America got some help in the past from Professor Douglas and a hooded figure tells her that she cannot interfere anymore with America. Back at Sotomayor University. Some young prep school kids arrive on busses and begin taking pictures until one of them almost falls off of the archway. America uses her powers to save him but is, of course, annoyed by the “bro” attitude that many of new students have. This is when she is interrupted by the campus sorority once again and is told to drop it because Moon Girl is speaking on campus today and they have to go to the lecture hall.

During the lecture, Lunella Lafayette talks about systems in the world and how some are natural and others are made up and the made up ones seem so arbitrary to her. So, she and the teachers at Sotomayor U are going to get together and have the students do projects together and challenge each other. During the lecture, one of the prep school kids attempts to take a picture of Devil Dinosaur with a phone stick but it is snatched away by America. America and the leader of the sorority end up being partners and the two meet to work on the project until a trash can is suddenly crashed through the window. Turns out the prep school kids are cyborgs and are attacking the campus. America jumps into action along with the sorority girls and they kick some ass. This is when America gets a message from Prodigy. Turns out they are attempting to steal the technology from the simulation lab. America rushes over but suddenly the cyborgs all deactivate. We learn later that this is due to Moon Girl’s technical prowess. Just as the next lecture is about the start, the screen is changed and we see America’s ex-girlfriend Lisa in some kind of harness that seems to be restraining her. Turns out the girls from Planet Maltixa have gone too far with their obsession. Since America hasn’t contacted them back on Beamz, they have decide to hold Lisa hostage until America agrees to be their leader. America flies off toward the planet and this is where the issue leaves us.

So much seemed to happen in this issue but nothing actually did. We were led to believe that America’s actions in the past would affect the future but they didn’t. We were led to believe that Peggy Carter would be a big part of this issue but she wasn’t. We were led to believe that the prep school cyborgs were going to steal the simulation technology but they didn’t. Nothing happened. This book barely did anything in the first issue so we rushed through non-consequential scenes to eventually end up at a cliffhanger with little weight. Honestly, this book seems to be going for a “progressive” tone but this has to be a preteen’s idea of progressive. Lunella’s lecture was going really well but then turns into “There’s all these systems that don’t make sense so… INVENT SOMETHING!” Which, I understand is suppose to be talking about women and minorities getting into new fields that were more often dominated by white men but that isn’t portrayed very well. This book is really laying on the diversity angle but the problem is we have great and amazing books that deal directly with diversity (Ms. Marvel, Black Panther, and hell, even Iron Man right now). When we have examples of amazing books that address diversity, this kind of book falls well below the mark.

Bits and Pieces

The America book seems more preoccupied with a warped idea of diversity rather than telling a compelling story. We jump from scene to scene at breakneck speed all for nothing to really happen. If America wasn’t in this issue, nothing would have changed and I consider that a loss. Instead of setting up the next chapter of a compelling story we get ideological rhetoric that starts out great and then trips at the finish line and dialogue that, while better than the last issue, comes dangerously close to a stereotypical interpretation.

3.5/10