Sam Wilson: Captain America #19 (Review & SPOILERS)

[Prof. Warren]

This is a great week for fans of Spencer's Cap books as we get both Steve and Sam issues (as well as a pivotal tie-in with this week's Deadpool).

While the Hydra Cap saga continues to unfold in Steve's book, Sam has to reckon with his decision to release the controversial recording of Rage's beating by the Americops.


****SPOILERS****



As Rage's trial is due to begin, things look as bleak on the legal front for him as ever, mostly due to Rage's stubborn refusal to take advantage of the legal means that Sam could provide. Instead he's assigned a public defender who only first meets with Rage a scant two hours before the trial is scheduled to start and has next to no knowledge of Rage's case.

Despite testifying on behalf of Rage's character at the trial, Sam is shocked to discover that the recording he made is inadmissible in court, the absence of which would essentially guarantee a guilty verdict for Rage. When the judge says the tape is no good, Sam is determined to do something. He storms out of the court, looking for one of the perpetrators of the robbery Rage foiled.

He eventually tracks down Speed Demon and, after a quick chase, forcibly hauls him back to court to testify as to his guilt.

However, Misty meets Sam on the courtroom steps to tell him he's too late - the verdict is already in. The jury didn't take more than ten minutes to deliberate.

We don't hear the verdict but the outcome is obvious as we see a young black youth read the news on his phone and then angrily paint his face to resemble Rage's mask and go out and hurl a Molotov Cocktail at a bank - an incident that indicates the full scale riot that's about to be unleashed.



****END SPOILERS****



Sam continues to not be able to catch a break in this issue. His release of the tape sparked public anger on both sides of the issue and yet also failed to be a useful tool in getting Rage acquitted in court. All it did was make Rage's innocence clear to the minority population, especially youths who already feel victimized by the system, and Rage's guilty verdict in the face of this evidence that should've cleared him is literally going to set the city on fire.

Sam's tenure as Cap has made for a truly special book. I wish it could go on forever but we'll see what kind of changes Secret Empire brings.

I do know this, though - it's going to be freaking gut-wrenching after all Sam's been through lately to have him see Steve be revealed as a traitor.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

This issue was a gut punch

[Prof. Warren]

This issue was a gut punch

Yeah, harsh stuff.

I wonder what's going to happen to Rage. He's been a really compelling character in this book so I hope he doesn't just disappear once he goes to jail.

[Michael Watkins]

is the Rage kid at the end going to fall into toxic waste? j/k

[PaxHouse]

is the Rage kid at the end going to fall into toxic waste? j/k

He might as well had.......considering how he's being treated by the justice system.

PS.....I wonder if Dwayne Taylor/Night Thrasher is following Rage's situation.

[Knives]

I died laughing with the Rage defense attorney .

A good representation of reality when the system and the people in power fail.

As always you can try to silence the truth or the voices of minorities and excluded but those who see the injustice one hour or another will say no more and comes get up to fight.

And when that happens it will not be something beautiful to see.

[KOSLOX]

This is one the best Cap stories, if not best comics in general, I've ever read.

[Michael Watkins]

This is one the best Cap stories, if not best comics in general, I've ever read.

I'm loving it. it's really the kind of story you can only tell with Sam in the costume.

[Michael Watkins]

He might as well had.......considering how he's being treated by the justice system.

PS.....I wonder if Dwayne Taylor/Night Thrasher is following Rage's situation.

I'm kind of wondering whether Elvin even knows that his former parental guardian is alive. btw, was that Granny Staples who testified?

[MindofShadow]

This is one the best Cap stories, if not best comics in general, I've ever read.

I wonder how Sam wiil "win" eventually




Wat happened to deadpool? Im do behind on that book

[J. D. Guy]

Just as I surmised in the preview thread, I was on the edge of my seat the whole issue. This is something for me, because usually that only really happens for me during actions scenes. Everything was stacked against poor Rage from the get go, but in such a way as to leave a glimmer of hope for good guys to pull through, just like in any other impossibly tough situation.

We got not just one, but two hope spots. Two that were dashed against the rocks.

As much as I wanted, as much as most anyone would have wanted for Sam's timely intervention with one of the real culprits to have made a difference, he gets back too late.

It's a shame that the evidence from Sam's camera was thrown out as it was. A shame a bag and a sham.

Having said, I liked that the end result was never said on-panel, but still conveyed in enough of an obvious manner to not leave an ounce of ambiguity of whether Elvin was rightfully acquitted or wrongfully sentenced. Last but not least, that boy in the end who drew Rage's mask on his face with chalk and did what he did to that Bank was a powerful stage-setter and cliffhanger combination.

I hope Rage won't be trapped in jail, quite honestly, since I really like that he's here and getting page-time in Sam's book, as opposed to being stuck in limbo. I wonder if Nick Spencer intends to make us of Night Thrasher in this arc or not? Possibly not, but who knows. If he is a writer with a Twitter that he sometimes responds to fans to, maybe someone can ask him that in a tweet (don't have Twitter myself)?

[Frontier]

He might as well had.......considering how he's being treated by the justice system.

PS.....I wonder if Dwayne Taylor/Night Thrasher is following Rage's situation.

I'm kind of surprised we didn't get to see the original New Warriors show up at Rage's trial or as character witnesses (though I guess things were too rushed/haphazard to bring them or anyone else in).

[Kusanagi]

I wonder how Sam wiil "win" eventually




Wat happened to deadpool? Im do behind on that book

spoilers:

Cap was wrestling with a man trying to expose Steve is Hydra (dude was from a future where Steve wins), he was unarmed but Steve yells gun. Thinking Steve's in danger Deadpool guns him down. To make it look legit Cap plants a gun on him but Coulson catches a glimpse of him doing it. Coulson begins to suspect something's up with Steve.

end of spoilers

[Digifiend]

I'm kind of surprised we didn't get to see the original New Warriors show up at Rage's trial or as character witnesses (though I guess things were too rushed/haphazard to bring them or anyone else in).

Yeah, Justice especially.

[Michael Watkins]

Yeah, Justice especially.

why Vance? Robbie went to prison, too. he was also a lot closer to Elvin.