Written by Jeph Loeb
Art by Ed McGuinness; Marlo Alquiza; Donald Skinner; Richard Starkings; Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne; & Comicraft’s John Marasigan
Cover Art by Ed McGuinness; Donald Skinner; & ‘NAM’
SUMMARY:
Awesome Comics published this standard-length issue for March 1998. Per a brief intro, legendary John Flagg has abandoned his secluded retirement as the Fighting American. The super-soldier relentlessly pursues whoever has set a ten million dollar bounty on his head. Flagg and his youthful cybernetic sidekick, Spice, thwart the missile-blasting Buzz Bomber at the North Pole. Another old foe emerges, Double Header, as Flagg faces the villainous Siamese twins’ submarine.
Flagg’s gauntlet of chasing prime suspects sends him into corpulent billionaire Round Robin’s Bel Air estate for a long-overdue showdown. The bounty’s true mastermind is revealed. At the Pentagon, General Cole tests redhead Kelly Grant, a young woman whose super-reflexes suggests a secret link to Fighting American’s past.
Note: The original version of Fighting American was a subsequent creation of Captain America’s co-creators: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. At the time of this comic’s publication, Fighting American had been licensed by Awesome Comics.
REVIEW:
Artist Ed McGuinness’ distinctive style is enjoyable, but Jeph Loeb’s scripting seriously needs an originality pill. Whether it’s a rip-off or a homage, it’s surprising how his derivative plot so clearly lifts from both Marvel and DC. Though Spice and Kelly Grant imply something new, the ridiculous villains gallery (Buzz Bomber, Double Header, & Round Robin), however, are cheap knock-offs of the Crimson Dynamo, Two-Face, and the Kingpin. Frankly, this rogues’ gallery has more in common with Dick Tracy’s old-school crime cartel than any major-league baddies Captain America or Batman ever face.
Putting aside redundant comparisons to Captain America, the belligerent Fighting American (clear down to his indestructible shield) comes off as a near-replica of Marvel’s U.S. Agent – that is, mixed with the 1950’s hard-nosed, Communist-hating Captain America impostor. Like Steve Rogers, this Fighting American is meant as a deliberate anachronism … without the real Cap’s wholesome charm. Ironically, this Rules of the Game finale, despite an amusing stew of action movie clichés, is a fairly good read … for a routine Captain America storyline. Still, this comic’s classiness stems mostly from the visuals by McGuinness.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Loeb and Editor Eric Stephenson hype Fighting American’s one-shot entitled Cold War, which heralds Awesome publisher-artist Rob Liefeld’s participation. Three fan-submitted pieces of artwork ‘team’ Fighting American with Captain America. Stephenson includes a letter to Awesome’s fan base on the inside back cover. A two-page spread hypes Fighting American: Cold War # 1, including the offer of an action figure incentive. There’s also a full-page cover reveal of actress Jada Pinkett Smith’s Menace # 2.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 4½ Stars
