Marvel Unlimited, Marvel’s digital comics subscription service, is once again offering all fans free access to some of Marvel’s most iconic stories from recent years, including now-classic Marvel Comics events and critically acclaimed runs featuring the Avengers, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain America, Captain Marvel, and more.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to take a look back at these classic stories and maybe help you decide whether or not you would like to check them out. Our next series follows a new version of a classic character. Steve Rogers no longer carries the shield. Now, the mantle of Captain America belongs to his old friend.
Captain America: Sam Wilson
Sam Wilson has become Captain America after Steve Rogers was no longer able to play that role. Only problem is, Sam doesn’t exactly know how to be Captain America. He can handle the crimefighting, Avenging part of the job. It’s the symbolic part he doesn't fully understand, inspiring American without taking a side. This is all new to him.
On top of him dealing with that, Sam has also had a falling out with S.H.I.E.L.D. and is now working on his own. Well, not entirely on his own. Misty Knight and D-Man have become his new partners, giving Captain America a very different dynamic. What makes that problem with S.H.I.E.L.D. worse though, is that Steve Rogers is still working with them.
As if that wasn’t enough, There’s of course a real villain for Sam to deal with as well. The Serpent Society is back, with a very new look. Viper has his old gang of thugs running Wall Street now and creating problems for Sam and his friends. In fact, those problems may just lead to the creation of the next Falcon.
This comic arc does get a bit more political that most Marvel stories do. It doesn’t really work out so well for Sam, but it doesn’t necessarily negatively impact the story. Aside from that, this is a pretty typical Captain America story. The players might be different, but it’s still Cap protecting the little guy while trying to take down a corrupt organization.
The dynamic between Sam and Steve also adds an interesting wrinkle to the story. Steve handpicked Sam to be his replacement but doesn’t expect him to be the same Captain America he was. Still, he doesn’t necessarily approve of all the decisions he’s made since picking up the shield. The two old friends seem to be butting heads a bit.
Of course, the story benefits from featuring a lot of your favorite characters. As I mentioned, Cap is joined by Misty and D-Man, but the story also features Redwing (whose approval rating is still sky high by the way), Diamondback, Crossbones and plenty of others.
Fair warning though, the series that is currently available for free ends with a huge cliffhanger. If you’re looking to take advantage of these free comics, you should know that you will absolutely be left wanting more at the end of this five-comic arc. Of course, if you are a Marvel Unlimited subscriber, that won’t be a problem for you.
You can read “Captain America: Sam Wilson” for free now. And be sure to check back as we look back the rest of these classic Marvel Comics stories over the next several weeks.