Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Retro Groovy Read - the Falcon w/ President Ronald Reagan ... really!

This Falcon 4part mini is more funky then groovy really. Its got everything from amateur villain Nemesis, to a gang riot, to the kidnapping of President Reagan. Captain America also makes an appearance.

Sam Wilson is known by another name, the Falcon! Unfortunately this first issue doesn't really deliver. The enemy of the piece is a slick slum lord turned no name, amateur villain Nemesis.
Nemesis was trying to destroy his own buildings to collect the insurance money.
                     How original!
He's easily defeated by Falcon after a brief battle through the subway and onto a train.
The art by Paul Smith was great. The issue didn't seem tied into the next three or to set up the mini series. I think it might have been a one off story to sell the series.

Issue two starts with new artist Mark Bright showing Falcon carelessly flying through the air. Till he rips a parachute and has to rescue the parachutist.

Action also kicks up when Falc is suddenly attacked by an old Sentinel
left over from a battle with the X-Men.

Falcon mentions Prof X saying he might have a latent mutant power. I think it was the ability to talk to his pet bird, Redwing.

He eludes the Sentinel and does his best to destroy it.
Of course the Sentinel just rebuilds itself.
Falcon is eventually able to defeat the Sentinel. With Redwing's help.

Before being attacked by a giant, self repairing robot, Falc had promised to help the former street gang Legion. They were wanting to parade in the neighborhood wearing gang colors. Falcon was supposed to talk to the police, so there won't be any trouble.

That didn't work out so well.

Which leads us to issue three and the kidnapping of President Ronald Reagan.

The riot and death brings the president to the neighborhood. The gang attacks his motorcade, taking him hostage. Not knowing he's come on a fact-finding mission.
Electro also uses this opportunity to show up.

Issue four has Falcon still fighting Electro.
He hasn't been able to try and rescue the president yet.

So enter Captain America
Captain America and Falcon have been friends and partners for a long time. I'm sure Cap would have shown up regardless but when the president is kidnapped you call in the big guns.

Falcon and Electro's battle has let them right to where Captain America has found the kidnappers.

Cap handles them with a throw of his shield
while Falc is finally able to stop Electro

Falc confronts the kidnappers. Telling them the president's purpose for visiting. 
Once the police finally arrive the tables have turned. The gang is sitting, listening and President Reagan is in charge. Sure it helps that Captain America and Falcon are standing over their shoulders. 

This is pretty much ends the series. Now that I've read it again and written this out, it was better than I first thought. I'm sure I bought it out of quarter bins at a comic convention. That's where most of my collection has come from. Sometimes you come across a real stinker and sometimes you find a story worth a quarter. 

With the Captain America movie coming out next year he's going to be in demand. I should read the other Cap and Falc comics I have. 

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