The character was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as (sort of) a way to reclaim their most famous creation, Captain America, which they were forced to leave behind when they left Timely Comics (which later became Marvel Comics).
But instead of playing it straight, in the original version they decided to camp it up and have fun with the concept, pitting the hero and his sidekick Speedboy against assorted comical "Commie" threats to the U.S.A.
It's all good fun, but it didn't last long (though it survives on in some nice reprint editions). An attempt or two have been made to bring the character back over the years, but they've fallen short - at least until now.
This new version from Titan Comics, published in time to be part of the Jack Kirby's 100th birthday celebration, is written by Gordon Rennie with art by Duke Mighten, and it actually manages to capture the feel of the original while bringing it up to date.
It accomplishes this by that beloved vehicle, the time machine, and F.A. and S.B. chase one of their most dastardly villains into the present - and what follows is a fun collision of cultures, managing a great balance between humor and action.
I wasn't expecting much from this series - too many creators just lean on the powerful original concept and don't bring much to the table. That's not the case here.
Somewhat to my surprise, I enjoyed it. A lot!
Go figure.
Grade: A
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