'Falcon and Winter Soldier #2' Review: Slam-bang action, return of an old foe and an unlikely alliance
Spoilers for 'Falcon and Winter Soldier #2'
Issue #2 of the Derek Landy-written comic sees blitzkrieg action, the return of a familiar foe and an unlikely alliance. 'Falcon and Winter Soldier #2' sees Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier go in search of Veronica after their encounter with 'The Natural'. Before we break down the elements that stand out in this issue, here's a quick recap of the 22-page issue.
After having their asses handed to them, the duo tracks his whereabouts to a 3.15 coach to Buffalo and find themselves in an entire train occupied by Hydra agents. This is where the bloody action comes to fore as Sam and Bucky, kick, slam, choke and punch their way, carriage after carriage only to meet Baron Zemo in the last compartment. Although believed to be killed by Frank Castle/The Punisher, Zemo is still alive and kicking minus the right arm, which he rues was Castle's doing.
Zemo reveals he's locked in a challenge of leadership against an unknown Hydra member and a loss to him would see a new Hydra Supreme rise to power, who have plans to destabilize the US government. He also adds 'The Natural', despite the killer prodigy he is, isn't from Zemoo's ranks implying that he had nothing to do with the teen's attack at the OFU. Then comes the stunner move when Zemo forces the trio to work together to thwart the new Hydra threat.
Beyond the alliance, the plans by the unknown Hydra agent and the slam-bang action, Landy attempts to show the psyches of Sam and Bucky making it hard for the viewer to take sides. While Sam is someone who's still following in Steve Rogers' footsteps of not really killing someone, Bucky's more of the shoot-first-ask-later type. A classic example is when he holds a gun to Zemo and challenges him to "reverse the gunshot to the head", a move that Sam quickly disapproves, and we're sure Cap would have too.
There's no doubt that this issue looks at how superheroes operate as it asks questions about their policy of killing. 'Falcon and Winter Soldier #2' is a mystery thriller and this part just adds to the intense violence and action the predecessor started. The other highlight is the Sam-Bucky relationship itself where the two have their ways of dishing out impeccable one-liners with perfect timing. There are enough wise-cracks and wry humor that makes this issue a compelling read.
'Falcon and Winter Soldier #3' releases on April 22, 2020, on digital and print with the official synopsis reading: "Hot on the trail of the Natural - a gifted new killer who has already beaten them once – Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes track him down...to his parents’ house. Where they meet the biggest Captain America fans who ever were. From a living room full of Cap memorabilia to a warehouse full of Hydra agents, the Falcon and the Winter Soldier are closing in on their ultimate quarry: the prospective new Hydra Supreme."