1776 #4: Bloodlines

Peter is shot and quickly dying, which causes Captain America to put the fate of his future country on the line to save him. Meanwhile, Tony is on his way to help aid the struggling Colonials, but it may be too late for some, including Bruce, whose life force is being drained out. Not all is lost, however, as Peter may have just saved his family’s future bloodlines by risking his life, showing that not all sacrifices come at a bad price.

Creative Team: J. Michael Staczynski (WRITER), Sean Damien Hill (PENCILS), Jay Leisten (INKS), Joe Caramagna (LETTERS), and Pete Woods (COVER).

This is a joint review by Matt Roth and Shawn Foles! Check out more reviews from Shawn and from Matt at the Hops “Geek” News podcast!

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The Story:

Matt: I am continuing to love how silly and yet how high-stakes this story is. J is weaving in fun moments, such as Tony’s and Ben Franklin’s conversations, with heavier moments. He gives us an extremely cool full circle moment as Peter saves a member of his family tree and cements the name Ben in his long storied history. This is one story I truly could not tell you what is coming next, and that is what makes this so gripping as we move from panel to panel. Despite Peter being near death, J ensues that Spider-Man’s spirit is there as he jokes about how much he could get for the musket ball that hit him in endearing Spidey fashion.

Shawn: In the midst of a very serious battle, J Michael Straczynski manages to inject his wit and humor into the story in the most delightful way. He does an amazing job in the story of painting the cost that both our heroes and the founding fathers of the country are willing to pay for the new country. I found myself getting surprisingly emotional at the Uncle Ben reference Straczynski worked into the story. The interactions between Tony Stark and Benjamin Franklin continue to be some of my favorites, and I can’t wait to see how Stracynski wraps up this story in the next issue.

The Art and Letters:

Matt: The opening panel of Peter lying on the ground bleeding hit me as though I, myself, was shot. It is a heavy moment in which Jay and Sean open up this book, and one that is the right choice. Perhaps one of the best moments comes when Cap is carrying Peter on his back. The colors from Caps suit in his bright blue outfit mixed with the Colonial attire pop from the panel as Peter is on his shoulders. The imagery stands out to me so heavily, and that’s what makes a good comic. I do want to shoutout the cover as well, depicting the two sides running into battle against each other.

Shawn: As much as I love the writing of this limited series, the art may be even better. The period setting of the story could really limit the art if the artists allowed it, but they don’t. The characters are fresh and distinct. Clea in period dress is perhaps one of my favorite looks I have seen her in throughout her history as a character. The lettering, colors, and lines are all clear and crisp, with the story easy to follow thanks to the clear lettering. I’ve enjoyed the way the art team has continued to highlight the magic aspects of Morgan’s work and spells without doing so in a way that distracts from the overall impact of the art and story.

Final Thoughts:

Matt: 9.5/10. 1776 #4 brings heavy stakes to the fight as we see our heroes thrown against the ropes and their backs against the wall. It’s full of heart, humor, and spectacle, which has me sucked in entirely.

Shawn: 10/10! Overall, this has shaped up to be another really great limited series from JMS. I don’t exaggerate when I say the comic is enjoyable because it makes a historical event enjoyable through mainstream comics. This limited series provides a fun way to explore the Battle of Saratoga that is easy to connect with.

Overall Grade: 9.7/10