Spotlight on the Falcon

May 6, 2003

By Avi Green

Avengers #64: Sight Unseen
Writer: Geoff Johns
Inker: Ivan Reis
Colorist: Oclair Albert

This time, we get a mostly solo look at Avengers member Falcon, alias Sam Wilson, an Afro-American member who’s abilities are flying with a nifty pair of wings, and, as we discover in this issue, has the power to see through eyes of other birds in town, and to call upon them to serve as an attack force as well. He’s a former partner and protege of Captain America’s, and he’s usually worked with the Avengers on an irregular basis. His civilian job is as a social worker.

Wow! Now that was quite a show. There’s something very amazing about the new ability that he’s now presenting.

Here, he’s arguing with Henry Gyrich, a former envoy of the US government who used to be an alliance between them and the EMH. I’m going to have to admit though that I find the character to be unlikable, which is apparently deliberate. He’s contemptuous, selfish, and even veers onto being offensive, and I felt quite happy when the Falcon struck him down in the park where he was jogging after he said something that insulted him.

Sam Wilson then finds that there was a kidnapping of two young girls, whose mother is a neighbor of Gyrich’s, on a nearby store street by a criminal who calls himself Scarecrow, who was put in jail once by Captain America himself, and, using his powers to see through the eyes of many birds in town, tracks down the culprit to a city junkyard, and eventually beats him down.

Seeing that Gyrich, among other things, tries to say that the Avengers don’t deal with city matters supposedly out of their jurisdiction, all because he can’t stand the noise that they make upstairs in their apartment, well, I hope that Wilson can reform him. He probably will now that Gyrich, who was threatened by the US defense secretary Dell Rusk 3 issues earlier, turned to him to discuss what had happened to him when he met up with him then. Even so, Gyrich is a character whom I’d rather see dropped from the book soon, since the Avengers – and Cap - would be wiser not to employ him. (No indeed, he caused them more than a few problems years ago, and the Wasp for one has already pointed out her own dislike for him 3 issue ago too.)

The parts focusing on Falcon and his powers were the best part of this issue, and I hope that it can be fleshed out more in future issues.

Update: I no longer stand by this review. I've concluded this was overrated garbage written by Johns, and have since written it off as something not recommended.

Copyright 2003 Avi Green. All rights reserved.

Home FAQ Columns Reviews Links Favorite Characters Special Features Politics Blog Comics Blog Food Blog