America Chavez’ foundation has been shaken to its core, but the hero stands strong in America Chavez: Made In The USA #1 from Kalinda Vazquez, Carlos Gómez, Jesus Aburtov and Tracis Lanham.
From the moment America Chavez first punched her way onto the page, she’s embodied the phrase “self-assured.” Her confidence in who she is, and what she’s about, and what she stands for is one of the character’s strongest traits, both in and out of universe. It comes as a bit of a shock, then, that America Chavez: Made in the USA #1’s central premise seems to be questioning everything that makes her who she is, from her powers to her past. It’s less of a surprise that America refuses to let those questions get in the way of the hero that she knows she is.
The book opens with a beautifully rendered flashback to New York’s Jones Beach, thirteen years in the past, and a sinister narrator who implies that our hero has had it easy for far too long, thanks to one hell of a selective memory. It doesn’t linger, though before immediately switching to America throwing hands at a giant, mutated, mole. This is by far one of the issue’s strongest moments – Kalinda Vazquez’s voice for America is magnificent. She’s as confident as ever, and witty in a way that’s clearly distinct from each of the other, similarly quippy characters in the issue, such as Kate Bishop or Spider-Man. In an issue where everyone seems to be questioning the character’s identity into question, it’s telling that wasn’t a single panel where America didn’t sound like herself, a strength that I hope will continue throughout the five-issue run. Other characters, such as Kate, and America’s West Coast Avengers girlfriend, Ramone, both come across authentically as well. Each character has a unique, natural dynamic with America, and while they both question whether or not she’s shaken by the events of the issue, Kate quickly drops the topic when America says she’s fine. Ramone, meanwhile, is able to tell that something’s not right, and manages to convince her to open up. The newly-introduced family that is set up to be the heart of the series is also a delight, showing a warmth and concern that leap off of the page.
The dialogue is less strong, and significantly more stilted, when it comes to our primary source of exposition, an America Chavez high-school-superfan who insists on an impromptu interview mid-battle. It reads like a checklist, briefly touching on aspects of America’s established backstory, bullet points of her powerset, home dimension, family, and love life.The character definitely seems to know more than she should, but many of her questions come across as more mandated than natural. America’s powers are largely self-evident, and her ability to punch her way through time and space is described again just a few pages later. The later cameo by a certain wall-crawling menace doesn’t entirely click either – he and America have styles of humor that are more different than similar, and the end result feels like the two characters are talking at each other, rather than to each other. While neither is out of character, stilted references to Power Rangers, and the apparently inherent oddness of the phrase “right as rain,” left me scratching my head.
Carlos Gomez’s art is a definite strength, and has a lot of weight to it. If I said I wouldn’t read a book that was entirely an excuse for him to draw giant mole creatures, I’d be lying through my teeth. The linework is only elevated and enhanced by Jesus Aburtov’s colors, especially during the nighttime scenes. There’s a certain banana peel-topped face at one point that I’d be shocked not to see turned into a reaction image. With a character whose powerset involves punching giant, glowing, star-shaped holes into the fabric of reality, it’s important that each punch looks amazing, and this team definitely delivers.
Despite an as-of-yet overly vague antagonist, America Chavez: Made in the USA #1 shines in all the ways a first issue should, and I’m definitely excited to see where the story goes. I have little doubt the book will only get stronger in the coming issues, and I’m sure that these new chapters in America’s history, new and old alike, will bring new depth to the character.
Lex Smith
Lex Smith is probably tired right now. They're definitely trying not to think about everything they have to write! When they're not staring at a blank Word document, odds are they're tweeting, playing Pokémon or wondering how they ended up with such a smart-ass kid.
