Civil War: The death of Captain America

Listening to a book vs physically reading it is a whole other experience. I was able to follow Sharon and her stages of grief when she witnesses Steve being shot and killed. This book gives you a whirlwind of emotions. The voice acting/sound effects are displayed accurately and intensifies the story. I personally love this element because it was able to transport me to the setting of where we were in the story. From the gunshots/explosions of the assassination of Steve Rogers and the fight scenes going on between the heroes of Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, Natasha Romanoff, and Sharon Carter vs. Alexander Lukin and Red Skull. The subtle sounds (e.g. the hospital beeps and the rain) add a quiet tone to a rather high-stakes novel. There was so much going on but none of it felt underdeveloped.

Sharon, unlike the MCU’s development of her felt genuine. I could feel her struggle and relate to her between wanting to do what’s right vs. fighting to survive in unimaginable circumstances. It was devastating to not only know that she was pregnant, but to have lost that baby and didn’t get told right away. The chilling voice over was able to grasp the multiple layers of her character and how she has to grasp that she was the reason that Steve died. It’s devastating to listen to and when the actress cried to Sam, my heart broke for her. I personally like her in this novel compared to the MCU’s portrayal of her. This portrayal felt genuine and vulnerable, which was amazing to see.

A couple notes I have for this novel is the characterization of Tony Stark. While I like to explore the serious side of him, I felt Hama made him a little too serious. Throughout the novel, he was only one-note, with that being the new SHIELD director. There was a lack of Tony Stark charm that made the character realistic and likable. I know this takes place post Civil War, but I do wish Hama lightened up the character a little. Also, the relationship of Natasha and Tony didn’t make sense. While I was glad to see Natasha grow as a character, I do wish they weren’t a couple as in the comics Natasha and Bucky are supposed to be together.

Also, I think the novel could’ve expanded upon Steve and Bucky’s relationship pre-Civil War. The Civil War graphic novel doesn’t mention Bucky at all, so I wish we got a past showing of them (minus them fighting in the war) and how Bucky’s life has done and the affects the Registration has done on him. However, I do like that Hama did Bucky justice and bestowed him the mantle of being Captain America. It’s not often I read about Bucky becoming Captain America post Steve Rogers, so it was a nice change to see Bucky have that honor and his development into becoming that symbol felt perfect, especially since fans were upset with Bucky not being Captain America post Endgame.

This is a must-read post Civil War graphic novel and highly recommend listening to this via Audible.