Truth: Red, White & Black

Publication history

Published from January 2003 to July 2003, the series Truth: Red, White & Black is composed of seven comics: "The Future",

The trade paperback collecting the series was published in February 2004 and the hardcover in 2009. The book version of Truth contains Morales's appendix in which he clarifies myth, history and imagination and provides sources for his story. A new trade paperback edition was released in February 2022, under the title Captain America: Truth.

Concept and creation

The original concept for the character came from an offhand comment by Marvel's publisher, Bill Jemas. Axel Alonso was taken by the idea "inherent of politics of wrapping a Black man in red, white, and blue" and "a larger story ... a metaphor of America itself"; he also immediately thought of the Tuskegee Study. In a meeting involving Joe Quesada, Alonso proceeded to pitch the idea to Robert Morales, who was brought in to write the story and create the supporting cast and the ending. The idea of an African American Captain America made Morales laugh, but, once he heard the premise, he found it depressing. He says he "wrote a proposal that was so staggeringly depressing I was certain they'd turn it down. But they didn't."

Morales originally envisioned the character as a young scientist prodigy who became the accidental victim of his own experiment, a nod to Silver Age scientists Reed Richards and Bruce Banner; however, Marvel wanted a more explicit reference to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. He was able to push through an ending in which Bradley suffered brain damage, a reference to Muhammad Ali that gave the character a tragic ending. Morales was disappointed in having to get rid of his idea for a Black scientist, but he was consoled to know that the most important story element, a strong Black marriage, had remained at the core. He performed extensive research into the time period, which he balanced with editorial suggestions. Bradley's strong marriage came from an unsuccessful Luke Cage proposal by Brian Azzarello.

Synopsis

Set in the Marvel Universe, the series takes the Tuskegee Experiments as inspiration for a tale that re-examines the history of the super-soldier serum that created Captain America. Beginning in 1942, the series follows a regiment of black soldiers who are forced to act as test subjects in a program attempting to re-create the lost formula earlier used to turn Steve Rogers into Captain America. The experiments lead to mutation and death, until only one remains: Isaiah Bradley.

Analysis

In Super Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes, Adilifu Nama notes that "Truth admonished the reader to incorporate the experiences and histories of black folk that paint a different picture of the cost and quest for freedom and democracy in America."

Critical reaction

Axel Alonso felt some of the criticism for this series came from "outright racists who just don't like the idea of a black man in the Cap uniform."

In an interview with Comic Book Resources, he recalled:

Captain America timeline

Clarifying the timeline for Isaiah Bradley and Steve Rogers—and who predates whom—Robert Morales states in his appendix to the Truth: Red, White & Black trade paperback collection (2004):

Truth co-creator Kyle Baker further clarified the respective timelines of Bradley and Rogers in an interview:

In other media

Elements of the comic are adapted for the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

References

References

1. "GCD :: Series :: Truth: Red, White & Black". The Grand Comics Database.
2. (February 4, 2004). "Truth: Red, White & Black (Trade Paperback)". Marvel Comics.
3. Weinstein, Matthew. (2010). "Bodies Out of Control: Rethinking Science Texts". Peter Lang.
4. "Captain America: Truth (Trade Paperback)".
5. Carpenter, Standford W.. (2007). "Comics as Philosophy". [[University Press of Mississippi]].
6. Tom Sinclair. (November 22, 2002). "Black in Action".
7. Brady, Matt. (2003-07-07). "Newsarama - Baker's Future In Plastic: Kyle Baker On Plastic Man". newsarama.com.
8. "Truth: Red, White and Black (2003) #1". Marvel.
9. "Truth: Red, White and Black (2003) #2". Marvel.
10. "Truth: Red, White and Black (2003) #3". Marvel.
11. "Truth: Red, White and Black (2003) #4". Marvel.
12. "Truth: Red, White and Black (2003) #5". Marvel.
13. "Truth: Red, White and Black (2003) #6". Marvel.
14. "Truth: Red, White and Black (2003) #7". Marvel.
15. Adilifu Nama. (2011). "Super Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes". University of Texas Press.
16. (7 July 2023). "Axel-In-Charge: Axel's Early Years".