Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: captain america, Comics, diamond, marvel, previews

Diamond Comic Distributors Joins The Stupid Culture Wars

There are culture wars, people arguing about respect, appropriation, bigotry, conversations that probably need to happen in some fashion, even if they get rather heated and abusive online. It's how we move on as a species, working out how we deal with each other, looking at our past and the way we will go on in the future, and it is as old as time. And then there are the Stupid culture wars where people argue about whether or not a comic book about a man who wraps himself in the American flag, punches Nazis, and regularly examines the spirit of America and his place in it should be political. Dean Cain had his say on Fox News, replying to me on Twitter saying that, indeed, he hadn't read the comic he was talking about – but stood by everything he said about it. Buddy Saunders of MyComicShop has done his level best to restrict his political views to his blog rather than his weekly mailout, as he lost customers. Well, he may have lost some – and gained some – this week with his mailout saying.

Yes, Captain America went as woke as a bad bottle of Coke. Last week I commented on Superman actor Dean Cain's take on the new Captain America comic, which I had not yet seen: "Actor Dean Cain spoke out against the "woke-ism" raging through America in an interview on "Fox & Friends". The "Superman" actor responded to Marvel's recent decision to politicize Captain America, saying he's tired of 'anti-Americanism.' Marvel is facing backlash for its latest comic, 'The United States of Captain America,' which says the American dream isn't real." I had hoped Mr. Cain was wrong. He wasn't. I've read the comic. I guess given enough time anything can happen in a comic book. After all, characters die with regularity only to be resurrected. But, gee, I never imagined I'd see the day Cap would whine and disparage his own nation, one that heretofore he had proudly defended against Nazis and commies, real and imagined. No, this is not Captain America. It has to be an impersonator, maybe the Red Skull, a Skrull, or a H.Y.D.R.A. agent disguised as Cap. It has happened before. No, the Cap I know is proud of his country. So am I.

Again, this is absolutely what Captain America has done, ever since he opposed his country's isolationist policy in Captain America Comics #1, and every now and then, he has another go at the status quo and the people in charge. There are all sorts of arguments you could make about the appropriateness of politics in superhero comics, especially in a genre that focuses on how people use powers granted to them to right wrongs and make the world a better place. But complaining about the use of politics in a comic called Captain America is like complaining about the mention of politics in Das Capital. Nevertheless, it appears that Diam0nd Comic Distributors wants to have a go with their latest, making this the hot topic for this Wednesday's PreviewsWorld YouTube show.

See, that's what happens when you have Billy Tucci on; he gets to ask the topic of the next video. Maybe. Okay, I just made that up. Of course the comic in question, The United States Of Captain America #1, didn't actually see Steve Rogers lose faith in the US, which everyone apart from Buddy Saunders, who read it, would have seen. Nevertheless, Stupid Culture Wars hold no truck with facts or logic. Will I be popping by? Of course I am, after all, what's a stupid argument about comic books on the internet without Bleeding Cool getting involved? See you there…

UPDATE: Diamond representatives tell us "Diamond PREVIEWSworld posted a question to Facebook that was intended to engage fans in conversation about the new Captain America comic for Wednesday's PREVIEWSworld Live show. It was never intended to be a political statement or controversial. Once we realized that the way the question was worded could be misconstrued, we took it down. We sincerely apologize for the poorly worded post. It is always our goal at PREVIEWSworld to engage with fans on social media in a light hearted way to discuss and celebrate the comics and characters we all love."

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