Joe Simon (1913–2011)

Joe Simon & Jack Kirby’s Fighting American collects issues 1–7 of the titular character’s Cold War adventures by the creators of Captain America along with previously unpublished material. What began as a red-baiting Cold War story quickly morphed into something parodying the jingoism of the early Cold War. Recalling Captain America’s origin, Simon & Kirby portray Nelson Flagg taking on the mantle of the Fighting American through a combination of chemicals and energy transference, though in this iteration the government scientists transfer Flagg to a golem-like body based on his deceased brother, who previously served them. While early stories recall the earnestness of Captain America, Simon & Kirby soon found that the Joe McCarthy-style Commie-busting was at odds with their own sense of American liberty, grounded in the New Deal that shaped their earlier patriotic work as well as subsequent superheroes the two created independent of each other. This volume is great for fans of classic comic books, particularly those interested in the work of Simon & Kirby. It will easily join other collections such as Marvel’s Golden Age Captain America volumes and DC’s collection of Sandman comics by the two.… (mere)