At one point or another every American has pondered a fundamental question: what does it mean to be American? Relatedly, what is the nature of America? What are we to make of America's history? These questions are at the heart of the comic we're going to be reviewing today. We're reviewing the comic Uncle Sam by Alex Ross and Steve Darnall.
So, a bit of clarification before we really begin. If you're a fan of DC Comics then you might be familiar with the DC universe's version of Uncle Sam, as created by comics pioneers Will Eisner. That version of Uncle Sam was a muscular man of action who fight in World War II against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. He, along with his super team The Freedom Fighters, would continue the action on a parallel universe version of Earth called Earth X, where World War II lasted way longer than in our world.
Well, all of that having been said, the Uncle Sam in the comic we're discussing is not that Uncle Sam. In fact, this comic is not published by DC Comics, it's published by Vertigo. Vertigo is a subsidiary of DC Comics. Technically, DC and Vertigo take place in the same universe, but they keep to themselves and rarely interact. Vertigo stories tend to be a bit more mature, and in some cases, especially the horror comics, darker, than your typical DC fare. They're keep separate so that Vertigo stories can maintain a sense of drama and tension, without superheroes swooping in to save the day, and in some cases ruin the realism.
Okay, now that we've established all of that, let's talk about Uncle Sam. This story really captures the zeitgeist of the 1990s. Not so much in that it features any 1990s pop culture or tends as major plot points, but it really captures the feeling and spirit of that moment in time. Around the time this comic was written, back in 1997, America was dealing with a lot of major issues. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, America found itself the sole remaining global superpower. There was a lot of joy, but also a lot of fear and uncertain for what the 21st Century would bring the nation.
In 1992, the Rodney King trails and the LA Race Riots made national news, and it sure felt like America was trying to commit suicide. In 1995, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols bombed a federal building in Oklahoma City. A mere year or so after this comic was written, President Bill Clinton would face impeachment by Congress, in part because of his infamous scandal with Monica Lewinsky. Keep in mind, I was born on New Years Eve of 1992, so I only knew about all of this several years after the fact. My mother tells me that the Oklahoma City Bombing particularly chilled her because there was a daycare located very close to the building that was bombed.
The point is, America was reeling from a lot of shock, and a lot of people were questioning just what it meant to be American. Keep in mind, it was also around this time that historians began to turn a much more critical eye toward the events of American History.
Uncle Sam is divided into two issues. The first issue is an incredibly brutal deconstruction of the American Dream. Sam gets a firsthand of many of the tragedies and atrocities of American History. He witnesses the Trail of Tears and the Indian Wars. He is with Union soldiers in a Confederate POW camp. He witnesses the horror of a black man being lynched in the pre-Civil Rights South. There a particularly powerful scene where a lawn jockey, who also provides commentary for the lynching, calls Sam out on the ways that America has failed to deliver on its promises to Black Americans. An equally powerful scene is, when at the POW camp, a Union solider ask Sam if the war will be worth it. Sam can't bring himself to say if it will be. Throughout the first part of the comic, Sam's disheveled look brings to mind the famous "I Want Out" poster that was popular among protesters during the Vietnam War.
The second half of the comic, however, is a reconstruction of the American Dream. Throughout the first half of the comic, Sam has encountered a mysterious woman named Bea. Turns out that she's Columbia, the other personification of the United States of America. Columbia teaches Sam to view his history in a more nuanced way. For example, Sam is haunted by the vision of himself participating the suppression of Shay's Rebellion. However, Columbia points out that this resulted in the scrapping of the Articles of Confederation, and the adopted of the Constitution. The Constitution lead the strengthening of America's government, and the also ensured greater protection of rights and liberties for all Americans. Columbia shows him that, though the execution didn't always live up, there was never anything wrong with the idea of America, or the American Dream.
Sam also has conversations with Britannia, Marianne, and a Russian Bear; the personifications of Britain, France and Russia. With renewed vigor, Sam faces off against his greatest foe: a shadowy double of himself. The other Sam is bright, shiny and pretty much embodies the 1990s Republican view of America mixed with a heavy dose of reality television and consumerism. Sam defeats him by owning up to the mistakes throughout America History, but promising to learn from them and make sure that America becomes a better place for all people. Unlike his doppelgänger, Sam expresses a sincere and genuine view of the American Dream.
At the end of the comic we find Sam back on the same street he began on. Only this time he has the hat he's been missing throughout the comic, and his colors are just a bit less faded. He now looks a bit more like the famous "I want you" version of Uncle Sam. He picks himself up, dusts himself off and marches down the street singing "Yankee Doodle" with a renewed sense of purpose and direction.
The artwork is absolutely gorgeous. Alex Ross is famous for his photorealistic watercolor art style, and it is on full display in this comic. There is a section in the back of the comic that briefly explains the history of Uncle Sam the character; from his first incarnations as Brother Jonathan to the form we all know and love today.
One of the great ironies about America is that the same nation that, at its founding, denied women the right to vote and only count blacks as 3/5 of a human being wound up becoming one of the greatest forces for freedom, liberty and democracy in the world. America isn't perfect, but we are getting better. Hey, we got rid of slavery and twice elected a black president, that's got to count for something.
All too often people tend to look at history, especially American History, in a very black and white sort of way. The truth is for more nuanced, and painted in far more shades of grey. I think that's one of the big takeaways from this comic. As I've said, America isn't perfect, but we are getting better with each passing day.
This is a really special comic, and I think I'm made it clear that I love it very much. It was the product of a specific moment in history, and I don't think it could have been made today. Uncle Sam is, as of this writing, almost thirty years old, but it's just as relevant today as it was when it was first written. I cannot recommend Uncle Sam enough. It's another one of those top-of-the-line comics to me.
Well, I think that should do it for now. I will see you guys next time.
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