"The Dream and the Nightmare"

American Dream concludes with an athletic battle between Shannon Carter, the true inheritor to Cap's legacy, against Silikong, Ion Man, the Red Queen and incompetent SHIELD agent, Maria Hill.

DeFalco's latest was old school fun with sophisticated nuance. He turned a fish-eye to the government's immigration schizophrenia but did so in a fashion that didn't preach. This is the comic book of the twenty-first century. It is not the painfully dull Big Stupid Events that mean nothing and say nothing nor the books that serve as homes for writers only talented enough to commit character assassination.

DeFalco has his say, but he lets Nauck's frenetic pencils, Scott Koblish's energetic inks and Rob Ro's vibrant colors do most of the talking. The language of American Dream is hyperkinetic and that's what you expect from somebody who dresses to honor Captain America.

Within the pages of gymnastic excellence, DeFalco has the Dream quip and philosophize in the solid tradition of heroes. You're moved by the Dream's courage and her skill, her determination and her concern for the innocent. She's how super-heroes should behave, but I'm sorry to say now rarely do.

Her team sticks by her, and though the villains seem to have the greater firepower and numbers, you never once doubt that Shannon has the upper hand. Every deflection, every hit, every kick, every vault she makes is an absolute joy to witness.

American Dream came as a complete shock. I expected a time waster. Instead, I read the best mini-series of 2008. Each issue accomplished multiple feats of writing strength. The chapters gave insight into the Dream's origins and her motivations. They signified her place in the Avengers and the MC2 universe. They reinforced her status as Cap's successor. They introduced plot threads to be laced together tightly in the conclusion. Nauck, Koblish and Ro made Shannon Carter graceful dynamite. Let's hope the American Dream resurfaces.

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