A very generous 3 stars mostly because I loved Tamra Bonvillain's colouring in the last two issues. ( )

3.5 stars for sure. I am honestly torn. I want to pick up Volume 2... but the art work for the last 2 comics in this volume was horrible. Read my review here for the first issue. America #1 review.

Slight spoilers ahead! The story picks up for sure around issue 3. By then we are seeing more about America, where she is from, and how she came to be. I am not understanding why she is constantly deflecting when it comes to people, its like she's angry? But why is she so angry? I also don't get why she broke up with Lisa? She can open portals, thats the best power to have when you're in a long distance relationship. That made no sense. The story isn't that captivating, I feel like I am trying to understand America too much, and the plot slips away from me. Then in issue 5 the artwork changes, and to me that changes the entire tone of the comic. It went from vibrant and new to 1992 grit real quick.

I don't know if I will get volume 2. ( )

The story was pretty good, but I hate when the illustrations change so drastically in a comic that the characters barely resemble what they looked like for the first half of the book. My overall rating was a three because it felt a little disjointed, but I liked it enough to check out the second volume. ( )

This felt disjointed and the artistic change mid-volume threw me. I think if I had been more familiar with the character I would have liked this better. But the level of weirdness was fairly high so that it was sink or swim for much of this. Still, I liked it enough to continue with Volume 2. ( )

Between being chronically out of the loop on Marvel continuity and the time skips within the story, I had a bit of a hard time getting into this, but that didn’t make it much less fun in the end. America is awesome and her journey here is great, though again, I can’t help feeling like it would’ve had more punch if I’d met her more than briefly before this. Watching her find her feet as an adult and come to terms with the past is wonderful, but there’s a difference between watching a new character go through that versus a familiar face that you already relate to.

I really liked how unapologetic America is about being herself, and the sheer amount of girl power (and Latina power) in the story. And there is punching things! And alien planets! And time travel! And ex-girlfriends! And superhero cameos! The dialogue’s snappy. The art is fun. The characters are pretty deep and complex, while perhaps being the deepest and most complex comic characters I’ve met.

And for all that I was a little lost throughout and felt the storytelling was a little loose and disjointed, it does all come together by the end, in a reasonably normal out-of-thin-air comic book way. (I’m never 100% satisfied with those, but it’s a genre convention so I can role with it to a point.) I ended up happier than when I started and think this would do well as a reread because things would flow better now I know where they’re going.

Basically: liked, didn’t love, lots to rec within it, probably won’t be picking up volume two because I’m not super-invested and only have so much time. It’s still good, and if you have it on your TBR, keep it there.

6.5/10

To bear in mind: Contains a bunch of seriously awesome ladies. ( )