Issue(s): Captain America #134
Cover Date: Feb 71
Title: "They call him -- Stone-Face!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Gene Colan - Penciler
Dick Ayers - Inker

Review/plot:
In the first issue that features the Falcon's name with Captain America's on the cover page, Cap and Sam Wilson go up against a non-powered crimelord in the Falcon's neighborhood called Stone-Face.

One of Sam's nephews (not Jim Wilson) has been working for the master criminal in his numbers game division. Cap kind of half-jokingly expresses the idea that working over the nephew, Jody, might get them a lead on Stone-Face, but later, after Jody is arrested, Cap makes sure to show up at his trial and vouch for him.

The fact that Jody gets off without even a fine gets Stone-Face worried that Jody has squealed on him, so he sends some goons over to rough up Jody and his mother, Sarah. Which of course gets Cap and the Falcon the lead they needed, and had me wondering if that was Cap's plan all along. In any event, the incident scares Jody straight.

Anyway, since this is the first official issue of Cap and the Falcon's partnership, i was specifically watching to see how the two were treated, and my assessment is that they really do seem to be on equal footing. Granted they are both essentially non-powered guys fighting non-powered thugs, but there were no scenes citing Cap's superior training and experience or making the Falcon needing help or anything.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - Falcon becomes official co-star

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

always liked something about Stoneface (even if he looks more like "rubberface")