Full review posted to cxPulp.com.
Story: 2.5/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 3/5
Filed under: Captain America, cxPulp.com, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: American Dreamers, Cap, Captain America, Comic Reviews, cxPulp, Dum Dum Dugan, Ed Brubaker, Joe Caramagna, Justin Ponsor, Lauren Sankovitch, Mark Morales, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Nick Fury, Sharon Carter, STeve McNIven, Tom Brevoort, Zemo | Leave a comment »
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Chapter 4: Depression
Spider-Man mourns the loss of Cap, but still has to deal with stuff that life throws at him…
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Pencils: David Finch
Inks: Danny Miki
Colors: Frank D’Armata
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
From an Idea by: J. Michael Straczynski
Assistant Editor: Alejandro Arbona
Editor: Bill Rosemann
Cover Art: David Finch | Variant by: Michael Turner
Publisher: Marvel Comics
This story has certainly lost much of its impact–on me–by being stretched out so much. That’s not to say it’s entirely devoid of impact…but going through these "stages of grief" or "loss" or whatever the official phrasing is would work much better had this series been more immediate and timely. After all, I have had what? A quarter year (or more) now to get used to the idea of Captain America being "dead," and to partake in the online culture of communication that has really lessened the character’s death–as I have come to really agree that within a couple years or so, we’ll have Steve Rogers alive and well, having "got better" after this ordeal…or worse, turn out that THIS Steve Rogers was a certain alien poser.
That meta-textual stuff aside…this was a good issue. This issue’s focus is on a "depressed" Spider-Man as he deals with the loss of a man he’d looked up to as a hero–not just a "fellow" super-hero or colleague, but as an actual hero far above his own "level," by whom it was an honor to even be so much as acknowledged. And while spending time in a cemetary, Spidey/Peter realizes that he’s got an audience…and when his spider-sense goes off, he leaps into action, lashing out at the clear and present threat. The issue winds down with Spidey and Wolverine (which helps hold this series together, not merely "jumping" from one character to another, but maintaining some continuity as the characters interact).
There’s a lot that could be said and analyzed and "read into" the text, based on knowledge that’s been made public about events the writer has faced, and I’d like to acknowledge that fact without getting into it beyond this statement.
The story seems to fit Spidey…I haven’t followed the character all that much for a number of years, so I might be getting something that’s not there, depending on the nuances one pulls out. For me, though, this seemed to be a solid reflection of Spidey acting in context of having just lost a mentor/father-figure/inspiration…and that he’s in the black suit lends yet further loss based on what he’s apparently been dealing with in his own book(s). The threat faced in the cemetery elicits the expected reaction from the character, while simultaneously providing a nice twist, breaking just a bit from a clichéd sort of formula.
I liked the art here. Finch isn’t an artist I’m terribly familiar with of late, only dipping into Marvel here and there the last several years…but the art is definitely recognizable, and carries a certain realism to it that (while allowing one to still subconsciously recognize it as "just" 2-d comic book art) adds a lot to the visual enjoyment of the story. And I think that is the best-looking version of the "villain" I can ever remember seeing.
As a whole, this issue (to me) is an example of how enjoyable story arcs can be as a series of stories that CAN be taken alone, but are also part of a larger arc, rather than a series of chapters that FEEL like they are 1/6th segments of a single story…and that makes it certainly worth its cover price.
If you’re following the series already, this isn’t an issue to skip on; and if you’re just interested in Spidey…you’ve got a good dose of him dealing with another loss in his life, mixed with some action here, and I think it’s fair to say you probably don’t NEED to have read the earlier issues to get/follow/enjoy this issue. I do think these may read better in a collected volume in one sitting, though. Of course, you can do much worse by way of single issues.
Ratings:
Story: 3.5/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Filed under: Captain America, Classic Reviews, Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: alejandro arbona, Bill Rosemann, Captain America, Comicraft, Danny Miki, David Finch, Death of Captain America, depression, Fallen Son, Frank D'Armata, J. Michael Straczynski, Jeph Loeb, MARVEL, Richard Starkngs, Spider-Man | Leave a comment »
One Year After
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Art: Butch Guice, Howard Chaykin, Rafael Albuquerque, David Aja, Mitch Breitweiser
Colors: Frank D’Armata, Edgar Delgado, Matt Hollingsworth, Mitch Breitweiser
Letters: VC’s Joe Caramagna, Chris Eliopoulos
Assoc. Editor: Jeanine Schaefer
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover: Steve Epting (variant by Alex Ross)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Other features and bonus materials: Credits below review
The best thing I can say about this issue, and the “core” story is that in terms of the continuity itself, it’s pretty good. Brubaker and the artists deliver a story that fits well within the ongoing narrative…however, any “surprise” or “wonder” to where things were going were totally blasted away by Marvel’s hype-machine…a hype-machine that suggested this would be the best thing since sliced bread (or Captain America #25, anyway).
Guess what?
It’s not THAT good. It fails to live up to the hype.
The story centers on the one-year in-story anniversary of Steve Rogers’ death. The various characters–particularly Bucky as the new Captain America, Sharon Carter, Falcon, and the rest of the (whatever adjective) Avengers as they recognize the date and deal with it in their own way. Sharon makes a startling discovery that seems to be the key to what will come in the Reborn mini.
WHile there are numerous extras in the art credits for this story, the art still came across quite well, and the changes in art did not seem all that glaring to me–if anything, they managed to fit the story itself for the most part. The writing continues to be the strong stuff one expects from Brubaker, and delivers in that way.
However, it seems that one must now follow the story from this issue into a 5-issue mini-series to get “the whole story,” to say nothing of 1. this title apparently will be on hiatus for the duration of the mini and 2. this is the second big-number “anniversary issue” in the last several months–with all the #1s and a couple #50s and whatnot in the last decade or so…the point kinda loses its impact.
The bonus materials were decent, but not wonderful. I enjoyed the Origin segment for the art styling and its brief overview of Steve Rogers’ origin. The In Memoriam segment was also pretty good, giving a look at characters from Cap’s past that haven’t really had a huge place in the present stories. I vaguely recall at least one of the characters from the last Cap series I’d followed (the one that ran from 1998 or so until 2001/early 2002). The other segments were decent but nothing spectacular or memorable. I did not read the reprint part–something about it just wouldn’t draw me in, and I couldn’t bring myself to force a reading of it. However, it looks to be an early Cap vs. Red Skull story, presumably to add some context to the characters’ history given the Skull’s prominence in this series/saga.
All in all, the issue is (barely) worth its cover price…it took long enough to read to at least “justify” the $2 higher price over a standard issue. It did not measure up to the hype, though…and unless you’ve been following Brubaker’s saga for awhile, I wouldn’t really recommend this issue. I assume you’ll have all you need to “get” the story if you simply know that Steve Rogers died, and then pick up with whatever the story is in Captain America Reborn.
(Core) Story: 7/10
Art (core story): 8/10
Whole (including issue’s extras): 5.5/10
Origin
By: Alex Ross, Paul Dini, Todd Klein (first published in Captain America: Red, White and Blue; September 2002)
In Memorium
Script: Roger Stern
Art: Kalman Andrasofszky
Color Art: Marte Gracia
Letters: VC’s Joe Caramagna, Chris Eliopoulos
The Persistence of Memoriabilia
Script: Mark Waid
Art: Dale Eaglesham
Color Art: Paul Mounts
Letters: VC’s Joe Caramagna, Chris Eliopoulos
My Bulletin Board
By: Joe Simon
Red Skull’s Deadly Revenge
By: Stan Lee and Al Avison (first published in Captain America Comics #16; July 1942)
Cover Gallery
Special Thanks To: Philipp Lenssen (coverbrowser.com, comics.org)
Misc. Credits
Designer, Bonus Material: Spring Hoteling
Production, Bonus Material: Jerry Kalinowski
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Executive Producer: Alan Fine
Filed under: Captain America, Comic Reviews 2009, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: Bucky Barnes, Butch Guice, Captain America, Chris Eliopoulos, Comic Reviews, David Aja, Ed Brubaker, Edgar Delgado, Frank D'Armata, Howard Chaykin, Jeanine Schaefer, Joe Caramagna, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Matt Hollingsworth, Mitch Breitweiser, Rafael Albuquerque, Rikki Barnes, Steve Epting, Steve Rogers, Tom Brevoort, VC | Leave a comment »
Time’s Arrow – Part 3 of 3
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencilers: Luke Ross with Butch Guice
Inkers: Rick Magyar, Mark Pennington and Butch Guice
Colors: Frank D’Armata
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Production Irene Lee
Assoc. Editor: Jeanine Schaefer
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover: Steve Epting
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Bucky (well, Captain America) continues his battle with Batroc and a mysterious assailant with ties to the past. By the time all’s said ‘n done, Cap finds himself facing an even bigger threat than he’d initially thought.
No real complaint on the art here for me. Art duties are shared a fair bit according to the credits, but nothing on-page took me out of the story or got me to pause and think about having seen different art–which is credit to the team for keeping a consistent enough style to not jar me outta the experience. (Which is not to say one can’t find the differences).
The story’s solid as usual for the title, and we’re really seeing all the more a tonal shift from the “super-hero” stuff to the spy/espionage stuff. The costume, shield, and title of the series are Captain America…but with a diferent man under the mask and different relationships with supporting cast, this is beginning to feel like a much different character and title.
There’s a fairly decent ending to this issue, closing out this 3-parter; but we’re still left with a to-be-continued note, as this story “cliffhangers” into the next.
As 3-parters go, this is not a bad initial post-Steve, Bucky-actually-IS-Cap-now story. However, having been brought on-board with the Death of Cap back in #25 and following that and checking this out, I get the feeling that this is going to read much better in collected format, and so plan to discontinue purchasing the monthly issues and wait for the collected volumes to follow this. Brubaker’s story is fairly deep, layered, and well-done…but I’m ready to break from his single issues and wait for full stories.
Story: 7/10
Art: 8/10
Whole: 7.5/10
Filed under: Captain America, Comic Reviews 2009, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: Bucky, Butch Guice, Captain America, Comic Reviews 2008, Ed Brubaker, Frank D'Armata, Irene Lee, Jeanine Schaefer, Joe Caramagna, Luke Ross, Mark Pennington, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Rick Magyar, Steve Epting, Time's Arrow, Tom Brevoort | Leave a comment »
Time’s Arrow – Part 2 of 3
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Penciler: Luke Ross
Inkers: Fabio Laguna & Rick Kagyar
Colors: Frank D’Armata
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Production Joe Sabino
Assoc. Editor: Jeanine Schaefer
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover: Steve Epting
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Bucky (Captain America, really) and Black Widow decide to split up to tackle their “problem” from two different angles–each taking the angle their strengths play to. While “Captain America” might get some results, Bucky is able to fall back on his reputation as the “Winter Soldier” to get answers, and eventually get his rematch with Batroc…and then face a figure from his past.
I’m not terribly familiar with Luke Ross–by name–in terms of prior work; but what we have in this issue, I really like. There’s a very realistic feel that lends something extra to the story. Though this plays in a world with super-spies and super-heroes, it feels like it takes place in a real world much moreso than a comic book world.
Brubaker continues to provide a strong story that goes beyond “simple” super-hero vs. bad guy, and exploring the world he’s crafted with Captain America now as a “legacy character.”
Despite this, I find myself checking out a bit. There was a certain excitement and interest locked up in the epic The Death of Captain America, and now that that story is behind and there’s no imminent sign of Steve Rogers returning, I feel like we have a new status quo that is interesting conceptually, but more well-suited for collected volumes. Barring learning something particularly engaging about the next story, I’ll likely finish out this arc, then let this title go for a bit, and possibly just wait for a collected volume of the next arc.
On the whole, definitely a solid issue of the title, and well worth getting if you’re interested in seeing the new Captain America in action, with the status quo left by the end of the aforementioned epic. This is, after all, the first “original” story OF the new Cap.
Especially if you can find the previous issue, this is well worth picking up–this is part 2 of just a 3-part story (a nice break from the 6-issue “acts” of an 18-issue epic).
Story: 8.5/10
Art: 9/10
Whole: 8.5/10
Filed under: Captain America, Comic Reviews 2008, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: Bucky, Captain America, Comic Reviews 2008, Ed Brubaker, Fabio Laguna, Frank D'Armata, Jeanine Schaefer, Joe Caramagna, Joe Sabino, Luke Ross, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Rick Kagyar, Steve Epting, Time's Arrow, Tom Brevoort | Leave a comment »
Time’s Arrow – Part 1 of 3
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Penciller: Luke Ross
Inker: Fabio Laguna
Colorist: Frank D’Armata
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Production: nthony Dial
Associate Editor: Jeanine Schaefer
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover: Steve Epting
This issue opens with a flashback to one of Bucky’s adventures with Steve/Cap in China in 1942. We’re then in the present, which is a month after the prior story (and apparently post-Secret Invasion as well), as James finds himself restless and so heads out to clear his head. In typical fashion, though, the hero can’t catch a break and he finds himself facing one of Steve’s old foes…rather unprepared. In the aftermath of the skirmish, we see both further difference in Bucky’s Cap compared to Steve, and learn that a an old foe who knows James as the Winter Soldier is preparing something…and is intrigued to realize that the man Batroc scrapped with is the man he knows as the Winter Soldier.
In a way, this reads like a first issue. Which is good–it IS a first issue, of an entirely new arc that presumably has nothing to do with the Red Skull, and is the first issue/first arc not part of the epic Death of Captain America saga. We see our hero in his down time, we get to see a bit of what drives him, what’s in his head–and that he does not operate in a vacuum, nor is he some “traditional” super-hero. His actions and motivations are much different than those of Steve Rogers, and that helps sell James/Bucky as his own character. The writing is strong, and totally fits the tone I’ve gotten used to on this series–this being my 19th issue since returning to it with the now-infamous “Death” issue #25.
The art is by a different artist–but I don’t think I even noticed that until I looked at the credits to do this review. The art is similar enough that there’s nothing particularly jarring to it from the previous issue–especially for being the start of a new arc and weeks having passed since I even read the previous issue. It maintains a rather realistic tone but keeps to the familiar looks of the characters from earlier issues. In looking back over it, perhaps it’s not quite up there with the prior team…but it works just as well in this issue, and I have no problem with it.
This is (as much as any) a good point to jump in if you’ve been holding off on reading the title. At the same time, as we’re now beyond the 18-issue saga begun with #25, this could also be a jumping off point. Steve is not (yet? if ever?) back, and this story is very much the new Captain America. I’ve been along for the ride for this long, and I plan to continue awhile yet.
Story: 8.5/10
Art: 7.5/10
Whole: 8/10
Filed under: Captain America, Comic Reviews 2008, MARVEL | Tagged: Captain America, Comic Reviews 2008, Ed Brubaker, Luke Ross, Marvel Comics | Leave a comment »
The Death of Captain America Act 3 – The Man Who Bought America: Part Six
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Penciller: Steve Epting with Luke Ross
Inkers: Rick Magyar, Steve Epting & Fabio Laguna
Colors: Frank D’Armata
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Production: Jacob Chabot
Associate Editor: Jeanine Schaefer
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Cover: Steve Epting
I’m not entirely sure how to start to talk about this issue. I suppose I’ll just wing it. This is the 18th chapter in the Death of Captain America saga, and the 6th/final chapter in the third/final “act”of the saga. Everything from at least issue 25 til now has built to this issue.
And yet…
And yet, there’s no sense of “hype” here, overall. No double-sized issue, no enhanced cover, no wild ‘n trippy cover blurbs.
I think that’s what makes this a good issue, though.
We open as Bucky–the new Captain America–interferes with plans to set the Red Skull’s man up to be a major hero in America’s eyes heading toward an election. While Bucky deals with this, Falcon and Black Widow are mixing it up at the Red Skull’s base trying to find/rescue Sharon Carter. Meanwhile, the Skull prepares another major step in his plan, though he couldn’t resist old habits, and that draws him some criticism from Zola, even as the 50s Cap struggles against his own bonds.
The writing here is dead-on, as usual for Brubaker. Not a thing seems amiss–characters and situations have been set up for a number of issues in this sprawling “epic,” causing events to unfold as they do at present, according to a plan much larger/longer than just a couple issues of “conspiracy” or such. Everything has mattered, from the start of this series to present…and I’m guessing one could argue that from the start of this series, everything has built to this issue, setting up the future of the character. I’ve enjoyed the story well enough as it’s gone on issue by issue, and certainly expect to enjoy it all the more once I sit down to read the entire thing in a much shorter go than 18+ moths.
The art–though multiple individuals are involved–leaves me suitably impressed. There’s a realistic element that makes the word balloons and narration almost look out of place–which works for me, because I do really enjoy the art in a way I don’t notice on the majority of the comics I read these days.
Art and story combine as one very good final product. There are a number of good character moments gotten across as much by story context as by the visuals. As the final chapter in such a long story, I don’t really recommend this as a good jumping-on point (though I suspect the next issue may be a decent starting point for newer readers). If you’ve been following this story, this is not an issue to skip.
Well recommended given that context.
Story: 8/10
Art: 9/10
Whole: 8.5/10
Filed under: Captain America, Comic Reviews 2008, MARVEL | Tagged: Captain America, Comic Reviews 2008 | Leave a comment »
Comic Reviews by Walt 