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Captain America #44 [Review]

Posted on November 28, 2008 by Walt

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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Captain America #43 [Review]

Posted on October 23, 2008 by Walt

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: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Captain America #42 [review]

Posted on September 24, 2008 by Walt

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: , | Leave a comment »

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