That's right, after a brief hiatus and a variety of trips Coach Cohen has returned to shout his comic book opinions at the internet with the veins bulging in his forehead and his whistle/keys jangling around his neck! This week, I'm choosing a character who is near and dear to my heart and whose book has been a standout performer in the Marvel stable for a number of years now, Captain America #50.Scribed by Ed Brubaker and drawn by the excellent Steve Epting and a rotating stable of fill-in artists (Luke Ross and Rick Magyar take on the penciling and inking duties for the main story in this double-sized issue), the uniform of Cap is currently filled by his old partner from Dubya Dubya Deuce, James Buchanan Barnes aka Bucky aka The Winter Soldier. You see (Spoiler Warning - if you've been absent from comics for the last two years and live in a news free box) Steve Rogers got himself capped (pun intended) 25 issues ago right after the Marvel Civil War and Bucky was given the uniform and indestructible adamantium-vibranium alloy shield by then head honcho of S.H.I.E.L.D. Iron Man. Bucky has since struggled with carrying the mantle of his former partner and best friend and this issue does a good job portraying a very special day in the life of the current Captain America.
Now, when I first heard that they were bringing Bucky back for this story, I was totally against it. Bucky was one of those Holy Grail characters who was cool because Marvel refused to bring him back from the dead. However, I have to say Ed Brubaker has knocked this book out of the friggin' park and it is consistently one of the best if not the very best read that Marvel currently has to offer in their collection of classic Golden/Silver Age characters. It is consistently full of win on a monthly basis.
Also, Bucky is a badass. He has a Soviet bionic left arm, carries a pistol and commando dagger (both of which he uses - BLAMM! flying bizatch), and unlike Steve Rogers, who was enhanced from a weakling to the peak of human performance by the Super Soldier Serum, Bucky is a born fighter and scrapper who spent his entire childhood on military bases. This issue reveals that he was sent off to train with the British Special Operations Group at age 16 after a birthday bar fight with two Navy boys and an MP. Crucial.
Finally, this issue has an excellent 50th issue anniversary backup by Marcos Martin who has a very Tim Sale style to his pencils (probably not a coincidence since Sale's Captain America: White series is coming up) and a cool Fred Hembeck comedy piece to finish things off. As I said, full of win.
So if you're looking for a good read with great characters, quality artwork, and really standout writing, take Coach's advice and pick up Captain America #50. Now hit the showers!!!
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I nearly wrote this exact same post! But it's been a busy week and time has been a commodity. Thanks for stepping up and bring this issue to light.
ReplyDeleteThe Marcos Martin back up was the win for me. Cap has indeed been good and this issue continued that tradition. However, the Cap timeline story back-up by Martin was fucking amazing. His recent Spiderman issues with The Shocker were quite good. Some of my favorite Spidey stuff as of late. More so than Romita's run even. Marcos Martin is worthy of a future post fo' sho'.
Anywho, nab this if you're even vaguely interested in Cap as the timeline story brings you up to speed and looks great while doing it.
I just read on CBR that they are pushing the release of Captain America #600 to Monday instead of Wednesday because of some huge announcement. It appears that Steve Rogers (or some parallel version of him) may be making an appearance soon. If that is the case, it's a shame as I like Bucky as Cap and would like to see a deeper exploration of him as the character. What are his values? Where does he stand on the issues of government, freedom, and the American way? When does he finally get to shove a bionic fist up Arnim Zola's tv screen?
ReplyDeleteI think it's going to be the real deal Steve Rogers. I get the feeling that Iron-Goon and Cap made up some kind of plan before Cap was arrested. Maybe due to the warning Bucky got about Cap in the Invaders/Avengers book that caused Steve to not really die but have a LMD take his place. I mean, if you think about it things did work out with Cap's death. We now have a reformed Bucky/Winter Soldier, which is what Steve wanted. Plus, with his return Norman O. will crap his purple shorts. I agree though it would be nice to more fully explore Bucky's world view before Cap returns. We shall see.
ReplyDeleteLMDs are certainly a possibility. They seem to be everywhere. But that would be a pretty big pile of shit. I doubt Iron Man thought this far ahead and worked together with Iron Douche. Plus, he wouldn't really be doing Sharon any favors with this mind fuck if so. She'd prolly kill his ass for real this time if that's how thigs went down.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think the Avengers Invaders book was in any way shape or form 616.
If Steve comes back, it'd be cool if he takes on a shadow role like the one that was left vacant by Fury. That way Bucky could keep doing what he's doing. Or maybe he'll come back as yet another Hawkeye! Ha!
Id be fine-ish if Rogers comes back, but I think it's a wee bit too soon. Maybe another year or so. As pointed out, Bucky has yet to be fully fleshed out.
One of the ads that I saw for Cap Rebirth showed Rob Liefeld's female Bucky. I trust Brubaker will make total sense of whatever they decide to do but that chick just reminds me of this awesomeness.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a lowpoint for Liefeld whose art and ideas I like on a hit-or-miss basis. Huge Pectoral Muscles!
Everything I've read about the Avengers/Invaders storyline is supposed to be happening in the 616 universe. However, when time is involved, who knows. I also think the LMD/Iron-man/Cap plan could very well be lame, again just a possibility. However, as Coach pointed out, if someone told me they were bringing back Bucky, I would have thought, Ugh. That turned out to be a super funtime decision. You never know. Brubaker has proved he's a pretty darn good writer!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget there is that crazy clone Steve Rogers guy still running around, and the possibility Faustus and Zola removed the fetus of Steve and Sharon's baby. Will the soap opera ever end? Nuff said!
ReplyDeleteIf Avg/Inv is 616 then Giganto died before he could battle The Thing?
ReplyDeleteMi sento confuso.
I like the berserk other Cap dude. Maybe he'll unearth Master Man and go for it.
Female Bucky sounds ass. Brubaker or no.
The Giganto death will be corrected with the cosmic cube. It will be the old, "everything is back to the way it was before", thing, except with possibly Cap being alive in our timeline depending on who is doing the wishing/thinking. I know, chessy, but there it is, the cosmic cheese cube. That way this adventure becomes a blink of an eye (not screwing up any continuity), rather than a long drawn out adventure that is hard to fit between what's been going on in the 616 universe. Again, this is all theory, but everything is possible when the cosmic cube is involved.
ReplyDeleteI with you on the female Bucky thing. What is it with nerds wanting to see their favorite super-heroes as woman? Spider-Woman, She-Hulk, X-23, etc. I'd like to think it's about diversity. Unfortunately, it's probably more, "Eeeeeeee, it's a girl and she's got boobies!" Furthermore, I wasn't a fan of the female Bucky character, and honestly, until Brubaker brought back the male Bucky, I wasn't much of a fan of him either. Now of course they retro-fitted him as the tough decision making, life taking, bad-ass, rather than a short pants wearing victim for Cap's rogues gallery to fold and mutilate.
ReplyDeleteFold and mutilate for the win. Laff.
ReplyDeleteJust so long As Giganto returns to continuity. Or maybe he'll return in Mecha-form, like King Ghidorah. That'd be dope.