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squidbag's review
3.0
Any fair assessment of this volume has to come in two sections: The first part, which features the brilliant editorial idea at Marvel to eliminate some of their third-rate villains in a way that created a title-spanning conspiracy, then wrapped it up and ended it in Captain America only to imply that it wasn't wrapped up and that maybe nothing was what you thought it was. It was dark, twisted and unexpected, and for thirty years, I thought that was the end.
And it should have been. The second half of this features Cap very little, instead plunging the replacement, John Walker the US Agent into the thick of a Scourge conspiracy that turns out to have an origin story only slightly more interesting than the misleading ones given out by members of the cabal. There's some excessive, overwrought writing here and heavy-handed irony barely worthy of the name. This second half isn't awful, but sometimes when you pull back the curtain, the Wizard is revealed as unimpressive, and that's kind of what happens here.
Still, for anyone interested in this chapter of Marvel history, this volume is essential for explaining it. Enjoy the first half and stop. For thirty years.
And it should have been. The second half of this features Cap very little, instead plunging the replacement, John Walker the US Agent into the thick of a Scourge conspiracy that turns out to have an origin story only slightly more interesting than the misleading ones given out by members of the cabal. There's some excessive, overwrought writing here and heavy-handed irony barely worthy of the name. This second half isn't awful, but sometimes when you pull back the curtain, the Wizard is revealed as unimpressive, and that's kind of what happens here.
Still, for anyone interested in this chapter of Marvel history, this volume is essential for explaining it. Enjoy the first half and stop. For thirty years.
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