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sans's review against another edition
5.0
Given my would-be-disturbing-if-I-cared addiction to the Winter Soldier film (and all things Bucky), I felt like this was a sure thing walking in. I was totally right. I won't bother with a longer review since it would just be a series of dying whale noises and fangirling gifs.
shinra04's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mcbenzie's review against another edition
4.0
I've never been much of a one for patriotic heroes, but The Ultimates version of the character and the recent film made me appreciate Cap in a new way. He's a more complex character now he lives in our modern world, and this book doesn't present him as a simple man. He was a soldier, after all, and his job was to kill people in war; now he's living in a time of relative peace, at least as he understands it, and working not on the front lines but as a supposedly covert operative.
This run is great; strong story, great character work, great art. The usual superhero comic book conventions are still there - I won't mention which ones, it'd be a bit of a spoiler - but the emotional weight of the story meant I gave a damn about those things, too.
If I have reservations, there are only a couple. Agent 13, the series' only female character, is potentially an interesting woman, but she's not deeply drawn; sure she's capable in the field, but of course has been the girlfriend of two of her fellow agents, and when she's sent off on a mission alone, she of course gets captured and needs to be rescued. She's a good woman hero for a comic, it should be said, but the bar is set so low, even these days. Thankfully they at least avoid any overt romantic sub-plot for her.
There's also the matter of continuity; this is surprisingly light on, especially for a Marvel or DC title, but I'm still a little shaky on who some of the guest characters are (particularly Falcon) and the MacGuffin of the Cosmic Cube - seemingly capable of limitless magic-at-a-price in this book - is a little dissatisfying when I don't really know what it is or what it can do. Especially since so many characters say things like "is that what I thin it is?", or "And you know what the Cosmic Cube can do..."
But those things don't prevent this from being a very strong script and a killer story. I really enjoyed it; I'll be looking out for more Brubaker.
This run is great; strong story, great character work, great art. The usual superhero comic book conventions are still there - I won't mention which ones, it'd be a bit of a spoiler - but the emotional weight of the story meant I gave a damn about those things, too.
If I have reservations, there are only a couple. Agent 13, the series' only female character, is potentially an interesting woman, but she's not deeply drawn; sure she's capable in the field, but of course has been the girlfriend of two of her fellow agents, and when she's sent off on a mission alone, she of course gets captured and needs to be rescued. She's a good woman hero for a comic, it should be said, but the bar is set so low, even these days. Thankfully they at least avoid any overt romantic sub-plot for her.
There's also the matter of continuity; this is surprisingly light on, especially for a Marvel or DC title, but I'm still a little shaky on who some of the guest characters are (particularly Falcon) and the MacGuffin of the Cosmic Cube - seemingly capable of limitless magic-at-a-price in this book - is a little dissatisfying when I don't really know what it is or what it can do. Especially since so many characters say things like "is that what I thin it is?", or "And you know what the Cosmic Cube can do..."
But those things don't prevent this from being a very strong script and a killer story. I really enjoyed it; I'll be looking out for more Brubaker.
gnarlywolf's review against another edition
5.0
So I kept putting this off because from a Wikipedia standpoint, The Winter Soldier sounds like a boring character that has lost years of their life. Not true. After finally checking out this arc, I realized there is much more to The Winter Soldier than espionage and assassinations. Instead we are dealing with a character that is filled with anxiety and a need for redemption. Ed Brubaker has made me wonder, what was Captain America doing before his run? The answer doesn't matter as Brubaker creates a fantastic starting point for new readers who are only familiar with who Captain America is and excels that tiny bit of information beyond expectations.
fernlyqueer's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
fil's review against another edition
5.0
Almost reads like a Greek tragedy, no wonder I like it so much!
Man out of touch with his time (or culture), check.
Loss of family and friends, check.
Magic (or god-like) object, check.
Seeming betrayal of friend and partner, check.
Redemption near at hand, check.
Hard choice for the hero, check.
… yep, just like a Greek tragedy. Go Cap!
Man out of touch with his time (or culture), check.
Loss of family and friends, check.
Magic (or god-like) object, check.
Seeming betrayal of friend and partner, check.
Redemption near at hand, check.
Hard choice for the hero, check.
… yep, just like a Greek tragedy. Go Cap!
m0drnmoonlight's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first Captain America comic, so I did feel like I was dropped into the middle of a plot. But by the end, the story came together so well.
It felt like a lot of interludes going on that had me lost, but it did manage to make sense once I read more.
I came here after seeing the movie and the comic is quite different. I had to really dissociate myself from the MCU.
But really good story and amazing art! Bring on the next one!
It felt like a lot of interludes going on that had me lost, but it did manage to make sense once I read more.
I came here after seeing the movie and the comic is quite different. I had to really dissociate myself from the MCU.
But really good story and amazing art! Bring on the next one!