You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Minor: Cursing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
It's an exciting and action packed volume of Captain America. I recommend this story arch as a great introduction to the character.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Captain America has never been my favorite Avenger.
"To be proud of where you come from, it's just where you fell out of your mother's vagina. To be 'oh, I'm so proud to be British or I'm proud to be American.' You might as well be proud to be cesarean." --Simon Amstell
Jingoism, be it pro or anti a nation, does nothing for me. The best Captain America stories, like this one, are less about patriotism, and more about Cap dealing with his own mistakes or uncovering conspiracies within our own government.
This story is about an unexpected villain using Cap's past against him, and planting several false trails along the way, mostly leading to familiar Cap villains who are also trying to destroy Cap, but who are less successful.
I like this collection mainly for its dialogue, its use of self-reflection rather than punching to help Steve uncover the larger plot, but mostly because it gives a middle finger to Mark Millar's damp turd of an Ultimates run where he famously had a panel of Captain America pointing to his hat and saying "Do you think this 'A' stands for France." This is a pre-teen-level joke about how France surrendered in WWII (see also, The Simpsons "cheese eating surrender monkeys) which fails to take into account the large volume of French citizens who hid Jewish strangers from Nazis, and who fought occupation alongside the Allied front. Millar would know that if he took a basic history course. But I guess if he had time to take a basic history course, he could have taken a basic creative writing course, too, instead of just copying off Garth Ennis and Grant Morrison's papers. Brubaker's classy middle finger is a brief history lesson where he talks about how instrumental the French were in fighting the Axis powers.
For the most part, though, Brubaker leaves the politics aside, and lets this be about a man fighting inaccurate memories to try and come to terms with his past. It's one of the best Captain America stories I've read, and I wish I hadn't let it sit on my shelves, unread, for so many years.
"To be proud of where you come from, it's just where you fell out of your mother's vagina. To be 'oh, I'm so proud to be British or I'm proud to be American.' You might as well be proud to be cesarean." --Simon Amstell
Jingoism, be it pro or anti a nation, does nothing for me. The best Captain America stories, like this one, are less about patriotism, and more about Cap dealing with his own mistakes or uncovering conspiracies within our own government.
This story is about an unexpected villain using Cap's past against him, and planting several false trails along the way, mostly leading to familiar Cap villains who are also trying to destroy Cap, but who are less successful.
I like this collection mainly for its dialogue, its use of self-reflection rather than punching to help Steve uncover the larger plot, but mostly because it gives a middle finger to Mark Millar's damp turd of an Ultimates run where he famously had a panel of Captain America pointing to his hat and saying "Do you think this 'A' stands for France." This is a pre-teen-level joke about how France surrendered in WWII (see also, The Simpsons "cheese eating surrender monkeys) which fails to take into account the large volume of French citizens who hid Jewish strangers from Nazis, and who fought occupation alongside the Allied front. Millar would know that if he took a basic history course. But I guess if he had time to take a basic history course, he could have taken a basic creative writing course, too, instead of just copying off Garth Ennis and Grant Morrison's papers. Brubaker's classy middle finger is a brief history lesson where he talks about how instrumental the French were in fighting the Axis powers.
For the most part, though, Brubaker leaves the politics aside, and lets this be about a man fighting inaccurate memories to try and come to terms with his past. It's one of the best Captain America stories I've read, and I wish I hadn't let it sit on my shelves, unread, for so many years.
Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting capture everything that makes Captain America great!! This trade really gets the ball rolling into one of the best superhero epics ever. My only complaint is with the art in the 7th chapter by John Leon, as its such a departure from Epting's work it seems drastically out of place. Other than that, its hard to tell a better story.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not quite what I expected it to be, but still very good. It didn't really start to click until Cap found out about Bucky, which is not coincidentally the first time a human element entered into the espionage and intrigue. Epting's art is, as it's always been, terrific. Two things I didn't care much for: the Jack Monroe chapter seemed a waste of time, a marking of space while Epting caught up to deadlines; and the villain getting soft because he'd injured his friend and basically giving away the Cosmic Cube. That was kinda dippy.
I did like the opening of the final chapter: Winter Soldier about to pop Falcon, who suddenly disappears, then Bucky turns to Cap and sees the shield already coming right at him. Nice sequence.
Some nice twists, nice intrigue and solid character work.
I did like the opening of the final chapter: Winter Soldier about to pop Falcon, who suddenly disappears, then Bucky turns to Cap and sees the shield already coming right at him. Nice sequence.
Some nice twists, nice intrigue and solid character work.