Captain America(Ed Brubaker, 2007)
4 Stars
I must admit, I’ve never before read any Captain America comics. An avid reader of Marvel, I’ve been concentrating my efforts over the last few years in X-Men and the wonderfully under-rated Runaways. The exploits of Steve Rogers, however, always seemed a little too… well… American.
But then, a few years back, two things happened within the pages of Captain America that would shake up the Marvel universe forever; the return of the prodigal Bucky and the death of the patriotic icon that has, for over sixty years, stood as the epitome of the Land of the Free.
Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America, collected here in a beautifully illustrated omnibus edition, kicks off with the rather shocking death of Cap’s long time arch-nemesis, the Nazi terrorist the Red Skull. The ensuing murder mystery finds Steve Rogers hunting down the Skull’s killer, only to come face to face with his long lost partner Bucky Barnes, now working as the KGB’s “Winter Soldier”.
There is a long-standing edict amongst comic book readers; “No-one stays dead except Bucky and Uncle Ben”. Over the years, this has been proved time and time again, with the returns of apparently deceased heroes cropping up on a regular basis… Colossus, Professor X, Kitty Pryde… And who can count how many times Jean Grey has risen from the grave? But Bucky had managed to rest peacefully for over five decades before anyone realised that we never actually saw him die.
And so cue Ed Brubaker, the man who re-invented Catwoman and put in some decent graft on Batman. His three year run on Captain America not only brought back Bucky in an entirely conceivable and logical story arc, but also saw the deaths and returns of some of the Cap’s closest friends and worst enemies… Somewhat of a “greatest hits” series to lead up to its shocking conclusion.
But then, a few years back, two things happened within the pages of Captain America that would shake up the Marvel universe forever; the return of the prodigal Bucky and the death of the patriotic icon that has, for over sixty years, stood as the epitome of the Land of the Free.
Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America, collected here in a beautifully illustrated omnibus edition, kicks off with the rather shocking death of Cap’s long time arch-nemesis, the Nazi terrorist the Red Skull. The ensuing murder mystery finds Steve Rogers hunting down the Skull’s killer, only to come face to face with his long lost partner Bucky Barnes, now working as the KGB’s “Winter Soldier”.
There is a long-standing edict amongst comic book readers; “No-one stays dead except Bucky and Uncle Ben”. Over the years, this has been proved time and time again, with the returns of apparently deceased heroes cropping up on a regular basis… Colossus, Professor X, Kitty Pryde… And who can count how many times Jean Grey has risen from the grave? But Bucky had managed to rest peacefully for over five decades before anyone realised that we never actually saw him die.
And so cue Ed Brubaker, the man who re-invented Catwoman and put in some decent graft on Batman. His three year run on Captain America not only brought back Bucky in an entirely conceivable and logical story arc, but also saw the deaths and returns of some of the Cap’s closest friends and worst enemies… Somewhat of a “greatest hits” series to lead up to its shocking conclusion.
Brubaker’s exquisitely crafted tale is both tense and intoxicating, thrusting the reader through a genuinely “cap”-tivating tale of intrigue and betrayal that with magnificent justice brings to an end the life of a real American hero.With some breathtaking artwork by Steve Epting and Mike Perkins, The Captain America Omnibus is a must read for any comic book fanatic, though be warned; come the final few frames, you will find yourself itching for more. Fortunately for my bank account, book postage is so very extortionate to Japan that I find myself having to wait until my return to the West to indulge my cravings. Of course by then, judging by Marvel history, I shan’t be the only one to have returned…
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