This fill-in issue calls back to one of Captain America's first solo stories after coming out of the ice, and like the last issue it has a strong theme: prison reform and the rehabilitation of convicted criminals. (Note the striking cover by writer Al Milgrom, which was curiously similar to Frank Miller's cover to Amazing... Continue Reading →
Captain America #259 and Iron Man #148 (July 1981)
This issue of Captain America is a thematic one-shot, a story that fits within, but doesn't contribute to, the status quo of Steve Rogers living in Brooklyn and working as a freelance artist, while focusing on a central idea, specifically personal liberty, autonomy, or self-determination. What's more, it features Captain America facing off against a... Continue Reading →
Marvel Team-Up #106 (June 1981)
This is a fairly straightforward team-up comic, with the star-spangled guest-star not even appearing until halfway through, and then engaging in a traditional battle alongside the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man against the Scorpion. Nonetheless, as with most of Captain America's guest appearances, his virtues are highlighted throughout, both by Spidey as well as the narrator. When... Continue Reading →
Captain America #258 (June 1981)
This issue returns us to Captain America's status quo in Brooklyn Heights after adventures and remembrances kept him in England since issue #253 (excepting the origin issue #255). It also welcomes back one of my favorite Cap artists, Mike Zeck, on both interiors and the cover. Best of all, this issue pays tribute to some... Continue Reading →
Avengers #207-208, Marvel Two-in-One #75, and Fantastic Four #230 (May-June 1981)
These four issues, like those in the last Avengers post, have minimal ethically-relevant Captain America content, and I will not include as much story context as I often do, but they all contain something of interest for the discerning reader (by which I mean you). In Avengers #207, the mysterious Shadow Lord has raised a... Continue Reading →
Captain America #256-257 (April-May 1981)
These two issues are fill-ins after the end of the Stern-Byrne run on Captain America that began in issue #247 and ended with the last issue. Both of the stories take place in England, where Cap was at the end of issue #254 (not counting the origin issue, #255), and each has its merits, even... Continue Reading →
Captain America #255 (March 1981)
This issue marks the end of the run by Roger Stern and John Byrne and celebrates the 40th anniversary of Captain America by presenting the canonical version of his origin, reconciling previous versions (especially from Captain America Comics #1, Tales of Suspense #63, and Captain America #109) together with the history of young Steve Rogers... Continue Reading →
Avengers #204-206, Incredible Hulk #258, and Dazzler #1-2 (February-April 1981)
These six issues contain minimal Captain American content for our purposes, so I'm bundling them all together for your convenience—and value! As I do in these cases, there will be less story synopsis than stories in which Cap is the focus, though I encourage you to seek out the full stories in the links at... Continue Reading →
Captain America #254 (February 1981)
This issue concludes the story begun in the last issue in which Captain America returned to England to reunite with Lord Fallsworth (the original Union Jack from World War I) and Jackie Fallsworth (Spitfire from Cap's WWII team, the Invaders) to investigate mysterious murders that turned out to be the work of Lord Fallsworth's archfoe... Continue Reading →
Captain America #253 (January 1981)
The two-part story beginning in this issue reintroduces some old friends and one villain from Captain America's past (and a beloved series covered in its entirety at this very blog)... After opening on the discovery of a murder north of London, England, and a glimpse of the issue's special guests, the focus turns to our... Continue Reading →