This issue leads off a three-issue storyline that welcomes back several old foes as well as one previous identity, as you can see on the cover, although it's a mystery who's under the mask. More exciting, at least for me, this issue introduces one of my favorite Captain America writers, J.M. DeMatteis, to the title.... Continue Reading →
This well-timed anniversary issue, published just several months before the 1980 United States presidential election, deals with an obvious hypothetical: Should Captain America be president? I actually dealt with this issue years ago when the Ultimate Universe version of Cap actually did become president in his world, but in a very different political context—there, the... Continue Reading →
This issue of Captain America marks the end of the story about the National Front that began in issue #231, and finally reveals the identity of its leader, the Grand Director. It also finishes Daredevil's three-issue guest appearance, including the answer to the most pressing question of 1979: Can DD actually fly a plane? The... Continue Reading →
This issue continues the story of racial hatred on the part of the Grand Director and his National Force begun in the last issue, including some very odd Dark Knightish behavior on the part of Captain America, a solid page of introspection on his part, and most immediate, an answer to the fate of Peggy... Continue Reading →
As you can guess from the cover, this is quite the eventful issue, bringing Steve Rogers' time as Nomad to a sudden end in the most painful possible—although less painful for him than for someone else. (Look at me, trying to be coy while it's right there on the cover, beautifully rendered by legendary artist... Continue Reading →
The two issues represent the beginning of Steve Rogers's "retirement," after the pivotal issue #176 in which he decided, after much pointless advice from his friends, to give up being Captain America out of disillusionment with the American government. Much of these two issues is taken up by the Falcon's battle with a bad guy... Continue Reading →
This issue is a fill-in story, written by Roy Thomas and Tony Isabella before regular writer Steve Englehart's epic "Secret Empire" storyline begins, and it both recaps Captain America's current status and introduces a villain who will become a major player once he truly embraces the family business. (And before you ask, the Phoenix in... Continue Reading →
Although this issue has a tremendous statement about Captain America's position on law and order versus protest and dissent, on the whole it's more a set-up for the next two installments, introducing a mysterious new villain and what I'm sure was a very shocking re-introduction of a beloved character in the next issue. In fact,... Continue Reading →
In this issue, Captain America finally gets away from Nick Fury, Sharon Carter, and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D., hopping a motorcycle (as he is wont to do from time to time), not so much to find America... as to find himself. (If you didn't "aww" at that, I'm not doing my job.) But before we... Continue Reading →
Don't let the cover, featuring Spider-Man's foe the Scorpion, fool you—the first five pages of this issue are dense with existential introspection and political musings that could keep us busy for days (and which I quoted quite a bit in my book). And later, we see a good old-fashioned fight with an injured Cap... and... Continue Reading →
