These three issues of Captain America comprise the title's involvement in the "Acts of Vengeance" crossover (which you may have noticed blazoned across each of the covers above), in which the Marvel villains got together (under the crafty leadership of Loki) and decided they'd have a better chance against the heroes if they switched foes.... Continue Reading →
Captain America #363-364, Marvel Comics Presents #34, and Damage Control #1-2 (November-December 1989)
These two issues track Captain America's hunt for the Bloodstone Rachel Leighton, aka Diamondback, after Crossbones abducted her (following the destruction of the Bloodstone), and the story is split between Cap's search and Diamondback's escape. Do those wacky kids finally get together in the end? Wait and see! Plus: A bonus tale from Marvel Comics... Continue Reading →
Captain America #361-362 (November 1989)
These two issues finish up "The Bloodstone Hunt," a fun romp in the style of Indiana Jones and James Bond that sees Captain America and Diamondback visiting exotic locales around the world, trying to keep the powerful Bloodstone out of the hands of Baron Zemo and Batroc. As the end of the last issue, Cap... Continue Reading →
Captain America #358-360 (September-October 1989)
"The Bloodstone Hunt," the story which (barely) began in issue #357, continues in these three issues (and wraps up in the next two), in shorter-than-usual installments to make room for the U.S. Agent back-ups (and the biweekly shipping schedule). Cap doesn't face a lot of significant moral dilemmas here, but it's a cracking fun story... Continue Reading →
Captain America #356-357 (August-September 1989)
These two issues complete the storyline begun in the last, in which Captain America was de-aged to fifteen years old by the Eternal Sersi to go undercover amongst teenage runaways in search of the missing sister of his ex-fiancée Bernie Rosenthal. (Got that?) But before he could look around very much, he was abducted himself... Continue Reading →
Captain America #355 (July 1989)
This issue starts a three-part storyline that reintroduces a Captain America foe who will become much more prominent in coming years. (Hint: Like the current Baron Zemo, she's second-generation.) It also heralds a split of sorts in the title, as secondary characters receive much more attention—in the case, as highlighted on the cover, it's Lemar... Continue Reading →
Captain America #354 (June 1989)
Looking at the cover, you might think Captain America is back as "The Captain"... but didn't he just reclaim his original identity four issues ago? Maybe it's someone else in the red, white, and black costume? But whoever could it be? I mean, sure, there's that "other guy," but he's dead, isn't he? This issue... Continue Reading →
Captain America #352-353 (April-May 1989)
These two issues introduce a little (very little) bit of international intrigue as Captain America confronts opposed factions within the Soviet superhero world, including a trip behind the Iron Curtain (which would fall later that year) himself. Issue #352 opens with Cap holding auditions for Avenger Idol across the top half of a double-page spread,... Continue Reading →
Captain America #351 (March 1989)
This issue serves as an aftermath to last month's game-changing issue #350, a breather if you will, that reintroduces a beloved classic supporting character, reconnects Captain America with an old pal (and explains the recent tensions between them), and signals a change in the fortunes of one John Walker after his abbreviated term as the... Continue Reading →
Captain America #350 (February 1989)
This is it: the issue we've been waiting for ever since Steve Rogers resigned his identity of Captain America to the Commission on Superhuman Activities in issue #332 and the Commission replaced him with the former Super-Patriot, John Walker in the following issue. Whatever else happens in this issue—I'll get to it in a second,... Continue Reading →