These three issues of Captain America deal more with John Walker than Steve Rogers, so we'll cover them at once... along with a bonus solo Captain story from Marvel Comics Presents #2 to make sure you get your money's worth! On the opening splash page of issue #345, we see how Douglas Rockwell of the... Continue Reading →
Captain America #344 (August 1988)
This "giant-sized issue" picks up where the last left off and wraps up the serpent-saturated storyline of late, with Viper's attack on the White House bringing the Captain back to Washington, DC, for the first time since he relinquished the shield and stripes to the Commission in issue #332. And yes, just to get it... Continue Reading →
Captain America #342-343 (June-July 1988)
These two issues focus primarily on the Captain and his team—now augmented by Rachel Leighton, aka Diamondback—fighting against Viper and her attempts to take over the Serpent Society. (Admittedly, the last part is mostly Diamondback's concern.) We also check in briefly with John Walker and Lemar Hoskins (the current Captain America and his recently renamed... Continue Reading →
Captain America #341 (May 1988)
This issue follows up on the "disagreement" between Iron Man and the Captain in Iron Man #228 over Tony's ongoing campaign to reclaim or disable all of his tech in other people's hands, including the U.S. government, and by whatever means necessary. This is just one of many examples of Tony's utilitarian approach to ethical... Continue Reading →
Captain America #340 (April 1988)
This issue follows directly from Iron Man #228, in which the Captain and Iron Man fought about Tony's attempts to get his tech back from the U.S. government—specifically, breaking into the Vault, a prison for superhuman convicts, to disable the Stark-designed armor of their Guardsmen. For all his claims to be a futurist, Tony either... Continue Reading →
Captain America #339 (March 1988)
This issue looks like a lousy event tie-in—and to a large extent it is—but Mark Gruenwald ties it in to Steve Rogers' inner turmoil very well, ensuring that there is more than enough quality content here to keep us busy, starting with an airplane conversation among the Captain's New Kooky Quartet and ending with more... Continue Reading →
Captain America #338 and Iron Man #227 (February 1988)
This issue picks up from the last, after Captain Am... I mean, the Captain... and his friends Nomad, D-Man, and the Falcon violated police orders in order to catch four snake-themed villains in Las Vegas, representing the first real test of Steve Rogers' new "outlaw" status. The cover, on the other hand, shows John Walker... Continue Reading →
Captain America #337 (January 1988)
After the last issue debuted Steve Rogers' new hero identity, "The Captain," this issue reveals his new costume, shown on the cover to the right, itself an homage to Cap's first modern appearance in Avengers #4. We also see Cap pushed even closer to the side of lawbreaking—and not because he's almost violating the court... Continue Reading →
Captain America #336 (December 1987)
After three issues without his presence (but not without his influence), Steve Rogers returns to his title, as he chooses what to do with his life now that he's longer Captain America. Meanwhile, his Partners Three, shown in floating heads on the cover, band together to look for him as well. (Does anyone remember the... Continue Reading →
Captain America #333-335 (September-November 1987)
It's understandable that, after the events of the last issue, Steve Rogers doesn't appear in these issues (except in flashback or on screens). But his influence is definitely felt as the Commission debates what to do next with the name and the shield, and his chosen successor adapts to his new role and has to... Continue Reading →