These two issues comprise a mini-crossover (that technically began in the last issues of both titles) that brings Captain America together once again with Jack Monroe, the Bucky of the 1950s who later took up Cap's former identity of Nomad, but went in a decidedly different direction with it. (Hint: the rifle.) Captain America #421... Continue Reading →
Captain America #420 starts off a run of five relatively disconnected issues that suggest the creators are running out the clock until the beginning of "Fighting Chance" storyline in issue #425. Here, we meet a new Blazing Skull—and the existence of another Blazing Skull, seen in the recent Invaders miniseries, is not even mentioned until... Continue Reading →
The first of these three comics focuses mainly on Dennis Dunphy's subterranean struggles and his eventual emergence into daylight, with Cap playing a lesser role—but he has a much larger one in the following two-issue crossover with Silver Sable and the Funky Bunch, which contains some fine examples of necessary moral compromise (an issue also... Continue Reading →
These two issues of Captain America wrap up the sprawling storyline begun in issue #411, which now finds Cap, Falcon, Diamondback, and Black Panther in the Savage Land in Antarctica, dealing with Ka-Zar and Zabu, multiple threats, and many narrative threads (which come together at the end). Plus, Cap makes a quick appearance in Mys-Tech... Continue Reading →
The Marvel Comics annuals of 1993 each introduced a new character who received the majority of the issue's focus, in this case the Bantam (seen to the right), a welcome Puerto Rican addition to the ranks of Marvel heroes (who unfortunately was little used afterwards). Captain America only appears in the second of the three... Continue Reading →
These two issues continue the storyline that started in issue #411, in which Captain America, Falcon, and Diamondback infiltrated an illegal weapons expo on AIM Island to find Rachel's old foe Snapdragon, whom Rachel eventually killed in the last issue (unbeknownst to Cap). The current issues take us around the world, first to Wakanda and... Continue Reading →
These two issues continue Captain America's search for his good friend Dennis Dunphy his girlfriend's archrival Snapdragon, which began in the last issue. As the first cover above notes in the corner, Shang-Chi shows up to meet Cap, setting the stage for Cap's recruiting him to his Secret Avengers years later. As a bonus, we... Continue Reading →
Having found Rachel Leighton, aka Diamondback, in the previous story, in this issue Captain America can now turn his attention to searching for his other missing friend, Dennis Dunphy... but he doesn't. D-Man will have to wait some more, because Cap chooses instead to help Rachel hunt down one of her foes, Snapdragon, which happens... Continue Reading →
These two issues finally reconnect Captain America with Diamondback, aka Rachel Leighton, his sort-of ladyfriend, who was abducted in issue #396 and held hostage by Crossbones, as shown in recent back-up stories (for the most part not covered here). To be fair, Cap's been busy, what with Operation: Galactic Empire, Citizen Kang, and being a... Continue Reading →
These three annuals—plus Fantastic Four Annual #25, in which Captain America does not appear—comprise the "Citizen Kang" storyline, in which the master time manipulator puts the various heroes through their paces before bringing them together at the end for a grand showdown. (Sadly, he does not escape at the end on his time-sled Rosebud.) Most... Continue Reading →
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 