This issue continues the story begun in the last issue, which ended with Captain America and Sharon Carter trapped under the collapsed ruins of a construction site after rushing in to save one last worker. We also learn more about the madness affecting prominent heroic American citizens—especially when it affects the title character himself. As... Continue Reading →
Avengers #8-9 (September-October 1998)
These issues introduce two new heroes (one of whom is prominent on the cover to issue #8 above) as well as a threat who is new to the Avengers (but well known to the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Black Panther), and see one of their own leave the team. After opening with a charming scene of... Continue Reading →
Captain America #9 (September 1998)
With this issue we begin a new storyline, this one dealing with a madness that seems to afflict a very particular group of people... but you wouldn't know this from the cover, which highlights Captain America's glowy new best friend. The story starts out with Sharon Carter talking to a police detective about a superstar... Continue Reading →
Avengers/Squadron Supreme Annual 1998 and Silver Surfer/Thor Annual 1998
The annual featuring the Avengers and the Justice League of America Squadron Supreme follows up on their "tense" team-up in Avengers #5-6 and offers a good old-fashioned "split into smaller teams to defeat the Big Bad's threat" story, while the Silver Surfer/Thor Annual from around the same time features one page with the Avengers, with... Continue Reading →
Captain America #8 and Avengers #7 (August 1998)
These two issues are half of the "Live Kree or Die!" crossover that begins in Iron Man #7 and also includes Quicksilver #10 (although Captain America appears in neither). The Kree are presumably jealous of the recent attention the Skrulls have received in recent issue of Captain America, so a faction called—I am not kidding—the... Continue Reading →
Avengers #5-6 (June-July 1998)
These two issues see the return of the Squadron Supreme, the interdimensional analogue of the Justice League of America who debuted in Avengers #85, as well as several very minor characters drawn from Marvel lore. More relevant to us, we see Captain America encounter several leadership challenges, particularly with Carol Danvers, now going under the... Continue Reading →
Marvel Team-Up #9-10 (May-June 1998)
These two issues comprise the middle of a four-part storyline in Marvel Team-Up featuring Namor, the second of which features Captain America (with a brief appearance by him in the next). The story actually began in issue #6 in a team-up with Spider-Man, which was Namor's first appearance in the 616 Universe since he returned... Continue Reading →
Wolverine #124 (May 1998)
In this issue of Wolverine, we find the title character in a bit of an existential crisis after a series of personal struggles and a decline in his mutant abilities, and he finds himself in an old-fashioned brawl with an old friend from World War II, Captain America. As with all good team-up stories, we... Continue Reading →
Avengers #4 (May 1998)
This issue is the latest entry in the proud Avengers tradition of "putting a team together" stories, which includes issues #151, #181, #211, #221, and #329 from volume 1 (all collected in the Avengers: I Am an Avenger trade paperback, with the current issue reprinted in the sequel). It's full of great character moments—beautifully illustrated... Continue Reading →
Avengers #1 (February 1998)
This is the first issue of the third volume of Avengers, following the return of the core of the team from the "Heroes Reborn" universe in what is also a wonderful return to form for the Avengers and the book, now in the hands of Kurt Busiek and George Pérez. (See editor Tom Brevoort's reflections... Continue Reading →