This issue marks a new volume of Avengers after the culmination of the Onslaught Saga brought an end to the first volume after 402 issues, most of which were covered here, starting with issue #4 in March 1964 (which reintroduced Captain America to the modern Marvel Universe). I discussed the background of the "Heroes Reborn"... Continue Reading →
Captain America #1 (November 1996)
After over 500 posts, I finally get to write about Captain America #1, thanks to the "Heroes Reborn" reboot that gave us new volumes of this title, Avengers, Iron Man, and Fantastic Four. (You'll no doubt remember that the first volume of Captain America began with #100 in April 1968, continuing the numbering of Tales... Continue Reading →
Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1 (October 1996)
This is it, the culmination of the Onslaught Saga and the issue that leads to... well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. As with the first two installments of this story (here and here), Captain America serves mainly as field leader and—as emphasized in Avengers #402—supporter of morale among his fellow heroes and the population... Continue Reading →
Captain America #454 (August 1996)
This issue marks the end of the first volume of Captain America, which began with issue #100 in April 1968, continuing the numbering of Tales of Suspense, which Cap shared with Iron Man starting with issue #59 in November 1964. The story in this issue itself is a neat and tidy done-in-one, highlighting Captain America... Continue Reading →
Captain America #452-453 (June-July 1996)
These two issues finish the "Man without a Country" storyline, in which Steve Rogers is stripped of the Captain America title and his American citizenship after President Bill Clinton accused him of conspiring with the Red Skull: specifically, trading secrets about an anti-aircraft weapon in exchange for the blood transfusion that saved his life (in... Continue Reading →
DC Versus Marvel/Marvel Versus DC #1-4 (February-May 1996)
This four-issue miniseries was the first large-scale crossover between Marvel Comics and DC Comics, following meetings of individual heroes such as Superman and Spider-Man and Batman and the Hulk. Soon to be outdone by JLA/Avengers in 2003, DC Versus Marvel (and vice versa) was a glorified Contest of Champions, much like the recent Avengers/Ultraforce crossover,... Continue Reading →
Captain America #448 (February 1996)
This issue concludes Mark Waid and Ron Garney's first extended storyline in Captain America, which began in issue #445. So far, our hero was revived by Sharon Carter (whom he had long believed to be dead) and the Red Skull (who provided the blood transfusion that saved him), all to save the world from the... Continue Reading →
Captain America #444 (October 1995)
"Where is Captain America?" is the question that leads off Mark Waid and Ron Garney's first run on this title, following Mark Gruenwald's 137-issue run that ended last month. The conclusion of that issue will be recapped below, so for now I'll just say that this issue is more of a tribute to Captain America,... Continue Reading →
Avengers/Ultraforce #1 and Ultraforce/Avengers #1 (October 1995)
This two-part crossover between the Avengers and Ultraforce, the premier team of Malibu Comics—which by this point had been bought by Marvel Comics—is negligible as far as story relevance is concerned, and ambiguous in terms of how it fits into recent continuity. However, it is notable for some great art by George Pérez (co-creator of... Continue Reading →
Captain America #440 and Avengers #387 (June 1995)
These issues of Captain America and Avengers comprise the first half of the "Taking AIM" crossover, in which Captain America assembles a team of heroes to help him investigate strange energy emissions from AIM Island—which have also attracted the attentions of the Red Skull. The story begins in Captain America #440 as Cap asks his... Continue Reading →