Despite the cover, this annual is less about Flag-Smasher and more about the responsibility of the press to investigate the misdeeds of the powerful (to whom Flag-Smasher is little more than an unwitting tool), similar to films like All the President's Men and Spotlight. Captain America himself plays a secondary role here, encouraging the Daily... Continue Reading →
Galactus the Devourer #1-6 (September 1999-March 2000)
As you would expect, this six-issue miniseries is more of a Silver Surfer and Fantastic Four tale—and will no doubt be covered eventually at new Fantastic Four blog, Here's the Thing...—but Captain America, as a member of the Avengers, does feature prominently enough to justify a dedicated post here as well. (However, only one of... Continue Reading →
Avengers #19-20 and #0 (August-September 1999)
These issues launch the "Ultron Unlimited" story, which primarily shows Captain America in a leadership role while the emotional weight is placed on Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne, and other Avengers with a closer connection to the homicidal android. The #0 issue, packaged with Wizard Magazine #95, serves as a prelude: It's framed as a... Continue Reading →
Captain America #17 (May 1999)
This issue continues the current storyline, begun in the last post, in which the Red Skull has acquired the power of a Cosmic Cube and is using it to attempt to steal the universal information held in Galactus' ship, in the hopes of rendering him both omnipotent and omniscient. Captain America and Sharon Carter stand... Continue Reading →
Captain America #14-16 (February-April 1999)
These three issues start off an epic storyline featuring the return of you-know-who, who has been trapped in a Cosmic Cube since they both disappeared at the end of Captain America (vol. 1) #448. The first issue takes place in the Skull's personal hell inside the Cube, where he works as a bellhop in a... Continue Reading →
Captain America #11-12 and Thor #6 (November-December 1998)
These two issues of Captain America wrap up the storyline that began in issue #9 dealing with outstanding Americans being overcome with rage, which it turns out was due to the influence of the villain Nightmare. The last issue ended with Captain America's dream self voluntarily entering Nightmare's realm, after which his body is taken... Continue Reading →
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #2-4 (October-December 1998)
These three issues comprise a fantastic Invaders story set in 1942, narrated by Captain America—to whom is not clear, but he does note it's "nearly sixty years" later, so he is probably telling this story in 1998 (or even 2001, when the last issue took place for some reason). Anyway, Grandpa's war story gives us... Continue Reading →
Captain America #10 and Excalibur #125 (October 1998)
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 →
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 →
Thor #1-2 (July-August 1998)
Finally, a new Thor series following "Heroes Return," and the first #1 issue of Thor ever (because his original title took over the numbering of Journey into Mystery with #126 and he didn't get his own "Heroes Reborn" title). As we know, Thor was delayed coming back to the 616 with the gang after he... Continue Reading →