In this issue, we meet Steve Rogers's new superhero identity, which he doesn't adopt until halfway through the comic but is spoiled nonetheless on the cover and the splash page. (Sigh.) Note the language in the exposition below—"the rubble that is politics, 1974"—not far from the language used today. His current disillusionment with politics and... Continue Reading →
The two issues represent the beginning of Steve Rogers's "retirement," after the pivotal issue #176 in which he decided, after much pointless advice from his friends, to give up being Captain America out of disillusionment with the American government. Much of these two issues is taken up by the Falcon's battle with a bad guy... Continue Reading →
This is perhaps the most pivotal and significant issue we've covered yet on this blog, encapsulating so many problems that Captain America has struggled with, not only since the beginning of the "Secret Empire" storyline (in issue #169) but ever since emerging from the ice as a "man out of time" in Avengers #4. Also,... Continue Reading →
With this issue and this post, we start not only Steve Englehart's legendary run on Captain America, but also one of the more ethically significant storylines to this point in Cap's history, a four-issue arc that I'll be taking one issue at a time. Even though this issue is a prelude of sorts, not getting... Continue Reading →
These issues comprise the second half of Gerry Conway's short four-issue run, introducing Mr. Hyde and the Scorpion to these pages, wrapping up Captain America's brief career as a police officer, and introducing an important aspect of Cap's mighty shield. As issue #151 opens, we see who the mysterious speakers at the end of issue... Continue Reading →
These four issues—the last of Gary Friedrich's short run—start out with Captain America facing Hydra (for real, not the fakes of the last issue), then confront him with a classic Spider-Man villain (soon to be a legendary Daredevil villain), and back around to Cap's greatest foe (no need to be coy, he's one of the... Continue Reading →
Well, the cover really spoils it, doesn't it? In this issue, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes is apparently "reborn," decades before he was reborn (for real) as the Winter Soldier to the manic glee of shippers everywhere. Plus, we "learn the true identity of the Hood" (not Parker Robbins, the modern Hood), a mystery that has... Continue Reading →
Although this issue has a tremendous statement about Captain America's position on law and order versus protest and dissent, on the whole it's more a set-up for the next two installments, introducing a mysterious new villain and what I'm sure was a very shocking re-introduction of a beloved character in the next issue. In fact,... Continue Reading →
This issue introduces a dastardly duo that will reappear in a much more important storyline later, setting up yet another villain... I really like to see how writers adapt and build off the works of their predecessors. Plus, Cap gets back to giving martial arts lessons, gives us a couple classic panels—and takes a crack... Continue Reading →
