These two issues continue the romantic intrigue of the past storyline, while reintroducing Batroc and a new Stranger (not the old Stranger whom we knew so well e still called him the Stranger). These are the first two of four issues scripted by Gerry Conway, which set the stage for Steve Englehart's legendary run starting... Continue Reading →
This four-part story is light on ethically relevant material, focusing instead on Captain America's battle alongside the Falcon, Sharon Carter, and Nick Fury against the uninspiring Grey Gargoyle. (Only one shade to this fella, and it's a drab one.) However, it does start with some soul-searching on Cap's part, inspired by an intriguing offer from... 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 →
In this issue, Captain America finally gets away from Nick Fury, Sharon Carter, and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D., hopping a motorcycle (as he is wont to do from time to time), not so much to find America... as to find himself. (If you didn't "aww" at that, I'm not doing my job.) But before we... Continue Reading →
Don't let the cover, featuring Spider-Man's foe the Scorpion, fool you—the first five pages of this issue are dense with existential introspection and political musings that could keep us busy for days (and which I quoted quite a bit in my book). And later, we see a good old-fashioned fight with an injured Cap... and... Continue Reading →
In the aftermath of Captain America's faked death and his subsequent return—sans his Steve Rogers identity—in the last issue, the Sentinel of Liberty finds adjusting to life somewhat difficult. And that's only until things get really wild on the final page! As the issue opens, Steve "Don't Call Me Steve Rogers" Rogers is wandering the... Continue Reading →
This two-part story shows Captain America trying to solve his existential crisis of purpose and identity in an extreme way—and also proposing to Sharon Carter before learning her real name. Issue #95 opens with Cap busting two thugs named Turk (not Daredevil's Turk) and Whitey (not One Tree Hill's Whitey) looking for their boss with... Continue Reading →
This story introduces the Adaptoid, a creation of A.I.M.—the organization that also brought us the Cosmic Cube and evil beekeeper suits—that takes Captain America’s form but finds out that stunning good looks are not enough to be the Sentinel of Liberty. (But they do help.) As many early stories both in Tales of Suspense and... Continue Reading →
I’m taking these four issues together because they all deal with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ... kind of. Notably, the first three issues introduce a new reason of Cap to despair his past—the loss of a woman he knew and loved during World War II, whom we now know to be Peggy Carter—and a new reason... Continue Reading →
This issue sees the Avengers fight Doctor Doom for the first time, which should have been epic, but ol' Vic was not then the majestic villain we now know him to be. Furthermore, little of the material of interest to us here has to do with Doom, one of the few comics villains I find... Continue Reading →
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 