Since issue #16, Avengers comics that herald new line-ups have always been special, and this one is no exception. But as with most such issues, it is much more than a roll call, culminating in a continuation of the storyline begun in issue #326, focused on new character Rage as well as inter-dimensional shenanigans. The... Continue Reading →
This issue is the first of three that, among other things, introduce a new character named Rage who will play an important part in the title going forward. Also, these issues prominently feature Iron Man, a founding Avenger if not a currently active one, who nonetheless receives the "guest-star" treatment, with prominent cover placement. (And... Continue Reading →
These four comics are not especially significant, but hey, Captain America was in a lot of books in late 1989! All of them tie in to the "Acts of Vengeance" event, described in the last post, although that matters little for our purposes here. Avengers #312 sees Cap return to the book after a month... Continue Reading →
This issue continues Steve Rogers' gradual return to the Avengers that began in Avengers #298, although this annual does not feature any Avengers team we've seen before (which will be explained later). It is also part of a multi-part storyline, "The Evolutionary War," stretched across the 1988 annuals, in a practice that would continue for... Continue Reading →
These three issues of Captain America deal more with John Walker than Steve Rogers, so we'll cover them at once... along with a bonus solo Captain story from Marvel Comics Presents #2 to make sure you get your money's worth! On the opening splash page of issue #345, we see how Douglas Rockwell of the... Continue Reading →
These two issues focus primarily on the Captain and his team—now augmented by Rachel Leighton, aka Diamondback—fighting against Viper and her attempts to take over the Serpent Society. (Admittedly, the last part is mostly Diamondback's concern.) We also check in briefly with John Walker and Lemar Hoskins (the current Captain America and his recently renamed... Continue Reading →
This issue follows directly from Iron Man #228, in which the Captain and Iron Man fought about Tony's attempts to get his tech back from the U.S. government—specifically, breaking into the Vault, a prison for superhuman convicts, to disable the Stark-designed armor of their Guardsmen. For all his claims to be a futurist, Tony either... Continue Reading →
This issue looks like a lousy event tie-in—and to a large extent it is—but Mark Gruenwald ties it in to Steve Rogers' inner turmoil very well, ensuring that there is more than enough quality content here to keep us busy, starting with an airplane conversation among the Captain's New Kooky Quartet and ending with more... Continue Reading →
This issue picks up from the last, after Captain Am... I mean, the Captain... and his friends Nomad, D-Man, and the Falcon violated police orders in order to catch four snake-themed villains in Las Vegas, representing the first real test of Steve Rogers' new "outlaw" status. The cover, on the other hand, shows John Walker... Continue Reading →
After the last issue debuted Steve Rogers' new hero identity, "The Captain," this issue reveals his new costume, shown on the cover to the right, itself an homage to Cap's first modern appearance in Avengers #4. We also see Cap pushed even closer to the side of lawbreaking—and not because he's almost violating the court... Continue Reading →
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 