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 →
Captain America #338 and Iron Man #227 (February 1988)
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 →
Captain America #337 (January 1988)
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 →
Captain America #336 (December 1987)
After three issues without his presence (but not without his influence), Steve Rogers returns to his title, as he chooses what to do with his life now that he's longer Captain America. Meanwhile, his Partners Three, shown in floating heads on the cover, band together to look for him as well. (Does anyone remember the... Continue Reading →
Avengers Annual #15 and West Coast Avengers Annual #1 (October 1986)
The two parts of this crossover between the two Avengers teams in their 1986 annuals are very different, as reflected in the covers: The Avengers annual focuses more on the big fight with a team of apparent ne'er-do-wells, while the West Coast Avengers annual is much more character-based and tied closely to the mystery figure's... Continue Reading →
Captain America #301 (January 1985)
This issue serves as an epilogue to the "Death of the Red Skull" saga (as the subsequent trade paperback collection was titled) that began in issue #290 and ended in the last issue. In case you didn't read the last post, the Red Skull died in Captain America's arms after the hero refused to kill... Continue Reading →
Captain America #298-299 (October-November 1984)
These two issues comprise the penultimate episode in the Red Skull's most recent campaign against Captain America, which began in issue #290. The first issue is mostly the Red Skull recounting his origin story to Cap, whose reactions and responses are of more interest to us, and the battle itself starts in the second (culminating... Continue Reading →
Captain America #296 (August 1984)
This issue sees the Red Skull, Mother Superior, and Baron Zemo continue their psychological campaign against Captain America. Specifically, Cap finally faces off with Mother Superior—and, in the process, discovering who her father is—and Nomad comes to an astonishing realization (more than hinted at on the cover). You'll no doubt remember that, at the end... Continue Reading →
Captain America #290 (February 1984)
This issue sets up the storyline which will take us through issue #300 (after a quick fill-in next issue), and deals mainly with the private lives of Steve Rogers and his friends. It introduces one character (Seen on the striking cover by John Byrne) who will become a very important figure in coming years, as... Continue Reading →
Captain America #289 and Falcon #3-4 (January-February 1984)
This issue of Captain America serves as an epilogue to the Deathlok story from the last three issues, wrapping up one plot thread while leaving another until the final few pages—pages that also connect with the cover, which includes an homage to DC Comics' 1960s logo and "go-go chex," the corner image reversed, and "Bernie... Continue Reading →