This issue of Avengers continues the five-part story guest-starring Spider-Man that began with issue #314, picking up their fight with Nebula after the heroes rescued reality itself in the last issue. As a bonus, we get a scene from Silver Surfer as Norrin seeks out Captain America for information of Thanos, but has to deal... Continue Reading →
Avengers #315, West Coast Avengers #56, and Marvel Comics Presents #44 (March 1990)
The issue of Avengers covered here continues the story started in the last issue featuring Sersi and Spider-Man, which ended in a rather apocalyptic fashion with the universe blinking out of existence around our small group of heroes. Also this month, we see Captain America connect with his fellow Invader, the original Human Torch, in... Continue Reading →
Captain America #365-367 and Damage Control #3-4 (December 1989-February 1990)
These three issues of Captain America comprise the title's involvement in the "Acts of Vengeance" crossover (which you may have noticed blazoned across each of the covers above), in which the Marvel villains got together (under the crafty leadership of Loki) and decided they'd have a better chance against the heroes if they switched foes.... Continue Reading →
Avengers #308-310 and Fantastic Four #333 (October-November 1989)
These three issues of Avengers show Captain America and his teammates trying to save their fallen comrade Gilgamesh, so they seek out those in the best position to help: his fellow Eternals. But where are they? And what does it have to do with the Negative Zone and Blastaar, , both Fantastic Four concepts, seen... Continue Reading →
Captain America #355 (July 1989)
This issue starts a three-part storyline that reintroduces a Captain America foe who will become much more prominent in coming years. (Hint: Like the current Baron Zemo, she's second-generation.) It also heralds a split of sorts in the title, as secondary characters receive much more attention—in the case, as highlighted on the cover, it's Lemar... Continue Reading →
Captain America #351 (March 1989)
This issue serves as an aftermath to last month's game-changing issue #350, a breather if you will, that reintroduces a beloved classic supporting character, reconnects Captain America with an old pal (and explains the recent tensions between them), and signals a change in the fortunes of one John Walker after his abbreviated term as the... Continue Reading →
Avengers #299-300 (January-February 1989)
These two issues see the Captain assemble the latest Avengers team and it is... definitely something. It is also his last story before the landmark Captain America #350, after which everything changes (in Stan Lee's sense of "change," at least). I'm impressed by how tightly the Avengers and Captain America comics were coordinated in these... Continue Reading →
Captain America #349 and Iron Man #238 (January 1989)
This issue of Captain America brings Steve Rogers and Lemar Hoskins together for the first time, and reunites Rogers with Flag-Smasher and ULTIMATUM, which only reminds him of the catastrophic events of issue #321... and all of this happens in the last issue before the pivotal #350. (Also, note the cover by Ron Frenz and... Continue Reading →
Avengers Annual #17 (1988)
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 →
Captain America #348 and Avengers #298 (December 1988)
Each of these two issues heralds a return: Captain America #348, as you can see from the cover, features everybody's favorite anti-nationalist, Flag-Smasher, who's looking for Captain America and is not happy with the one he got, while Avengers #298 welcomes the Captain back to the Avengers title, if not, quite yet, the team itself... Continue Reading →