This two-parter takes place in the old Captain America and the Falcon days, specifically between issues #139 and #144 (for reasons we'll see below). It not only features Sam Wilson's first time as Captain America, long before ascending to that role on a permanent basis in 2014, but also previews the more nuanced discussion of... Continue Reading →
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #7 (March 1999)
This issue contains two stories. First in the comic, but second in this post, is the continuation of the Revolutionary-era Captain Steve Rogers story that began in the last issue (and unfortunately gets the cover of this one), which ends with a modern-day scene that raises even more questions than the ones mentioned before. But... Continue Reading →
Captain America #5 (May 1998)
This issue starts the three-part conclusion to the Capmania storyline that launched this volume with its first issue. It opens with the fella featured alongside Captain America on the cover, but after they have an interesting exchange about the nature of fame and idol worship, it's all about Hydra, whose plans are revealed at last.... Continue Reading →
Wolverine #124 (May 1998)
In this issue of Wolverine, we find the title character in a bit of an existential crisis after a series of personal struggles and a decline in his mutant abilities, and he finds himself in an old-fashioned brawl with an old friend from World War II, Captain America. As with all good team-up stories, we... Continue Reading →
Avengers #1 (February 1998)
This is the first issue of the third volume of Avengers, following the return of the core of the team from the "Heroes Reborn" universe in what is also a wonderful return to form for the Avengers and the book, now in the hands of Kurt Busiek and George Pérez. (See editor Tom Brevoort's reflections... Continue Reading →
Captain America #8-9 (June-July 1997)
These two issues see Captain America, having severed his ties with SHIELD in the last issue, taking to a motorcycle to reacquaint himself with America and eventually confronting white supremacism (operating under a familiar name). As issue #8 opens—and as is prominent on the Jim Lee cover above—Cap explains to his partner of five minutes,... Continue Reading →
Avengers #399-400 (June-July 1996)
The big 400th issue of Avengers is a celebration of the team's history, written by Mark Waid and penciled by Mike Wieringo, who had collaborated on a well-received Flash run (1993-1994) and would later produce a legendary Fantastic Four run (2002-2005) before Wieringo's untimely death in 2007. The anniversary issue is preceded by the final page of... Continue Reading →
Captain America #452-453 (June-July 1996)
These two issues finish the "Man without a Country" storyline, in which Steve Rogers is stripped of the Captain America title and his American citizenship after President Bill Clinton accused him of conspiring with the Red Skull: specifically, trading secrets about an anti-aircraft weapon in exchange for the blood transfusion that saved his life (in... Continue Reading →
Captain America #443 (September 1995)
This is it, the final issue of Mark Gruenwald's epic 137-issue run on Captain America, starting with issue #307 in July 1985. I'll pay tribute to Gruenwald at the end of his post, but for now, let's focus on Captain America himself, who has really been going through it lately. Cap started feeling weak in... Continue Reading →
Captain America #441 and Avengers #388 (July 1995)
These issues of Captain America and Avengers complete the "Taking AIM" crossover, in which all of Captain America's friends, Avengers and otherwise, plus the Red Skull, are assembled on AIM Island to investigate Cosmic Cube-related energy blasts. Also present are Diamondback and Superia, the latter of whom gave Cap a small dose of her cure... Continue Reading →