In this issue, Captain America searches (again) for Rachel Leighton, aka Diamondback, whom he dismissed at the beginning at issue #365 to work with the Avengers in dealing with all the Acts of Vengeance just starting up at the time. Now that he's done, and before the next line-wide crossover begins, it's time to find... Continue Reading →
Captain America #363-364, Marvel Comics Presents #34, and Damage Control #1-2 (November-December 1989)
These two issues track Captain America's hunt for the Bloodstone Rachel Leighton, aka Diamondback, after Crossbones abducted her (following the destruction of the Bloodstone), and the story is split between Cap's search and Diamondback's escape. Do those wacky kids finally get together in the end? Wait and see! Plus: A bonus tale from Marvel Comics... 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 #352-353 (April-May 1989)
These two issues introduce a little (very little) bit of international intrigue as Captain America confronts opposed factions within the Soviet superhero world, including a trip behind the Iron Curtain (which would fall later that year) himself. Issue #352 opens with Cap holding auditions for Avenger Idol across the top half of a double-page spread,... 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 →
Captain America #345-347 and Marvel Comics Presents #2 (September-November 1988)
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 →
Captain America #340 (April 1988)
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 →
Captain America #339 (March 1988)
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 #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 →
X-Men Vs. Avengers #1-4 (April-July 1987)
This looks like a miniseries about the Avengers fighting the X-Men—and, to be sure, it is—but at its heart it's a story about Magneto and his continued struggle to try to be the hero Charles Xavier believes he is, while protecting mutantkind the only way he knows how (which is not Charles' way). There are... Continue Reading →