These two issues finish up "The Bloodstone Hunt," a fun romp in the style of Indiana Jones and James Bond that sees Captain America and Diamondback visiting exotic locales around the world, trying to keep the powerful Bloodstone out of the hands of Baron Zemo and Batroc. As the end of the last issue, Cap... Continue Reading →
Captain America #358-360 (September-October 1989)
"The Bloodstone Hunt," the story which (barely) began in issue #357, continues in these three issues (and wraps up in the next two), in shorter-than-usual installments to make room for the U.S. Agent back-ups (and the biweekly shipping schedule). Cap doesn't face a lot of significant moral dilemmas here, but it's a cracking fun story... 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 →
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 #344 (August 1988)
This "giant-sized issue" picks up where the last left off and wraps up the serpent-saturated storyline of late, with Viper's attack on the White House bringing the Captain back to Washington, DC, for the first time since he relinquished the shield and stripes to the Commission in issue #332. And yes, just to get it... Continue Reading →
Captain America #341 (May 1988)
This issue follows up on the "disagreement" between Iron Man and the Captain in Iron Man #228 over Tony's ongoing campaign to reclaim or disable all of his tech in other people's hands, including the U.S. government, and by whatever means necessary. This is just one of many examples of Tony's utilitarian approach to ethical... Continue Reading →
Thor #390 (April 1988)
To say this issue is pivotal in the histories of both Captain America and Thor is an understatement... and we'll find out why soon enough. For now, just know that this is the second half of the Captain's side-trip on the way to confront Tony Stark for his actions in Iron Man #228, the first... Continue Reading →
Captain America #332 (August 1987)
I'm not sure if I said anything about this before, but this issue is a game-changer—any comic with Abraham Lincoln weeping in the corner box has to be important, right? And just look at that Mike Zeck artwork on one of the most iconic Captain America covers ever: His defeated posture, head hung down, while... Continue Reading →
Avengers Annual #16 and West Coast Avengers Annual #2 (September-October 1987)
The final Avengers story featuring Captain America before the cataclysmic Captain America #332 is this crossover between the annuals of the two teams. These comics were actually published after Captain America #332, but for continuity reasons I'm letting them jump the line and be covered first. It's a fairly routine "split up and fight" story,... Continue Reading →
Captain America #331 (July 1987)
In this issue, the ongoing storylines about the Power Broker, D-Man, and the U.S. government all collide as they lead into the game-changing next issue (#332). Plus, we learn a little more about Sharon Ventura (for those not familiar with her from The Thing and Fantastic Four) and meet the big fella on the cover,... Continue Reading →