We start 1994 with a flashback issue of Captain America written by Roy Thomas—breaking Mark Gruenwald's streak begun with issue #307—telling the story of our hero's first meeting with Namor the Sub-Mariner. Fittingly, this month also sees the debut of Marvels, the landmark miniseries by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross, the first issue of which... Continue Reading →
Captain America #420 starts off a run of five relatively disconnected issues that suggest the creators are running out the clock until the beginning of "Fighting Chance" storyline in issue #425. Here, we meet a new Blazing Skull—and the existence of another Blazing Skull, seen in the recent Invaders miniseries, is not even mentioned until... Continue Reading →
This miniseries marks the return of the Invaders in their first title since their ongoing series in the 1970s, and it picks up right where the first series left off in mid-1942. (Writer Roy Thomas was always very precise with his dates in his WWII-era comics, including both Invaders and his All-Star Squadron series at... Continue Reading →
These three annuals include the beginning, middle, and end of the five-part crossover story "Subterranean Wars," in which the Deviants attack other underground races (such as the Lava Men and the Moloids), a battle that draws in the Avengers and other heroes across the Marvel Universe. Captain America's involvement in this "event" is very slight—he... Continue Reading →
These three issues of Namor the Sub-Mariner are essentially an Invaders reunion story, which is light on Captain America in the present day but features many other Invaders, including several rather pivotal developments in their lives. (You know I love this team and its members, which I indulge a bit here.) In issue #10, Namor... Continue Reading →
This issue of West Coast Avengers (or Avengers West Coast, tom-ay-to tom-ah-to) is a done-in-one in the spirit of the recent Captain America #379 and Avengers #325, and is also a Captain America/Human Torch team-up book in spirit (if not execution). Any time Cap gets to interact with one of his fellow "Big Three" Invaders... Continue Reading →
In this issue, we learn if Captain America and Diamondback make it out of the collapsed sewer tunnel in which they were trapped, 1960s Batman show style, as of the end of the last issue. Unless the cover's just a huge feint, they do, and then head to the Red Skull's old haunts, where we'll... Continue Reading →
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 →
These issues are just four of the fourteen chapters of "Atlantis Attacks," the crossover event among the Marvel Comics annuals in 1989. I won't even attempt to put these panels in the context of the story, especially since these issues comprise less than a third of it. Most of what I share here shows Captain... Continue Reading →
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 →
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 