These five issues, plus Defenders #8 and #9 and an epilogue to Avengers #115 (in which Captain America does not appear), comprise the "Avengers/Defenders War," by all accounts the first extended crossover between two different comics titles, in that the story went back and forth in each titles over four months, amounting to a biweekly... Continue Reading →
After the prelude in issue #164, we have here the main three-parter featuring Captain America and the Falcon fighting the Yellow Claw, a Fu Manchu-type villain (see also: the Mandarin) who starred in his own short-lived Atlas comic in the 1950s, who reappeared in the 1960s to fight S.H.I.E.L.D. (including behind the scenes in Strange... Continue Reading →
These four issues—the last of Gary Friedrich's short run—start out with Captain America facing Hydra (for real, not the fakes of the last issue), then confront him with a classic Spider-Man villain (soon to be a legendary Daredevil villain), and back around to Cap's greatest foe (no need to be coy, he's one of the... Continue Reading →
This three-part tale is very interesting, not for the actual story, but for the fact that it features a significant disagreement amongst the Avengers regarding their role as "Earth's mightiest heroes." (Plus, we're introduced to Red Wolf and we see Red Batman Daredevil, always a welcome sight at this blog.) When we join our... Continue Reading →
This issue is another entry to Captain America's ongoing saga with both his love interest, Sharon Carter, and his erstwhile allies, Nick Fury and the rest of SHIELD. I have to warn you, Cap is not at his best in the issue, being a neanderthal with respect to Sharon and then flying off the handle... Continue Reading →
This issue introduces a dastardly duo that will reappear in a much more important storyline later, setting up yet another villain... I really like to see how writers adapt and build off the works of their predecessors. Plus, Cap gets back to giving martial arts lessons, gives us a couple classic panels—and takes a crack... Continue Reading →
In this four-part tale, we get the return of the Red Skull and a rare example of Captain America actually using the black-and-white ethical thinking he’s so often accused of—accusations against which I defend him in The Virtues of Captain America. (You’re making me look bad, Cap!) Plus, welcome artist supreme Gil Kane to the... Continue Reading →
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 