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 →
Punisher – Captain America: Blood and Glory #3 (December 1992)
This issue concludes the miniseries that brings Captain America and the Punisher together for the first time as partners, to combat a government conspiracy involving money, drugs, guns, and fascism abroad and at home. Just as the first issue ended with Frank (unsuccessfully) assassinating Cap, the second issue ended with General Navatilas, the dictator of... Continue Reading →
Punisher – Captain America: Blood and Glory #1 (October 1992)
This three-part miniseries brings Captain America and the Punisher together for their first substantial team-up, having occasionally encountered each other in passing since they first met in Captain America #241. They don't actually meet in this first issue, although Frank definitely has an impact on Cap by the end—we do, however, get some fascinating thoughts... Continue Reading →
Marvel Comics Presents #80-81 (July 1991)
This is a very curious little story, not least because it is, as far as I know, the only Captain America solo story written and drawn by none other than Steve Ditko. As you see from the covers above (front and back), the main stories from these two issues were part of "Weapon X," the... Continue Reading →
Avengers #329 (February 1991)
Since issue #16, Avengers comics that herald new line-ups have always been special, and this one is no exception. But as with most such issues, it is much more than a roll call, culminating in a continuation of the storyline begun in issue #326, focused on new character Rage as well as inter-dimensional shenanigans. The... Continue Reading →
Namor the Sub-Mariner #10-12 (January-March 1991)
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 →
Nomad #3-4 (January-February 1991)
These two issues finish up Jack Monroe's first miniseries in style, after his actions in the first two issues, which involved intervening in the illegal drug trade—and interfering with a government undercover operation to the same end—attract the attention of the Super Powers Commission, who commission a psychiatrist to evaluate Monroe. In issue #3, they... Continue Reading →
Marvel Comics Presents #60 (October 1990)
More than most comics stories, this short tale from the anthology title Marvel Comics Presents is placed firmly within a particular point in history: the battle between the Sandinista party, which ruled Nicaragua throughout the 1980s, and the Contras, backed by the United States, who opposed the Sandinistas' communist ideology. (See more here.) This story... Continue Reading →
Avengers #323-324 (September-October 1990)
These two issues finish "The Crossing Line," a storyline that began in issue #319, with the Avengers joining with the People's Protectorate (from Russia) and Alpha Flight (from Canada) to face terrorists who hijacked a British nuclear submarine... a situation that, as of the end of the last issue, definitely went south, as shown on... Continue Reading →
Daredevil #283 (August 1990)
This issue of Daredevil—taking place in between scenes in Captain America #374—features a very critical and outspoken Sentinel of Liberty regarding problems he sees with contemporary America (circa 1990). As we know from the current "Streets of Poison" storyline in Captain America, Cap has not been himself since the explosion in the drug warehouse at... Continue Reading →