"Wait a minute," you say, "are you telling me he's covering a story from a holiday special as a standalone post? Not tacked on to the end of the post for this month's issue of Captain America or Avengers, but actually dedicating an entire post to it?" My friends, it's true: The seven-page story featuring... Continue Reading →
Avengers #340 (October 1991)
Compared to most fill-in issues, Avengers #340 is very good, presenting a welcome and enjoyable team-up between Captain America and the Wasp that actually offers much of interest to this blog and its fine readers (even if the premise of the story is somewhat contrived). The issue opens at a celebration of the Avengers' public... Continue Reading →
Captain America #383 (March 1991)
This issue celebrates Captain America's 50th anniversary, based on the March 1941 cover date of Captain America Comics #1. Of course, Cap didn't appear regularly for all of those fifty years, as he acknowledges at one point in the main story—and it wasn't always Steve Rogers wielding the shield—but it's still a notable date to... 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 #319-320 and New Warriors #1 (July-August 1990)
These two issues of Avengers start off "The Crossing Line," a six-part story that brings together three super-teams (and none of them is the West Coast Avengers), which means that Captain America's appearances in these next three Avengers posts will be few, but happily substantial. Also, we have the first issue of New Warriors, featuring... Continue Reading →
Captain America #369, Marvel Comics Presents #47, and Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD #10 (April 1990)
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 #350 (February 1989)
This is it: the issue we've been waiting for ever since Steve Rogers resigned his identity of Captain America to the Commission on Superhuman Activities in issue #332 and the Commission replaced him with the former Super-Patriot, John Walker in the following issue. Whatever else happens in this issue—I'll get to it in a second,... 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 →
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 →
Captain America #329-330 (May-June 1987)
These two issues continue the build-up to the game-changing issue #332 as Captain America, accompanied by strength-augmented wrestler Dennis Dunphy, a.k.a. D-Man, continues to hunt for information about the Super-Patriot (John Walker) and the Buckies, as well as their enabler, the Power Broker, while the U.S. government steps its investigation into Cap behind the scenes.... Continue Reading →