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 →
Spectacular Spider-Man #168-170 (September-November 1990)
This three part story is based on repeated cases of mistaken identity, thanks to an old Avengers foe that is often responsible for such things, and sees Spider-Man join forces with a new team that does not quite measure up to his alliances in the past (including his guest-stars). In issue #168, She-Hulk leads Spider-Man... Continue Reading →
Captain America #375 (August 1990)
This issue not only continues the "Streets of Poison" storyline begun in issue #372, but it also follows up on Captain America's appearance in Daredevil #283, which took place in middle of Captain America #374. (Got it?) There, Cap and Matt had a deep conversation about the state of America in 1990, but in this... Continue Reading →
Captain America #373-374 (July-August 1990)
These two issues pick up the "Streets of Poison" story begun in the last, which ended with Captain America caught in an explosion in a warehouse where he was investigating a new drug called Ice. We won't see much of the Black Widow, who, as one of the covers above suggests, "meets" Diamondback, but we... Continue Reading →
Captain America #370 and The Saga of the Original Human Torch #2 (May 1990)
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 →
Captain America #368 (March 1990)
We continue to take a well-deserved breather from crossover event tie-ins (and very long posts!) with this focus on a single issue of Captain America—although to some extent it feels like an aftermath to "Acts of Vengeance" with Magneto prominently featured on the cover (as he was in the last issue, albeit for very different... Continue Reading →
Avengers #314 (February 1990)
What's this—an entire post devoted to a single issue of Avengers? No minor appearances in other books connected to a crossover event? Is that even allowed? It is true, my friends (and what a relief): Avengers #314 launches a five-part story that sees Sersi of the Eternals join the Avengers, who are also joined for... Continue Reading →
Captain America #356-357 (August-September 1989)
These two issues complete the storyline begun in the last, in which Captain America was de-aged to fifteen years old by the Eternal Sersi to go undercover amongst teenage runaways in search of the missing sister of his ex-fiancée Bernie Rosenthal. (Got that?) But before he could look around very much, he was abducted himself... Continue Reading →
Captain America #355 (July 1989)
This issue starts a three-part storyline that reintroduces a Captain America foe who will become much more prominent in coming years. (Hint: Like the current Baron Zemo, she's second-generation.) It also heralds a split of sorts in the title, as secondary characters receive much more attention—in the case, as highlighted on the cover, it's Lemar... Continue Reading →
Captain America #352-353 (April-May 1989)
These two issues introduce a little (very little) bit of international intrigue as Captain America confronts opposed factions within the Soviet superhero world, including a trip behind the Iron Curtain (which would fall later that year) himself. Issue #352 opens with Cap holding auditions for Avenger Idol across the top half of a double-page spread,... Continue Reading →