This issue launches the fourth volume of Captain America, this one under the Marvel Knights imprint, which by this point had already featured groundbreaking re-imaginings of Daredevil and Black Panther. The intent was to ground the stories of Captain America more firmly in the real world—and nothing was more current in the United States of... Continue Reading →
Thunderbolts #50-54 (May-September 2001)
These five issues of Thunderbolts see Captain America assume leadership of the Redeemers, the government-sanctioned successor to the Thunderbolts, after Hawkeye cuts a deal with the government in issue #50, surrendering to federal custody to guarantee the rest of the Thunderbolts immunity for their unlawful activities. It's a long story which also involves Jack Monroe, the... Continue Reading →
Captain America #38 (February 2001)
This issue completes the long Protocide storyline that began behind the scenes back in issue #25 but only involved Captain America as of issue #35, which culminates in an important choice for our hero. At the end of the last issue, in a Hydra warehouse, Protocide had defeated Cap and tossed him into the energy... Continue Reading →
Captain America #26-27 and Hulk #11 (February-March 2000)
These issues complete Dan Jurgens' first story as the new writer on Captain America, alongside young but already veteran artist Andy Kubert, in which Captain America and the Falcon once again fight the vile forces of white supremacy, whose leader was revealed at the end of the last issue (and reiterated in the double splash... Continue Reading →
Captain America #24 (December 1999)
This issue serves as a stopgap between Mark Waid's run on this volume of Captain America (which began with issue #1) and Dan Jurgen's upcoming spell (lasting through the end of the volume at issue #50). It's a fun throwback to the early Tales of Suspense days, with Tom DeFalco's old-school story and Ron Frenz's Kirby-inspired... Continue Reading →
Captain America #23 and Contest of Champions II #4 (November 1999)
This issue of Captain America sees our hero investigate a private prison with atrocious conditions and brutal treatment of inmates, where persons who run afoul of immigration law are sent and denied any contact with relatives, legal representation, or due process. Despite obvious parallels to current events, there are important differences too (as we shall... Continue Reading →
Captain America #10 and Excalibur #125 (October 1998)
This issue continues the story begun in the last issue, which ended with Captain America and Sharon Carter trapped under the collapsed ruins of a construction site after rushing in to save one last worker. We also learn more about the madness affecting prominent heroic American citizens—especially when it affects the title character himself. As... Continue Reading →
Avengers #8-9 (September-October 1998)
These issues introduce two new heroes (one of whom is prominent on the cover to issue #8 above) as well as a threat who is new to the Avengers (but well known to the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Black Panther), and see one of their own leave the team. After opening with a charming scene of... Continue Reading →
Captain America #9 (September 1998)
With this issue we begin a new storyline, this one dealing with a madness that seems to afflict a very particular group of people... but you wouldn't know this from the cover, which highlights Captain America's glowy new best friend. The story starts out with Sharon Carter talking to a police detective about a superstar... Continue Reading →
Wolverine #124 (May 1998)
In this issue of Wolverine, we find the title character in a bit of an existential crisis after a series of personal struggles and a decline in his mutant abilities, and he finds himself in an old-fashioned brawl with an old friend from World War II, Captain America. As with all good team-up stories, we... Continue Reading →