She-Hulk #7 – Review

By: Charles Soule (story), Javier Pulido (art), Muntsa Vicente (colors)

The Story: Ant-Man and Hellcat cut She-Hulk down to size.

The Review: I’m sure Soule had his reasons, but it was still kind of bizarre for him to break off the one ongoing mystery of this series, just as it was really starting to take off. For one thing, his choice required all the characters involved to suddenly decide the case they had dedicated themselves to investigating wasn’t worth the effort anymore, going against all of their usual tenacity. That inconsistency would nearly be a plot hole if Soule hadn’t suggested a touch of the supernatural might be involved.

Still, shelving the Blue File for the time being allows Soule to take another stab at that delicate genre balance between superhero and legal drama, and he succeeds this issue. Past premises have been heavy on the law, light/repetitive with the vigilantism, but this one reverses that trend: Rufus, an inventor working out of Jen’s office building, wants her to negotiate a contract for the purchase of his and his partner Reza’s shrink-ray technology, but he needs her to find Reza first. Here’s the wrinkle: Reza, in a fit of proprietary rage, may have shrunken himself into hiding.

She-Hulk #4 – Review

By: Charles Soule (story), Javier Pulido (art), Muntsa Vicente (colors)

The Story: So is there a union for superhero-lawyers, or no?

The Review: I was fine with She-Hulk committing itself to be a legal drama/comedy for as long as it chose, but I also expected it to commit itself equally to the superheroics once the time for legal ball-busting came to an end. Soule seemed to be setting up the title for just that kind of confrontation when Doom made a direct attack on American soil—in a federal courthouse, no less—to pluck his son from Jenn’s grasp. A She-Hulk v. Doom battle seemed inevitable.

And this issue gives it to us—but… Well, it’s just not the big blowout we’ve been waiting for. Instead, it winds up being yet another sequence of Jenn destroying robots, which is about the only costumed action we’ve had since this series began. Doom doesn’t even go out to deal with her personally; he simply sends out a bigger robot as his proxy, and even that comes to nothing. Apparently, Jenn takes the trouble of sneaking into Latveria in order to settle the case, not fight it out.

She-Hulk #3 – Review

By: Charles Soule (story), Javier Pulido (art), Muntsa Vicente (colors)

The Story: A rich client is a good thing—usually.

The Review: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said in a review that I didn’t care what was going on in a story because I didn’t care about the characters involved. I’m quite sure I’ve said this even when it’s the first issue that the characters ever appeared in. Some might say it’s a little unreasonable to expect instant charm from every character, and they’d be right. But it’s hard not to set the bar that high when writers like Soule make it look so easy.

From the first line he utters in this issue,* Kristoff Vernard, adopted son of Dr. Doom, passes the first test of being interesting, if not exactly likable: “Urgh. I am not accustomed to making a request more than once.” And soon enough, he passes the likability test as well, once he explains, in eloquent though lofty terms, why he needs to leave Latveria for America: “Here…in this strange country, I can be anything. I must take the risk. I would take any risk for freedom.” For Americans, the patriotic appeal is almost irresistible. Kristoff’s pursuit of freedom will do it for everyone else.

She-Hulk #2 – Review

By: Charles Soule (story), Javier Pulido (art), Muntsa Vicente (colors)

The Story: Jenn makes some potentially brilliant/disastrous hiring decisions.

The Review: In reviewing the debut issue of She-Hulk, Kelly Thompson of Comic Book Resources observed an unbalance between Jennifer Walters, superhero, and Jennifer Walters, esquire, noting it could turn off devotees of traditional superhero books.  Being more of a DC man myself, it’s awkward for me to be in the position of Marvel apologist, but once again, I’m going to respond to this seeming criticism of one of Marvel’s newest titles.

You see, I’m of the mind that the superhero genre already confines itself too much to spandex-clad action sequences, pitting hero versus villain in various scenarios of moral difficulty.  I find nothing wrong with (and even encourage) a superhero title that places more emphasis on the hero than the super.  It certainly shouldn’t be a reason to criticize a series, although it’s a perfectly good reason for certain people to find another series to read.

She-Hulk #1 – Review

By: Charles Soule (story), Javier Pulido (art), Muntsa Vicente (colors)

The Story: There’s only one way to hurt She-Hulk.  A bad performance review.

The Review: In the interest of exposing possible bias, I should tell you that I had a lot of reasons to be excited for this series.  First, it’s one of those rare female-led titles.  Second, the female in question has an actual job.  Third, the job in question is lawyering, which appeals to someone still struggling through law school (i.e., me).  Finally, we’ve got a superb creative team featuring three individuals who have all made it on my Favorite Things lists of the past two years.*

So maybe I’m just geeking out when I say that from the get-go, Soule gets She-Hulk exactly right.  In a single page, he sums up everything marvelous and exciting about She-Hulk as a superhero: her power (ripping apart giant war-vehicles with ease), her boldness (drinking games with fellow booze-bags Thor and Tony Stark), and her sensitivity (crouching down to shake hands with a fan about a tenth her size).  The very next page, we see Jennifer Walters in business wear, reclined in her shared office at Paine & Luckberg, LLP, the firm where she works as one of its brightest associates.  “This is also the She-Hulk,” Soule reminds us.

Hawkeye Annual #1 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (story), Javier Pulido (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors)

The Story: California, here she comes!  And she’s brought her exploding arrows with her.

The Review: Would it be shocking for me to say that as much as I enjoy, even love, Hawkeye, I still find all the gushing acclaim a touch excessive.  It’s certainly a fun title with plenty of smarts and ambition behind it.  Fraction’s dialogue is always consistently entertaining.  Yet I think you’ll agree with me that the plot has been rather vague and mostly meandering.  Even now, you’re a little hard-pressed to explain what the series is actually about.

For example, it’s a bit lost on you what Clint has done this time that’s got Kate once again all up in arms.  “You can’t just bail when it gets hard,” she fumes.  But bailing from what, exactly?  If it’s because of what happened to Grills, that makes sense, but that doesn’t come through in the exchange.  The two Hawkeyes are much more interested in tangential repartee than actually responding to each other.  “Go to hell,” she tells him after he shrugs off her rant.

“Seriously, that’s my quiver,” he replies.

MQ’s Favorite Things of 2012

So, against all odds, we managed to make it through the year, doomsdays and raptures notwithstanding.  Congratulations, all—and very, very happy to see you.  Granted, we’ve all experienced some fairly grisly things in the past twelve months, but it’s worth keeping in mind all the good we can, if for no other reason than to prevent yourself from weeping helplessly.  In that spirit, it’s time again to look at my favorite things of the year.  Now remember, no judgments—we are all entitled to like what we like, whether or not they are qualitatively “good.”

Hawkeye #5 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (story), Javier Pulido (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors)

The Story: And just like that, Clint’s much hoped-for peaceful night goes out the window.

The Review: With Alex on break once again, I’ll just use the same speech here that I made on Daredevil #18: a Marvel title I respect, always wanted the chance to check it out, and here it is.  A.V. Club calls this series the best comic out of Marvel, and while I can’t really confirm or dispel that—not having read every comic out of Marvel—it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re right.  The praise for this series has been almost shockingly universal.

You have to keep in mind that Fraction makes things easy on himself by aiming for a more action-packed type of book, at least at first.  It doesn’t take literary genius to write that kind of thing, but it does some effort and a lot of craft to make an action title more than just mindless violence.  Fraction not only plays out the action well, he also makes it incredibly fun and even gives it some real stakes—not an easy balance to pull off.

Hawkeye #4 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (story), Javier Pulido (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story:  There’s a tape out there of Clint doing some very bad things for SHIELD and someone has put it up for auction.

The Review:  Matt Fraction is a pretty divisive writer among the online comics intelligentsia, particularly since Fear Itself.  He’s not at Bendis-levels yet, but he’s getting there.  Of course, the problem for those with a firm distaste for Fraction is that Hawkeye has been an excellent comic book.  So what to do?  After all, Matt Fraction can’t write a good Marvel comic!  The explanation was simple:  the book was only good thanks to David Aja’s efforts.  Everything that made this book a good one could be attributed to Aja.

Well, bad news folks; David Aja is out of the picture this month and you know what?  This book still rocks.

The Shade #7 – Review

By: James Robinson (writer), Javier Pulido (artist), Hilary Sycamore (colorist)

The Story: Just your usual father-daughter demon-slaying outing in Spain.

The Review: Of all of Robinson’s international creations thus far, La Sangre has quickly become the most fully developed and compelling one yet—yes, even despite the fact she’s a vampire in a DCU that’s quickly being overrun with vampires.  Part of what makes her feel so substantial compared to the other guests on this mini is her enmity with the Inquisitor.  Their acidic relationship has as much history and passion as even veteran hero-villain dynamics.

Too bad Robinson doesn’t have the luxury to explore this relationship at a more suspenseful pace.  Instead, he’s forced to squeeze the decades of contempt between the Inquisitor and La Sangre into three pages.  Even then you only feel the heat of their mutual hatred around the edges of their massive blocks of text.

Make no mistake: this is an incredibly talky issue, and much of the talk has either to do with the Inquisitor’s rather complicated plan to steal all the souls in Barcelona, or with his and La Sangre’s opposing viewpoints on faith and morality.  While most of this material feels heavy and abstract, it does reveal the Inquisitor’s true motives.  Maybe he originally desired Sangre’s banishment because of her seemingly demonic nature, but now it’s an obsession with bringing her down to his level, to make it clear that even when both are damned, he has the higher ground.

Much more successful is the Shade’s monologue regarding his past, in particular his long late wife.  Strange circumstances for such reminiscing, considering he’s fighting a demon embodied with the might of Hell itself, but that makes his reverie no less touching and beautiful: “My wife made a mutton stew like no other.  My wife loved the gray-green color of a pigeon’s breast.  She was always first to the door, delighted, upon hearing carolers outside at Yuletide.  She loved bread and dripping with a hot cup of tea.”  Even though she’s obviously a product of her time, Robinson’s choice of words (no imagery, mind you—we never actually get to see her) allow us to understand why she resonates so deeply with this ostensibly soulless man.

The Shade #6 – Review

By: James Robinson (writer), Javier Pulido (artist), Hilary Sycamore (colorist)

The Story: There seems to be some bad blood between you two…

The Review: Every now and then I’m reminded with a start just how many British writers there are in the comics business.  It’s not something you think of often, since they spend all their time writing American characters in American settings with an American audience in mind anyway.  Ultimately, too, the distinction is somewhat irrelevant as the variety of writing styles among the Brits and Yankees is so broad that you can’t really tell them apart by text alone.

I say all this because The Shade may be one of those rare exceptions, a title that reads with an inescapably British flavor.  Yes, yes, the title character is of English origin, and his proud Victorian foppery gives him away long before he even begins to speak, but that’s not it—not entirely.

Compare with Paul Cornell’s Knight and Squire; in that series, the pride of British culture was on full display, but a very modern, sarcastic, bombastic type of culture, where even as the characters engage in that famous understatement, they reveal the heat of their feelings nonetheless.  Not so here.  Shade comes from an earlier, much more reserved period, so no matter what the situation, his voice rings with a light, even airy timbre that is at once amusing, perceptive, and intelligent, never clearly showing emotion.  For example, to the raging Inquisitor, he remarks, “How very uncivil, sir.  How very rude.  Why, I’ll have you know…some of my best friends are sodomites.”  Only timing and context hint at the threat veiled within the joke.

Another quality that reveals the Britishness of the writing is how easy and enjoyable it is to read even the exposition.  At my grad school commencement, we had a very petite London lady deliver a speech, and I remember the entire audience was held spellbound by her rich choice of vocabulary, her sparkling accent, her class, and most of all, the even rhythm of her dialogue.  You can feel that same effect in the script here.  Robinson manages to fill whole pages of nothing but talking heads and still make it gripping, largely because of the almost poetical turn of his writing: “Commissioner Cervantes’ father.  Tough, tight-fisted detective.  ‘Quixote’ was the nickname everyone called him.  He fought crime from the 1940s through the next couple of decades.  Devastating right hook.  Died of cancer in ’68.”  In a few sentences, Robinson gives a compelling impression of a man whom you never see, yet gets you interested in him anyway.

The Shade #5 – Review

By: James Robinson (writer), Javier Pulido (artist), Hilary Sycamore (colorist)

The Story: Vampire pirates—you all knew it had to happen at some point, right?

The Review: Even though the current line of DC titles has a lot of variety to it, you can’t help noticing how much of the storytelling is confined to the U.S. of A.  Of course, comics across the board from every publisher tend to be America-centric, which is mostly fine by me, since I love America (wink!).  But you know, there is a whole rest-of-the-world out there, and it seems a waste for the vast bulk of titles to use it for nothing more than the occasional backdrop.

So by far the most exciting feature of The Shade has been the opportunity afforded us to not only visit different periods and countries, but actually stick around for a while and get to know the place.  What Robinson has been doing brilliantly is establishing settings outside the continental United States that feel like living, breathing, fully-realized worlds all their own, as if they’ve been in existence all along and we’re only just now dropping in to see them.

Nowhere is that more apparent than Robinson’s handling of the foreigner superheroes he’s brought into his story.  Now, it’s one thing to conceive a character, attach a few random powers, and call him/her a superhero; it’s another thing to give them depth and roundness, with enough interesting substance to make them compelling by their own rights, not just as ciphers to your protagonist.  On Batwing, Judd Winick popped out a new hero, one after another, in nearly every issue, and not a single one felt accessible or succeeded in resonating with you.  Here, within a few pages, Robinson makes La Sangre a heroine so fresh, fascinating, and just plain cool that it makes you want to search desperately to see if she has a secret ongoing feature somewhere.

Point One #1 – Review

By: Various.  (Seriously….it’s half the creative talent at Marvel)

The Story: Marvel teases what is to come in 2012 in this 7-part, 64-page anthology-ish issue.

Seven Things:

1. Behold the Watcher.  This was the spine of the issue and it showed a couple of guys in spacesuits fiddling with The Watcher while he slept.  And here we get the essence of the issue: What these guys downloaded from The Watcher is supposedly what is to come in the Marvel Universe in the near future.  That’s a pretty interesting way to glue together a bunch of 7-8 page teasers.  Ed Brubaker get’s writing credits here and does a fine job, but the scene-stealer was Javier Pulido and Javier Rodriguez on the art.  Pulido reminds me of a playful version of Jack Kirby and Rodriguez matches the playfulness with bright colors.  LOVE this art.  Every time I see Pulido art I decide I need some for my collection, yet I can’t find if/where/how the dude sells his original art.  So, if anyone knows….hook a brother up so I can give the man some money.

2. Nova: Harbinger.  Most marvel fans have seen the teaser images showing the Phoenix coming back, right?  Well…..here’s a story further teasing that story and if those prior images of a flaming Phoenix effect left some doubt about what precisely was going on, this makes is pretty clear: The Phoenix force is returning to the Marvel Universe.  Loeb and McGuinness do a nice job with this story of Nova (when did he come back from the Cancerverse?) trying to stay one step again of the Phoenix force.  Still unclear what titles this story will occur in.

3. The Scarlet Thread.  I really enjoyed this intro to the new Scarlet Spider series by the creative team of Chris Yost and Ryan Stegman.  It showed Kaine trying to just get away from it all, but ultimately showing that he can be a Spider-Man…..just not the Spider-Man.  And, that’s really the best way to use the clone guys: Emphasize the “nurture” part of “nature versus nurture” and show that genetics only goes so far to explaining why Peter Park is the hero that we all know and love.  A guy like Kaine with different life experiences is going to be a different type of character.  Bonus points for setting the story in Charlotte, NC!

Amazing Spider-Man #658 – Review

By: Dan Slott (writer), Javier Pulido (art), Muntsa Vicente & Javier Rodriguez (colors), Joe Caramagna (letters), Ellie Pyle (assistant editor) & Stephen Wacker (editor)

Ghost Rider back-up by: Rob Williams (writer), Lee Garbett (pencils), Alejandro Sicat (inks), Fabio D’Auria (colors), Caramagna (letters), Pyle & Wacker (editors)

The Story: Now that Spidey has joined the FF, what will the first adventure hold? And will it cause any stress in his relationship with Carlie?

What’s Good: It really isn’t correct to say that a writer captures “the voice” of a fictional character.  After all, these are fictional characters and they have no voice other than what is given to them by the writer.  Sure, they can be more or less in sync with what other writers have done with a character in the past, but there really isn’t a correct interpretation of a character.  That being said, Dan Slott writes a great Peter Parker.  His Peter is smart, earnest, socially-awkward, optimistic and funny.  This is the way this reviewer likes to see the character portrayed because it’ll make for such a great contrast when Peter has to get all grim and gritty on a villain during a more serious story arc.

The basic plotline for this issue is: Spidey’s first FF mission.  Fun abounds as Spidey first tries out a costume that doesn’t go over too well with the Thing, but that is quickly forgotten as the gang starts taking on a trio of zany missions that involves them going to France (and having fun with a mime), the microverse and the FAR future.

This issue, we also welcome back Carlie Cooper after Peter’s love life had taken a several issue time-out.  I don’t know about you, but I just don’t feel like it’s a complete Spidey story without the love life angle.  Of course, Peter’s involvement with the FF is going to make it pretty difficult for him to maintain his secret identity and keep Carlie around.  It’ll be interesting to see whether Carlie uses her CSI-skills to figure out Peter’s secret life, and if she does, whether she’ll be understanding or not.

Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #4 – Review

By: Jen Van Meter (writer), Javier Pulido (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: This Black Cat mini comes to a close.  Will Black Cat be able to save her Mom from the Kravinoff’s?  Will events tie into Amazing Spider Man?  And what will happen with all the stolen loot?

What’s Good: This was a really refreshing end to what has mostly been a fun little series.  All of the confusion that started to plague Issue #3 is gone as this story quickly became very streamlined: Save the Mom and escape from the Kravinoff’s.  There is also a lot of wrap up in this issue that ties events nicely into the continuity of Amazing Spider-Man, including a few really good Black-Cat/Spider-Man scenes.

Ms. Van Meter does a wonderful job capturing Black Cat’s “naughty but not evil” persona.  If you like the character Black Cat, you should be reading this series or at least watch for the trade when it comes out.  Ms. Van Meter also continues to develop Ana Kravinoff into a really neat character.  She just has the gleefully murderous aspect to her that makes her fun and one hopes that the next creator to fiddle with Ana continues the momentum her character has because there is a kernel of a new villain here (but they shouldn’t make her too evil as her childishness is what makes her special).

Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #3 – Review

By: Jen van Meter (writer), Javier Rodriguez & Javier Pulido (art), Matt Hollingsworth & Rodriguez (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: The somewhat confusing story of Black Cat being forced to steal items for the Kravinoff family continues.

What’s Good: Honestly, not a whole lot.  If you are a die-hard Black Cat fan, this will be essential reading, but otherwise….

There are also a whopping 4 pages of art by Javier Pulido that look nice even if they are clearly rushed.

What’s Not So Good: Sheesh did I lose the narrative on this comic.  My most common thought as I was reading was: “Huh????”  I was honestly having a hard time remembering who was scheming against Black Cat and who was trying to help her.  It probably isn’t really that hard to figure out, but the story wasn’t captivating enough that I wanted to put forth the effort to flip back through the issue a second time, much less dig out issues #1 and #2.

The story is also leaving me flat because I had kinda had enough of the Kravinoff family after The Grim Hunt story arc in Amazing Spider-Man.  I know that was only about a month ago, but it seems like ancient history and I just don’t want to see the Kravinoffs again so soon.  This series probably should have run in the month leading up to Grim Hunt.

Black Cat #2 – Review

By: Jen van Menter (writer), Javier Pulido & Javier Rodriguez (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: The stakes are raised as an attendant of the Kravinoff family kidnaps Black Cat’s mother to force her to steal precious items that used to belong to the Kravinoff family.

What’s Good: I really like Javier Pulido’s art in this issue.  After a little bit of an uncertain style in Black Cat #1, his art really sings in this issue.  For starters, I love the whimsical style that Pulido is using.  It is perfect for a character like Black Cat.  Working nicely with this style are the white panel borders he leaves between panels.  I wish more artists would do this.  Panels do not always need to touch!  Nor do panels all need to be rectangular or of uniform size; Pulido really mixes it up with his panel designs and layouts.  Finally, I really enjoy the flat colors that Hollingsworth is using here.  It’s a perfect fit with the art.  All in all, this is a striking book from a visual standpoint.

Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #1 – Review

By: Jen van Meter (writer), Javier Pulido (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), Joe Caramanga (letters); Grim Hunt Prologue: Joe Kelly (writer), Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: Someone is stealing priceless Russian artifacts and trying to frame Black Cat.  But why?

What’s good: This issue has an unadvertised back up story that is a prologue to The Grim Hunt (ASM #634).  I really wish I’d known that before reading #634 and I don’t understand why Marvel didn’t put a note on the cover hyping this prologue because it is really good.  By the same creative team as #634, it really sets the stage well for The Grim Hunt.

I bought this issue mostly because Javier Pulido was handling the artistic duties and although the art was a mixed bag (more on that below), there are some great pages and panels (especially a page where Black Cat surprises the impostor-thief and goes looping down the impostor’s zip cord).  In fact, a few odd panels aside, the art is very good in this issue.

The story is serviceable.  This is really a tie-in of sorts to The Grim Hunt as the Kravinoffs are involved in the theft of these Russian artifacts.  So far this story promises to be “okay”, but nothing special.

What’s Not So Good: There really isn’t much weight to this story.  Here’s a funny thing: I probably wouldn’t have bought this if it were pitched as a “Grim Hunt” tie-in.  But, that is really what we’re dealing with: this is a tie-in to a 4-issue story arc in Amazing Spider-Man.  That’s what we’ve fallen to folks: a comic that comes out 3-4 times every month has a tie-in miniseries.

Amazing Spider-Man #620 – Review

by Dan Slott (writer), Marcos Martin & Javier Pulido (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Mysterio’s plot comes to its explosive conclusion.

What’s Good: Thus far, I’ve been somewhat underwhelmed by Dan Slott’s “Mysterioso” arc, but this final issue is probably the best of the lot.

One of the chief reasons for this is that Slott suddenly remembers to bring the silliness and sense of humor that has marked out much of his writing, particularly on ASM.  Most of these comedic moments come thanks to Mysterio himself, who really is a fun read.  His fight with Spidey in particular was absolutely hilarious, as was his eventual fate at issue’s end.

Slott really makes Mysterio into an almost unconsciously self-deprecating character.  For all his pomp and ornamentation, Quentin Beck’s just a petty criminal at heart and this juxtaposition between costume and man leads to some pretty humorous moments.  At times,  you also get that “retro-villain” feeling of Mysterio’s setting himself up for failure, which only makes the character more enjoyable.  Certainly, seeing his very self-aware “performances” is also quite the laugh, especially as he gesticulates wildly and speaks with gusto in his portrayal of Silvermane.

Meanwhile, the art on this arc continues to be generally enjoyable, furthering that retro, pulpy feel that the Gauntlet seems to be aspiring towards.  Certainly, it lends itself well to Spider-Man himself and the always ridiculous-looking Mysterio.  Martin’s work really brings out the old school flavor inherent in these colorful characters, bringing out their core, campy essences.

Captain America By Ed Brubaker Omnibus Vol.1 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (Writer), Steve Epting, Mike Perkins, Michael Lark, John Paul Leon, Tom Palmer, Javier Pulido, Marcos Martin, Lee Weeks, Stefano Gaudiano, Rick Holberg, and Jesse Delperdang (Artists), and Frank D’Armata, Javier Rodriguez, and Matt Milla (Colors)

This is an absolute necessary collection for anyone who is currently reading Captain America. I’ll admit, I fall into the category of readers who jumped on the series around Civil War. Having only read those issues, I knew where this big tome of story would end up: Captain America dead, and Bucky back from the dead. Despite knowing exactly how it would end, the story found in this omnibus not only kept me enthralled, but several times it kept me on the edge of my seat. Ed Brubaker is a master storyteller, and I can see why his run is already being heralded one the best in Cap’s history.

The story contained within is very personal. We get to look into the life and mind of Steve Rogers, as well of several of the supporting cast members. Knowing that the Winter Soldier would end up being Bucky, it was painful and poignant to see Steve Rogers discover this for himself. Through Brubaker’s clever use of flashbacks, we also get to see the great dynamic that developed between these two partners as they fought together in World War II. Where Bucky’s return as a brainwashed Russian agent brings sadness into the life of Steve Rogers, we get to witness the development of his rekindled relationship with Sharon Carter. This relationship brings Cap rare moments of fulfillment.

Of course, the brilliant characterization is not just limited to the good guys. On the villainous side of things, we get several displays of genius, treachery, and just pure evil on the parts of both Aleksander Lukin and the Red Skull (along with their minions.) Fans of bad guy romance even get appeased as the relationship between Crossbones and Sin develops.

The characterization is only half of what makes the story so good. The other half is tons of action. In fact, this story has some of the best action I’ve seen in comics. Whether it is Steve Epting, Mike Perkins, or any of the other artists who contributed to this book, the action they bring to these issues is dynamic, cinematic, and just plain stunning to look at. Stuff likes this leaves me hoping that the Captain America movie will be popular enough just so this storyline can be adapted to the bring screen.

I realize this is a pretty expensive book to buy ($74.99 for 25 issues of story), but any current fan of Captain America who hasn’t read these stories needs to pick this up just to appreciate who the old Captain America was, who the new Captain America is, and just how genius the Red Skull has been in the implementation of his diabolical plan. If you want a money saving tip, save up, and buy it used on eBay (that is what I had to do), or buy it from a store like DCBS. It’s definitely worth your money. (Grade: A+)

-M. Staples