Captain America #608 – Review

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Butch Guice (pencils), Rick Magyar & Mark Pennington (inks), Dean White, Elizabeth Dismang, & Frank Martin (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Cap and Black Widow battle the Beetle as they struggle to discover the identity of their mysterious foe.

What’s Good: Thus far, I’ve very much liked Brubaker’s use of Baron Zemo, understated though it may be.  Never has this been more the case than this month, where Zemo is truly a palpable presence despite only being actually being visible for one page.  Rather than being shown as a direct participant, Zemo instead feels like an all-encompassing shadow, surrounding Cap’s world, the plot, and the general events of this month.  People talk about him in hushed tones and threats while his long reach is demonstrated.  In this sense, he feels all the more powerful and menacing as a villain; he’s the unseen enemy, and as a result, he feels much larger and much more powerful.  Through creating this atmosphere, Brubaker has managed to make Bucky’s predicament much more real and comprehensible to the reader.

Captain America #604 – Review

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Luke Ross (art), Butch Guice (inks), Dean White (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: The Falcon fights his way through an explosive train, while Bucky is forced to don his old costume.

What’s Good: Much like the rest of this arc, this month’s issue of Captain America has a real old school feel, which is something that Brubaker excels at.  From the Falcon’s internal monologue to the Watchdogs’ goofy outfits and rayguns, to Bad Cap’s master plan (revealed in a cackling cliffhanger), this feels like a comic out of a time machine.  When it’s at its best, this comic is just pure, cheesy, retro fun.

For the most part, Brubaker keeps it simple this month.  Most of the issue is dedicated to an action scene, as the Falcon brawls his way through a Watchdog piloted train.  It’s an enjoyable read, particularly as Falcon emphasizes his relationship with Rogers.  The internal monologue throughout gives it a little more depth and significance, preventing it from being totally mindless.

Meanwhile, Bad Cap is as crazy as ever, with the inferiority complex well in place.  His back-and-forth with Bucky is actually fairly humorous.  If anything, Brubaker does a fantastic job in making Bad Cap into a very traditional villain, with evil scheme and henchmen in hand.  Nowhere is this clearer than on the book’s last page, as, hands on his hips and grinning, the villain reveals his plan to the hero.  It’s hard not to smile.

Certainly, in telling a retro tale like this, Luke Ross is the right man for the job.  If Brubaker’s story reads like an homage, Ross’ art completes the picture.  While the level of detail and quality of paper, ink, and coloring reminds us that this was indeed created in 2010, the art itself could easily pass for the best of a by-gone era.