Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Captain America

So, yeah.

I just listed 6 as a possibility as an outside "swerve"-style contender... but my head and heart are with #3.

The only possible "swerve" on that list for me is two, for the sheer out-of-nowhereness of it. But even over and above the "been there, done that" factor, it's not gonna happen.

You were right, 'Boot. The most predictable of them is being groomed as the new Cap, and he makes his debut as Cap next issue.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. As much as I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into this book, I have to see where it goes in the next arc.

Aw, I love six and will hold out the vain hope that he's hopped across the pond to honor his friend. (Hey, a girl can dream, right?)

That said, I love three, as well. Even if it is obvious as hell.

I love six, too, but I'm perfectly happy with him remaining in his current costumed identity.

Re: #33:

S
-
P
-
O
-
I
-
L
E
-
R
-
S
-
-
-
-
:

So, yeah.

To use a baseball analogy, this is like The Babe signalling where he's going to hit a homer before he does it. And Bru did the impossible here, giving me an almost sympathetic Tony.

I've been ordering this sight-unseen, to avoid solicitation spoilers. But I hope they get to Sharon soon... I fear for <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">her and Steve's unborn child in the hands of the Skull... In MU time, she's only just discovered she's expecting, but that's going to be a tempting host body for RS. </span></span>

Newsarama has an interview with Bru on #33... Spoilers if you've not read it yet.

Sometimes a great story doesn't need to have big surprises. There have been little surprises along the way (Bucky's arm fighting on its own?? Creepy - very close to goofy, but I can buy it) and everything else about it has been pitch perfect. Nobody else in that costume even has a chance of seeming legitimate and it would've reaked of being a temporary thing. The fact that it's Bucky and the way that it's been done at least makes you think this could be for real.

We all saw this coming for at least a year or longer, but seeing it happen has been nothing short of amazing. Captain America remains a gold standard in comics, and is perhaps the best its ever been in its entire history.

Phenominal. Each month its a treat!

Best written Tony in ages; best written Widow in ages. And yeah, like Drake says, they way they've done this makes it look like its for real.

I totally agree, and I think you raise a good point. My three favorite Cap runs are the all-too-brief Stern/Byrne run, the even briefer Steranko run, and most of the Englehart run (his last few issues, the Red Skull/True Origin of the Falcon arc was IMO not up to the standards set by Englehart's previous arcs, especially the Serpent Society with Madame Hydra-turned-Viper arc.) And there's no arguing that Steve Epting is a better artist than Sal Buscema (even though I think Sal did some of his best work on Cap, even with most of his issues inked by the dreaded Vinnie Colletta.) So yes, this is an all-time high for Cap. And may it continue for years to come.

I'm a kid who was raised on the Silver Age Jack Kirby Cap run in Tales to Suspense. And to me, that has basically been unbeatable throughout my lifetime, though I've enjoyed all those eras you mentioned (and many others). But you know...I think Brubaker and Epting are topping *even* that legendary run. We're in agreement: this might be the best its ever been. I'll toast to the thought that it continue for many more years!

Does anyone else feel like Bru's stuf is better read in TPB form? I love, love, love (most of) his books... but I find myself waiting until I have five or so issues to actually read them. I just think it reads better that way.

I can't wait that long...

I've read Bru's stuff both ways and can see your point, Cali. I think his noir stuff (like Criminal, Gotham Central, Sleeper and Scene of the Crime) are especially much easier to follow read in entire arcs because of lots of unfamiliar characters and complicated plots being in them. I have less trouble with his superhero stuff, though I'm sure they make excellent TPB material as well.

I've never given myself the chance to read his stuff in trade form since I usually devour his work the minute I get home after buying it. Maybe I'll reread his Gotham Central stories in a row now that a few years have passed and I can give them a fresh look.

So nearly two years ago I stopped buying new comics due to financial reasons. At that time I had read Bru's Cap through his second major arc which covered the whole "Winter Soldier" mystery. Suffice to say, this title was one of the ones I missed the most, and obviously, in the meantime it rocketed into new heights of popularity because of the highly-publicized death of Cap.

Recently, I completed purchasing most of the issues I missed (thru #30) and decided to celebrate by rereading all the issues I'd read before, THEN picking up with the issues I hadn't read. Well, right now, I'm up to issue number 8 and am even more impressed than I was originally.

Reading the comic, knowing what's coming actually enhances the experience and exposes how well crafted Bru's mega-arc is. I didn't realize the Winter Soldier appeared twice even in the first issue, for example. And I know Bru said that the death of Cap wasn't planned from the beginning, but sometimes it sure seems so with the 'full circle-esque' feel that seems to build.

I mean, if Cap really IS dead forever (and I'm not saying he is), Marvel sure would have my endorsement for Bucky as his permanent replacement. Kind of a trade-off, really: bring back the guy who's been dead for over half a century, but kill off the guy who's been around all along. Will anyone ever have the guts to permanently kill a major iconic superhero? (I'm still worried DC will bring back Barry Allen at some point!)

Anyhow, I look forward to catching up and seeing how Bru redeems Bucky...but first some observations from what I've just reread flash-forwarding to more current issues:

1) If Sharon's pregnant, have they made it clear yet that Steve was the dad? Using comic book time's twisted rules, it's feasible that her dead ex-boyfriend, SHIELD agent Tapper, could have been. Just sayin'!

2) It was unnerving reading the Red Skull autopsy scene in issue two and remembering the pages of Cap's autopsy I've seen online. They went through great lengths in that issue to (accurately) point out that the Skull was residing in a clone of Cap, so if Marvel was looking for a cheesy out to bring Steve back, they could always "reveal" another clone.

3) Also, I've seen spoilers that the Skull isn't really dead (living inside Lukin, I believe), so Bru's already overturned the title's first major death. I'm guessing the Skull's psyche was saved via the Cosmic Cube? Given Lukin's early messing around with Steve's mind via the Cube, I could see that trick working as deus ex machina there, too.

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to rediscovering Bru's Cap, and I'll let y'all know what I think!

Huh? despite my not collecting Marvel books, now you are saying that the dead Capt America the one who was killed during the Civil War from the sniper os a CLONE?!? first Thor (commonly called "Clor") then now him? what's going on with Marvel Universe?!? Elektra and Black Bolt a skrull infiltrator....who else? Almost makes me glad that I did not collect them anymore. *brrr*

No.

And Cap's going to come back* when Skull & Zola use that time-travel gadget Doom gave Skull in one of the Cap CW issues to bring him back to taunt him as to how things went to hell in a handbasket.

Some time between #43 & #50:
*Not counting the 40s-Cap that's coming to the present day with the Invaders in Avengers/Invaders .

Actually, superboymddjr, if you reread my post carefully, I'm just throwing out a few possibilities based on some instincts I had. So far there's no clone-firmation of them!

'Boot, I'm assuming this is your pet theory (like mine above) based on your own intuitions and not something that's been explicitly stated in that article or elsewhere?

And can anyone comment on my Sharon pregnancy question: as far as what's been revealed to this point?

And that quote by 'Boot sure makes the death sound temporary, doesn't it? No that this would be a surprise, but like I said, I'm in favor of having the death stick. Like I said, I'd rather Bucky continue as Cap and let Steve rest in peace myself.

If they do bring Cap back, they'll pretty much have to kill Bucky again to rebalance the scales. If all this brings us to a status quo where both Bucky and Cap live on, I think it'll cheapen the storyline.

A little off-note, I noticed a rather Captain America-esque hidden charcter in an issue of Legion. I like to think he was resurrected and escaped to DC's 31st century--essentially a better place.

I'll ty to post the issue # in case nobody else noticed.

Legion of Super-Heroes #313, July '84. He's there, in the bottom of a page, waiting in line.

There's talk that the Ultimate Universe will get destroyed, and a charcter wil survive. I'm guessin Marvel will rip off DC's Kingdom Come Superman joining the JSA, and Ultimate Cap could come back and be Cap.

I think sometimes a comic book is so good that people get tired of giving it continual praise. Such is likely the case of Captain America which has consistently been one of the best comic books in the industry for a few years now. Its a definite contender for Best Comic Book. Even CBG readers voted it that in 2009.

The latest issues have been no different. #600 was excellent and just jam-packed with stuff. Lots of characters having a moment which was welcome, a chance to round-up everyone after so much has been going on.

I wonder why Liefield-verse Bucky is involved though? Can't see anyone clamoring for her return.

The big story is Steve Roger's possible return. Bru has always given hints this may come and its no big surprise. Personally, I just trust Brubaker. If someone asked me if I wanted to see Bucky as the new Cap I would have said no; but I trusted him and he's rewarded me for it--its been one helluva a ride so far. So I'll see what happens from here.

#601 was a treat for me because I'm a Gene Colon fan. It was a very creepy issue, more a Tomb of Dracula type story than a Cap story (Gene the Dean of course a master of both). His art is just so completely different--I don't know if I could handle it on a monthly basis for Cap but I liked it here.

Reborn #1 also came out and I thought this was also very good. The usual cast is there: Bucky, Sharon, Falcon, Black Widow, even Fury, but now of course Steve Rogers is in play, even if only in 'flashbacks'. I put it in quotes because there is a very Lost-ish usage of flashbacks being used here. I wonder if Lost the TV show helped inspire the idea? So far, pretty interesting stuff!

I hope Bru writes Cap for like 10 more years because this run has just been so good I shudder to think of it ever ending.

#600 (and up to) was fine.

Reborn #1 was crap. I'm no fan of Bryan Hitch (someone please force-feed him some character references, please. Hiding his photo-reference file couldn't hurt either...), and even if I wanted to give it a shot, it was smothered in a heavy, shiny blue wash for no apparent reason. And I don't think the story makes a lick of sense.

She turned up as a trailer for her upcoming miniseries, Nomad: Girl Without A World, written by Sean McKeever.

[Note that this ISN'T the She-Bucky who was in Thunderbolts a while back, but an alternate version from the Teh Lobe/Liefeld Onslaught Reborn mini.]