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Before we get too far with this thing here, let's get any potential griping out of the way. Yes, it's a new #1, and Captain America has had several relaunches over the last few years, but there's a big Captain America movie coming out, so it makes sense, and honestly, it doesn't bother me one single iota.
I was as big a fan of Ed Brubaker's years long Captain America opus as anyone, and I will admit, it began to lose me. Those first 25 issues are as good as any superhero comics, or any comics really, that I've read in the last decade. I was fully on board for Bucky as Captain America, and it was a good time for a while. But I think we all started to feel the loss of Steve Rogers more acutely as Bucky's tale went on and on. Steve Rogers is the lynchpin of the current Marvel Universe. He connects old to new, and when someone writes him well, it sings. No one in my life had written Steve Rogers as well as Ed Brubaker, and while I had some reservations that maybe the writer has been with the property too long to look on it with fresh energy, I can report to you, that is not the case. Brubaker said he ended up killing Steve sooner than he'd wanted, so he wasn't close to done with the original super soldier. Really, he'd only put in a 2 year run on the character, so if our luck holds, we should have a good bit of Steve Rogering in our futures.
You can absolutely read this issue if you've never read Captain America before. This makes very good sense, since it's a #1 issue, and it's coming out around the time of a major motion picture, but it bears mentioning. You want to try Captain America, but never did? This is your chance. You won't find a better chance, because there isn't a writer who knows the character better than Ed Brubaker, and Steve McNiven is about as good an artist as you're likely to come across in comics today. They walk the tightrope of explaining everything you need to know without it ever reverting into tedious exposition, and it's about as elegantly done as can be.
The threat in this issue is a character from Steve's past (and the real comics from way, way back) who has a vendetta. The issue shuttles back and forth between the present and scenes from World War II leading to what we're seeing now. The wonderful thing about Steve Rogers is that his stories can exist in either time. For years, there was a way to bridge them easily, but as time marches on, people who were alive during the War are mostly gone now. Anyone who is still around is obviously something special, like Cap himself. You'll get to meet the new adversary, but there's also a taste of some classic Cap villains. There's a bit of an ensemble feel, as Cap is surrounded by his classic allies, like Sharon Carter, Nick Fury, and Dum Dum Dugan, which makes it a lot of fun, because around these particular characters, Steve can drop the act just a little bit. He still is who he is, but he doesn't have to act the symbol as he might with some of the younger Avengers for example. It's a subtle change, but makes for a nice entrance into where his head is in this story.
Captain America always makes for wonderful action scenes, because his fighting is always based on the movement of the human body. Other than his shield, he doesn't have a weapon, so there's all sorts of shield flinging, flipping, punching and so on. An artist has to have his anatomy and perspective down cold to do justice to Captain America, and can't rely on energy blasts to cover up inadequacy. Steve McNiven doesn't disappoint, and delivers an entire issue of top-of-his-form Captain America. It really is something to behold when he draws Steve in his super-soldier glory, even out of uniform. There isn't anyone out there quite like McNiven, and he seems energized for this one. Where "Old Man Logan" was just an explosion of Marvel overload, this is much more sparse, in all the right ways; in the ways that reflect a man who grew up in the Depression, and represents the best of a nation. And oh that shield. That shield might be my favorite thing in comics. It barely makes sense, but when it's flung just so, you want to believe.
Is it good to have Steve back? It is most definitely good to have Steve back. The story is very much an opening chapter, and to be honest, it's nothing groundbreaking. But it's very well done, and that craft takes the book a long way. If I'm you, and I'm on the fence about whether to go another round with Ed Brubaker and the Sentinel of Liberty, I say grab one of those donuts, and make sure you don't get any jelly on the pages, because this is one fine example of an American comic book. It will be an honor serving with Steve Rogers again.
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Been looking forward to seeing Steve return in his own book. I don’t mind the renumbering at all and am really excited to get this.
Nice review Josh. You’re seriously maknig me consider picking this book up. I just don’t know if I can trust that McNiven is going to be timely on this title. I wouldn’t mind a fill in here or there, but they never seem to do that with his projects. Maybe I missed a news story that clarifies his time on the book, but I just don’t want to end up waiting months and months for it.
i don’t know if it was the absence of Steve Rogers that was really the problem with Captain America. I really enjoyed up until the end of the Red Skull mega-arc and it just felt like the rest of the story-arcs just fell flat. From this review though, it sounds like Brubaker is returning to the storytelling style he used in those earlier issues, present-day story combined with WWII flashbacks, which worked so well early on.
I’ll check out this first issue
I love Bru’s run on Cap. I think it was really strong up until Reborn. After Steve returned it really felt like Steve had to come back – both the readers and Bucky knew he was the real Cap and it made no sense for Bucky to stay on. It really felt like it was treading water so Steve’s return to the uniform could coincide with the movie. Hopefully we’ll be back to the highs of the first part of the run now that there’s no obvious endpoint to certain aspects of the story.
This was a no-brainer for me. No way i was missing this issue. Glad to see Steve back behind the shield.
“Steve Rogering” is illegal in 17 States.
I’m not bothered at all by the renumbeing in this case, as you say it makes perfect sense. I look forward to reading it.
Issue numbering? Pfft!
I’m in for a good story and Bru hasn’t let me down yet.
SOLD! was on the fence about a new series but damn
Good review @Josh
Your mentioning of McNiven’s art in “Old Man Logan” made me ponder… has there been a Captain America story set in a dystopian future?
@Smasher I think Cap was in Earth X.
I am so looking forward to this. I really hope McNiven sticks around for (at least) twelve issue. I he’s not just doing the first few and handing off to someone else.
I was thinking more of a solo story in the vein of Martha Washington or Old Man Logan but after the reading the wikipedia entry for Earth X… Wow. Just wow.
I’d be interested in reading Brubaker’s interpretation of the Marvel Universe if Steve wasn’t thawed out until later than Avengers #4.
Thanks @Josh.
There’s a What If that has that exact premise. Also, Dave Gibbons and Lee Weeks did Captain America Lives Again during the Marvel Knights era where Cap was thawed in a world where the Nazis won the war and now the Red Skull rules the world from New York City.
“A good bit of Steve Rodgering” HAHHAHAH Gold.
@Josh Great review. Really enjoyed it. I got the Brubaker Cap omnibus and was thinking of getting the following trades, but decided to pass based on luke warm reaction.
I might have to look for the trades of this new run if it’s back to form.
That was well done, Josh, It’s not easy to write a review that doesn’t just recap the main plot points. I’m looking forward to having some good Steve Rogers as CA in my life again.
Caps a icon
Interesting. Good review, Josh.
Great review Josh. It makes me both more excited for this book, but also slightly disappointed. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Brubaker would hit a grand slam especially with McNiven. However, it saddens me that a book I’ve been enjoying for so many years is essentially hitting a reset button. You don’t spoil anything, but I get the feeling that what was going on before is essentially ignored as there seems to be no mention of Bucky or any previous plot points. Previously, every arc basically flowed into each other as almost being a complete story. It’s almost as if this is more of a sequel to Brubaker’s run than a continuation. I know this is supposed to be a #1 with a story to attract the movie goers, but it is kind of disappointing no matter how great the story is compared to what it was with Bucky.
@Fett02 Well, having read it, I can’t even tell you the answers to those questions, so why not stop worrying about it until you actually know what to be disappointed in?
Oh yeah, I know this is just an intro arc and Brubaker will probably address Bucky, Russia, Zemo, etc. eventually. I was entirely specualting and probably worried for nothing, but we never got a real close to Bucky’s tenure as Cap