“Am I just plain nostalgic?”  This is the thought I had when I finished this comic book.  You see, I’ve been obsessed with the Loeb/Sale team for the longest time, and they haven’t really done much together since the end of Spider-Man: Blue.  It’s no surprise, then, that when I put this issue down with a giant grin on my face, I needed to reflect on whether it was because they were together again or because it was a damn fine comic.  In thinking about it, I choose the latter, and it just goes to prove how chemistry can bring out the best in a creative team.

Like the other “color” books, this one opens with our hero reflecting on his closest relationship.  As Steve lays out how he and Bucky came to be a team, we see the burgeoning career of the hero that we all grow to love.  It’s nice to have this story taking place during WWII, and it’s a blast to see how Cap and Bucky came to be, especially with the knowledge of where they end up in today’s comics.  Bucky is young, naive and eager, which is a stark contrast to the broken hero we see today.  Cap has a certain naivete about him that makes him grown up, responsible, and idealogical.  Even Bucky refers to him as old.  In this story, we see the seeds being planted that will hopefully lead us to where Bucky “dies” and will hopefully provide some emotional backdrop to that event and how it shaped Cap into who he became.  It’s exciting to read this, and frankly, it’s really nice to have a title that has the heart of the Marvel U alive and well.

  Tim Sale is simply stunning in this issue, and I’m in love with his art all over again.  I’m so excited to see what he does with this issue, and I can tell that if he keeps this level of quality, we’re going to get pin-up after pin-up from this series with jaw dropping splash pages.  I have to hand it to the folks at ComicCraft as they do such a phenomenal job with the acutrements of the comics they produce.  The coloring, lettering and general presentation is outstanding, and it makes me all the more excited for future issues.

This being a zero issue, it’s merely meant as an appetizer to the overall series, but this appetizer is mighty delicious and makes me all the more excited for the meal itself.