Captain America #42
Posted: Tuesday, September 23, 2008
By: Keith Dallas
Ed Brubaker
Steve Epting, Luke Ross, Frank D'Armata (colors)
Marvel Comics
"The Death of Captain America, Act 3 - The Man Who Bought America: Part Six"
Ariel Carmona Jr.:
Mark J. Hayman:
Kevin Powers:
Ariel Carmona Jr. Story: After manipulating Sharon Carter into killing Captain America, the Red Skull and his minions hold her captive while they planted their own presidential candidate to assault America from within its system. Meanwhile, our heroes race to thwart their plans and rescue Agent Carter. There's another man claiming to be Captain America running around loose complicating matters.
Analysis: Captain America, written by Ed Brubaker and penciled this issue by Steve Epting with Luke Ross, is truly Marvel's blue chip comic. It never disappoints and always delivers with plenty of action, intrigue and good dialogue.
Why should issue #42 be different? Brubaker wraps up the various plotlines from "The Man Who Bought America" story arc with the precision of a surgeon without sacrificing any of the above mentioned elements which make this such an enjoyable comic to read.
From the fractured alliance of the Red Skull and the megalomaniacal psychiatrist Dr. Faustus, to the rescue attempt of Agent Sharon Stone who was pregnant with Steve Roger's baby but captured by the Skull and his minions, to the explosive climax in which Bucky as the new Captain America attempts to thwart Sin's plan, this comic is a marvel of modern storytelling and its pacing does nothing to detract from the way Brubaker crafts each individual character scene.
On the contrary, the tension builds until it is ready to explode off the page, and this it does eventually into the superb panels depicted by Epting and Ross.
It would take a lot of time to go into an intricate analysis of what makes their artistic style so good, but suffice it to say that the artwork is so consistently good on this title from month to month that it is almost not even worth noting. We have come to accept the fact that both the facial expressions of the characters and the explosive action sequences required for the narrative are always going to be expertly handled and they are.
Natasha, S.H.I.E.L.D., the Falcon and the rest of the supporting cast give the comic a vast array of story telling possibilities, but this issue was all about delivering a tightly crafted and explosive conclusion, and it doesn't fail to deliver that.
One intriguing aspect was the inclusion of the Captain America from the 1950s, a character which got caught in the crossfire and truly believed he was the real Captain America. Brubaker's use of this character shows that he isn't afraid to use past Marvel continuity to help tell a good story, and he respects what other creators have done in the past. So rather than being burdened by continuity or ret conning, he builds on what's come before with precision and great skill.
I also enjoyed the fact that over the course of this story line the character of Red Skull's daughter, Sin, was fleshed out. Brubaker takes his time developing his characters over the course of the arc, and it pays off by his delivering interesting well structured characters instead of the clichés and caricatures of villains running around in a lot of other comics.
Final Word: This comic is moving in a new direction next month, and I cannot wait to see what Brubaker and company have in store for us as this past story arc was nothing short of brilliant.
Mark J. Hayman Oh well, better luck next time, Skull. Wait, you didn't think he was going to win, did you? Maybe pull a fourth down end-around on Bucky, dive for the endzone, and have America eating out of his hands starting the day after his political puppet took the oath of office? Silly wabbit. Maybe on Earth-90210, but not in the "real" world.
This will have to be brief for the simple reason that by now you're probably familiar with the Dynamic Duo of Brubaker and Epting, who walk on water, hand in hand, on a daily basis in the eyes of their fans, and not without justification.
The amazing thing is that, even if you haven't been reading Cap on a regular basis, you can drop into the series with this final chapter, which takes place in the middle of a still larger story, and, like, totally get it. That's always (well, mostly always) been the golden rule among mainstream superhero books; the ability to pick up any individual issue and know who's who and what's going on. In the past this has been achieved through extensive exposition and big, fat captions. Brubaker slices through the pork to serve up a nice, lean plate of chops while managing to make everything feel comfortable and familiar. Both aspiring writers and (some) working pros would do well to pay attention to his style.
If there's a quibble it's the leaping back and forth between settings (and illustrators). You might think that the opposite would be true - having a series of cliffhangers and resolutions in the same story, a device employed by many television writers, seems like a recipe for increasing tension - but I find so many interruptions has the effect of robbing some scenes of tension. With so many characters in play and such an entwined plot, I suppose it's a necessary evil, just not a happy one.
What does help is pairing two of the oldest, creepiest, craziest villains in Marvel lore and having them act their parts. Zola always seems so reasonable, but one doesn't need to peel away too many layers to reveal him for the evil whackjob that he is. The Red Skull, meanwhile, is perfectly in character when he takes the boots to the helpless Sharon. These are precisely the sort of individuals ready to childishly lash-out and kick an opponent when they're down. The Skull's fate is exactly as sick and twisted as he deserves, though one has to be concerned for the world at large once he comes to terms with having a stoplight for a head.
All in all we have a tight, straightforward, and for the most part gorgeously rendered action story uncluttered with "deep meaning" (Bucky's ongoing "weight of the world/I'm not worthy" schtick strives a wee bit too hard to achieve gravitas, but stops short of overbearing). Despite the T+ rating I'd be comfortable with a tween reading Cap; no doubt they'd be more interested in the face punching and explosions than the not terribly subtle political undertones, but if they were to learn something about the danger inherent in accepting anything, or anyone, at face value, all the better.
Probably the most curious thread left to dangle is the other, other Captain America. Though years of brainwashing will no doubt continue to undermine his mental stability, his apparent epiphany when coming upon Sharon Carter ("Please tell me... you... you're... one of... the good guys now... Right?") has him wandering the streets of Manhattan in search of meaning. That the meaning for which he's searching is informed by a desire to return America to a WWII-era (or earlier) society marks him with the always dangerous combination of loud righteousness and quiet zealotry. Bucky will have his hands full with this one.
Kevin Powers: Ed Brubaker's epic multi-arc/act story "The Death of Captain America" reaches its conclusion this week and as usual, I'm here to let you know that this is yet another superb issue for Brubaker and company. Bucky's journey into the identity of Captain America comes full circle in this issue, and whether you like him as Cap or not, there's no denying how fantastic this series has been. In fact, I'm just going to come right out and say it: the conclusion to "The Death of Captain America" is just about the best, most satisfying and positive conclusions to a story-arc in years. I knew Steve Rogers wasn't coming back so that doesn't have an effect on that statement, but Brubaker closes out this epic brilliantly. I have reviewed every issue of this epic dating back to issue #25, the first issue of the series I reviewed a month after joining Comics Bulletin when it was still Silver Bullet Comic Books. I can assuredly say that I have read, reviewed and collected one of the greatest comic book stories ever.
Because I'm joined by some of my CB colleagues in reviewing this issue, I'll keep my take regarding this issue on the shorter side, considering you've been reading what I've had to say about this series for months and I've done nothing but praise it. And yes, I will continue to praise this epic story-arc which comes to the perfect conclusion with this issue. Not only does Bucky-Cap save the day and officially go public as Captain America, but every major character involved in this arc finds some sort of conclusion. There's nothing left hanging, nothing left to the imagination, just open-ended possibilities for these characters and when a writer creates a set-up like that, I can't help but get excited for what's to come.
Perhaps even more than Bucky, the true fighter of this issue is Sharon Carter. She's been through hell this entire series, yet she still stands against the Red Skull, Lukin and Zola and makes sure she survives in one piece.
The action in this issue is non-stop. It's exciting, edge of your seat type stuff that can sometimes be difficult to pull off in comics. Bucky does whatever he has to do, even willing to sacrifice himself, to save the Presidential candidates from Sin's attack. Bucky may never truly be Captain America to many, but Brubaker highlights a selflessness in Bucky that is only rivaled by his mentor. While I would have liked to see Bucky vs. the Red Skull, it makes sense that Bucky takes on Sin. Bucky, the "son" of Captain America against Sin, the daughter of the Red Skull, is a much more fitting rivalry, and it also creates a solid and fresh antagonist for Bucky. Bucky has to live up to the idea of Captain America for the time being. It's something that he is ready to try to do, and he's got his former lover, the Black Widow, by his side. I think this has the potential to be a solid team-up in the issues to come, and I love the way the Black Widow plays the "political" card with Senator Wright towards the end of this issue.
Perhaps the most intriguing character conclusion of this arc is that of the Red Skull. I love the ending of this issue and the implications for the Red Skull. It also creates the sense that while Brubaker is going to explore Bucky's past while he carries on Steve Rogers' legacy, the Red Skull will indeed be lurking in the shadows.
Believe it or not, this issue presents the BEST artwork of this entire series. That's quite the statement considering the collective efforts of Mike Perkins, Steve Epting and Butch Guice throughout this epic series has been top notch. Maybe because it was the last issue of the "Death of Captain America" epic, or maybe it was just everything "clicking," but the pencils of Epting and Luke Ross as well as the inks of Epting, Fabio Laguna and Rick Magyar meshed perfectly with the always consistently solid colors of Frank D’Armata. The action scenes are breath-taking, the characters are consistent and the backgrounds are realistic and solid. Those who have read my columns or have seen my cadre of past weekly reviews know, my weekly comic book stack is HUGE and every book that I am going to read this week has a lot to live up to. Both the storytelling in words and art had my pulse-pounding, the suspense was there, depicted primarily through the stellar artwork and every major player in this epic, with the exception of Steve Rogers, found a satisfying conclusion that also left future possibilities wide open.
Brubaker has a daunting task ahead of him. Most people I talk to are just counting down the days until Steve Rogers returns. However, those same people, me included, absolutely love what Brubaker has done with this series and are welcoming the continued exploration into Bucky's new status quo. With that said, Brubaker sets up quite a few plot points that are sure to be explored in the time until Steve Rogers inevitably returns. And as I've said over and over, so long as Brubaker maintains the same quality storytelling and action-packed sequences that have been a highlight of his entire run, I'll be right here happily along for the ride. And next month, come on back and join me again when I take on Brubaker and Bucky's first issue post-"Death of Captain America."
What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!