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Post by Shiryu on Feb 20, 2009 17:31:23 GMT -5
As Dlw's and others have suggested, to decrease the workload on the servers and avoid burying old topics too quickly, we should compress all the web reviews (IGN, Newsarama etc) in a single topic in each section. So from now on, we should post all the ones about Cap here only, ok? EDIT: To help everyone find what he wants when this topics became big, a good index is in order. Page 1: Cap 47 review (IGN)
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Post by goldenfist on Feb 26, 2009 10:22:32 GMT -5
Here's what Ign.com thought about Captain America #47.
Captain America is the rock of my pull list. It's the one series that, no matter what all-encompassing event is currently swallowing up the rest of the Marvel Universe, I can count on to deliver the same quality of goods month in and month out. There aren't many DC or Marvel books you can say that about, but Captain America is one of them. It may not be the best or most mind blowing book of any given week or month, but it almost always dishes out a heaping serving of entertainment. It's just Ed Brubaker, his team of very capable of artists, his brand of character-driven espionage stories and his endlessly fascinating new protagonist. And really, what else do you need?
It's tough to come up with new ways to praise a book like Captain America. The series is a well-oiled machine in every positive way, with Brubaker and his artistic co-conspirators churning out one enjoyable adventure after another by adhering to their tried and true formula: dip deep into the murky past of Captain America (be it Steve Rogers or Bucky Barnes) to add dramatic weight to a villain's scheme, pepper in tons of explosive action, and keep the focus first and foremost on the personalities of the book's rich cast. So far, it's worked every time, and who am I to argue with an effective blueprint?
And although I have no interest in rehashing my old arguments for why Bucky makes such a fantastic new Captain America, I will say this: though I long ago accepted him with open arms as the new Cap, Brubaker somehow keeps finding new ways to make me realize just how awesome it is to have a guilt-ridden former assassin operating in the role once occupied by Steve Rogers. The complexity of Bucky's character takes center stage in this issue, with his former and current lives crashing together during his attempt to thwart the evil Professor Zhang Chin from harnessing the original Human Torch's powers for his own nefarious means. Bucky's guilt at having once conducted the Winter Soldier's brand of deadly covert ops leads him to make some brash and ultimately stupid decisions in this issue, and the way Brubaker uses the Black Widow as a window into Bucky's thought process is another example of his talent for brilliant characterization.
And if watching Bucky re-don the Winter Soldier garb and mow down Chinese soldiers wasn't cool enough for you, the issue also features Namor in a significant role, and Brubaker does a fantastic job squeezing all the expected and always enjoyable arrogance out of the Sub-Mariner's personality. Coupled with Butch Guice's kinetic action sequences and moody atmosphere, Brubaker script sings along from the explosive opening to the jaw-dropping finale.
Like I said, Captain America is the rock of my pull list.
Review Score: 8.5 Great
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steed
Reservist Avenger
Posts: 215
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Post by steed on Mar 15, 2009 0:21:29 GMT -5
I really don't care what ING or any of the other sites out there said. What did you think of it? What is your opinion. If I want to read ING, I'll go to their site. Tell me what you think. Start a conversation. Your opinion can't be worse than mine but please stop dumping ING on us. If I want to see their opinion, I'll go there. I honestly believe that there is no one out there who would say anything bad to you. I come here to see what other Avengers fans are saying. I respect it, but I really don't care what some prepackaged site who is obviously in bed with Marvel says. If Marvel stinks and is causing the end or the world as we know it, do you think ING is gonna report it? So, here are a couple of direct questions: please don't consult ING. What do think of Iron Man? What do you think of the death of Cap? Does Bucky being alive make any sense to you? Does Norman Osborn being in charge of the Avengers make any sense to you? Does Norman Osborne being alive make any sense to you? Does Iron Man and Reed Richards making a clone of Thor make any sense to you? This doesn't go out to Captain ING, it goes out to all of you Avenger Fans. Does any of this make any sense to you? Have you read the latest FF? Another world where Reed transported one world to another. Reed has made some kind of matrix where he can contact other worlds to see what works and what doesn't. Civil War? Did any of that make any sense to you? I'm still trying to figure out the Skrulls. Their big secret weapon was the Wasp? And Mockingbird is still alive? I sometimes think that Marvel could tell all it's fans that the sky is purple and we would be the first in line to buy the glasses to make it so. And by the way, search all you like but ING won't be printing this.
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Post by spiderwasp on Mar 15, 2009 21:39:01 GMT -5
I will be addressing some of your questions, steed, in my new thread on ruined characters.
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Post by goldenfist on Mar 23, 2009 8:20:36 GMT -5
Captain America #48 Preview Marvel has released a preview of this week's Captain America #48 by Ed Brubaker and Butch Guice. The solicitation for the issue reads: The New Captain America faces the crimes of his past as the Winter Soldier as the Sub-Mariner and the Black Widow struggle to stop a new foe from unleashing a deadly attack on the world! By the best-selling Eisner, Harvey and Eagle award-winning writer Ed Brubaker and artist Butch Guice. www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album_view.php?gid=922Click on the link to see the previews.
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Post by goldenfist on Mar 25, 2009 9:29:10 GMT -5
CAPTAIN AMERICA #600 Cover Written by ED BRUBAKER with MARK WAID, ROGER STERN & OTHERS Pencils by BUTCH GUICE, LUKE ROSS, DALE EAGLESHAM & OTHERS Cover by STEVE EPTING 50/50 Cover by ALEX ROSS Where were you when Captain America died? It's the anniversary of the day Steve Rogers was killed, a day of reflection and mourning in the Marvel U...a time to look back on the things Steve did and what he stood for... or is this issue actually the beginning of the most wicked plot twist since issue 25? Yeah, actually it's both. Plus, contributions from Cap creators past and present, including a very special essay by Joe Simon, a classic story from Cap’s Golden Age, a full gallery of 600 Cap covers, and more anniversary shenanigans than you can shake a shield at! i.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/june09/15_captain_america_600.jpgi.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/june09/cap600ross.jpg
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Post by goldenfist on Mar 25, 2009 9:30:25 GMT -5
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: CAPTAIN AMERICA Cover Written by JOHN RHETT THOMAS Cover by LUKE ROSS A milestone 600th issue is worthy of a special issue of SPOTLIGHT no matter what the title. But when it's CAPTAIN AMERICA? We're gonna rock and roll with a SPOTLIGHT that's full of as much red, white and blue shield-slingin' surprises as we can! First up is an exclusive interview with the creative team ushering in this august occasion: Ed Brubaker, Butch Guice and Luke Ross — three luminaries who have been letting their Cap flags fly! On top of that, we'll have coverage of some of the great Cap artists of all time, including 600th-issue cover artists Steve Epting and Alex Ross. We promise you'll be just as thrilled to read this as we will be to put it together! Remember: Cap's history is America's history! So join the SPOTLIGHT team as we take a look back and to the future with America's most patriotic hero! i.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/june09/73_marvel_spotlight_1_captain_america.jpg
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Post by goldenfist on Mar 25, 2009 9:35:28 GMT -5
FALLEN SON: THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA HC Written by JEPH LOEB Penciled by JOHN CASSADAY, DAVID FINCH, ED MCGUINNESS, JOHN ROMITA JR. & LEINIL FRANCIS YU All New Cover by ED MCGUINESS Where were you when Captain America died? Perhaps you were listening to the radio or reading the morning paper. Maybe you were surfing the web or on the phone with a friend. You were probably shocked, most likely thinking, "How could this happen to Cap?” And for a moment, you perhaps thought about all the ways the super soldier meant something to you. Something very real, very abiding. Fallen Son: Death of Captain America follows the reaction of the legendary heroes' best friends and closest comrades as they struggle to work through the emotions stirred by the loss of their ally, and the stages of grief that make them confront the part they may have played in that loss. This is their story. This is Cap’s story. This is our story. The story of a Fallen Son and the world he helped make a better place. Plus, this edition also includes tons of never-before-seen extras! Collecting FALLEN SON: WOLVERINE, AVENGERS, CAPTAIN AMERICA, SPIDER-MAN and IRON MAN; and CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1 plus extras from MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: CAPTAIN AMERICA REMEMBERED and the OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE. i.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/june09/46_fallen_son__the_death_of_captain_america.jpg
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Post by goldenfist on Mar 25, 2009 9:36:11 GMT -5
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE MAN WITH NO FACE PREMIERE HC Written by ED BRUBAKER Penciled by LUKE ROSS, STEVE EPTING & BUTCH GUICE Cover by STEVE EPTING Bucky has survived his first major trial as the new Captain America, but now a villain from his past - both as Bucky in WW2 and as the Winter Soldier during the Cold War - has come to the U.S. and he'll have to face his history just as he's finding his feet in the present. The beginning of a gripping war and espionage tale, with some familiar faces for long-term Cap readers, as the New Captain America moves further into the Marvel U. Plus, can Bucky and Prince Namor team up to save the memory of an old comrade-in-arms as Cold War crimes come back to haunt the Winter Soldier? Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA #43-49. i.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/june09/17_captain_america__the_man_with_no_face.jpg
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Post by goldenfist on Mar 25, 2009 9:41:11 GMT -5
CAPTAIN AMERICA: FIGHTING CHANCE VOL. 1 TPB Written by MARK GRUENWALD Penciled by DAVE HOOVER Cover by DAVE HOOVER Old soldiers never die — they just wear themselves out! To Super-Patriot, Cap's a rival. To Americop, he's a relic. But newcomer vigilantes are the least of the Sentinel of Liberty's concerns when Cap learns his enhanced physique is shutting down on him! His choice: retire from action or die in it. But while masterminds devise and dead villains rise, that's no choice at all for the Living Legend! Can Cap’s friends dissuade him from setting the world's safety above his own? Featuring Giant-Man, the Falcon and the Black Widow! Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA #425-430. i.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/june09/16_captain_america__fighting_chance_vol__1_tpb.jpg
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Post by goldenfist on Mar 30, 2009 8:22:36 GMT -5
Preview: Captain America Comics 70th Anniversary Special Marvel has released a preview of this week's Captain America Comics 70th Anniversary Special by James Robinson and Marcos Martin. The solicitation for the issue reads: Leading off a series of celebratory specials commemorating Marvel’s 70th Anniversary, James (STARMAN, SUPERMAN) Robinson and Marcos (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) Martin bring you an untold story of the living legend. In the days before he becomes Captain America, a scrawny kid from Brooklyn named Steve Rogers shows the world that you don’t need a super-soldier serum to be a hero. Plus a classic Captain America tale from the Golden Age by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Click on the link to see the previews www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album_view.php?gid=935
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Post by redstatecap on Apr 4, 2009 1:21:17 GMT -5
Zzzzzzzzzzzz................*snort*...........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz............
Wake me up when "captain america" features Captain America.
RSC
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Post by Shiryu on Apr 7, 2009 19:12:33 GMT -5
Zzzzzzzzzzzz................*snort*...........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz............ Wake me up when "captain america" features Captain America. RSC You could find this both interesting and depressing www.newsarama.com/comics/040907-Cap-Return-Poll.htmlThe interesting part are the "hints" at the end of the article. The depressing one the poll results so far
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Post by redstatecap on Apr 11, 2009 2:35:54 GMT -5
It doesn't bother me, because I understand that the set of people voting in polls like these is largely the same set of people who are purchasing Marvel's product. It's also very, very common on comic message boards for the people who are dissasstisfied with what's going to get shouted down or banned. And, IMO, the largest set of unrepresented fans is the set who simply walk away and don't look back when faced with something they can't abide. Marvel is doing what they will do, and I'm not coming back. Simple as that. RSC
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Post by goldenfist on Apr 14, 2009 8:58:43 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Apr 21, 2009 11:06:02 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Apr 21, 2009 11:19:26 GMT -5
CAPTAIN AMERICA #601 Written by ED BRUBAKER Pencils and Cover by GENE COLAN 70th Anniversary Variant by MARKO DJURDJEVIC *Black & White Variant Also Available! A special double-sized issue featuring art by the legendary Gene Colan! Bucky and Nick Fury uncover a lost tale from Cap and Bucky's days in WW2 - a tale of horror and war and brothers-in-arms. www.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/july2009/19_captain_america_601.jpg
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Post by goldenfist on Apr 21, 2009 11:30:38 GMT -5
CAPTAIN AMERICA: FIGHTING CHANCE VOL. 2 TPB Written by MARK GRUENWALD Penciled by DAVE HOOVER & DARIO CARRASCO Cover by DAVE HOOVER After two eras spent protecting the world, Captain America has wrung almost all the power he can out of the Super-Soldier Serum — but menaces like the Red Skull, Baron Zemo and the Serpent Society guarantee he'll go down fighting! And this time, he may go down for good. Will the shield finally yield? Guest-starring the Avengers and introducing Free Spirit and Jack Flag! Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA #431-437. www.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/july2009/22_captain_america__fighting_chance_vol__2_tpb.jpg
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Post by sharkar on Apr 21, 2009 23:07:53 GMT -5
CAPTAIN AMERICA #601 Written by ED BRUBAKER Pencils and Cover by GENE COLAN 70th Anniversary Variant by MARKO DJURDJEVIC *Black & White Variant Also Available! A special double-sized issue featuring art by the legendary Gene Colan! Bucky and Nick Fury uncover a lost tale from Cap and Bucky's days in WW2 - a tale of horror and war and brothers-in-arms. www.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/july2009/19_captain_america_601.jpgThis is scheduled for July and I can't wait...Gene the Dean has always been one of my favorite artists, even though it took me a while to recognize his strengths. His work is just so singular, and it doesn't seem to matter who inks him, his pencils aren't ever submerged, even when he's inked by strong, distinctive inkers like Sinnott or Palmer (both of whom can overpower other pencilers). I must admit, back when I first started reading Marvel, Gene was an acquired taste for me. While I recall liking his work on the one-shot Medusa story in Marvel Super-Heroes #15, his later work in Avengers #63-65 struck me as messy, strange and unclassical (well, following the Buscema-Klein team, anyone's art would tend to look "unclassical!"). It took me a while before I could appreciate him, as he was definitely not in the "accessible" Kirby or Swan or Buscema mold. A while ago I picked up the Tribute to Gene Colan one-shot comic. It contains a small but interesting sample of some of his work: Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Dr. Doom, a Tomb of Dracula story, and the well-known Daredevil story "Brother, Take My Hand" (which I'd not read before). Highly recommended for Colan fans.
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Post by goldenfist on Apr 27, 2009 22:29:22 GMT -5
Was there a character in the old Captain America comics who went by the name of Electro before the Spider-Man villain Electro came along.
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Post by redstatecap on Apr 28, 2009 0:58:01 GMT -5
CAPTAIN AMERICA #601 Written by ED BRUBAKER Pencils and Cover by GENE COLAN 70th Anniversary Variant by MARKO DJURDJEVIC *Black & White Variant Also Available! A special double-sized issue featuring art by the legendary Gene Colan! Bucky and Nick Fury uncover a lost tale from Cap and Bucky's days in WW2 - a tale of horror and war and brothers-in-arms. www.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/july2009/19_captain_america_601.jpgThis is scheduled for July and I can't wait...Gene the Dean has always been one of my favorite artists, even though it took me a while to recognize his strengths. His work is just so singular, and it doesn't seem to matter who inks him, his pencils aren't ever submerged, even when he's inked by strong, distinctive inkers like Sinnott or Palmer (both of whom can overpower other pencilers). I must admit, back when I first started reading Marvel, Gene was an acquired taste for me. While I recall liking his work on the one-shot Medusa story in Marvel Super-Heroes #15, his later work in Avengers #63-65 struck me as messy, strange and unclassical (well, following the Buscema-Klein team, anyone's art would tend to look "unclassical!"). It took me a while before I could appreciate him, as he was definitely not in the "accessible" Kirby or Swan or Buscema mold. A while ago I picked up the Tribute to Gene Colan one-shot comic. It contains a small but interesting sample of some of his work: Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Dr. Doom, a Tomb of Dracula story, and the well-known Daredevil story "Brother, Take My Hand" (which I'd not read before). Highly recommended for Colan fans. I might actually break my ban on Marvel products to buy this issue. Not to support the current writer, or the direction that Marvel has taken the book, or to pick up a comic I speculate will be valuable -- but to support Gene Colan and others like him. RSC
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Post by sharkar on May 17, 2009 15:37:39 GMT -5
Was there a character in the old Captain America comics who went by the name of Electro before the Spider-Man villain Electro came along. Sorry I didn't get to this sooner, goldenfist. The answer is yes, there was an Electro, in Captain America #78 (art by John Romita Sr.!). He's the green-skinned guy who's holding Bucky hostage.
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Post by goldenfist on May 18, 2009 14:34:55 GMT -5
Thanks Sharkar CAPTAIN AMERICA THEATER OF WAR: TO SOLDIER ON Written by PAUL JENKINS Penciled by FERNANDO BLANCO Cover by PHIL NOTO During the battle for Baghdad at the height of the Gulf War, a young Army sergeant witnesses first hand the heroism of a United States super soldier. But a life-altering event will lead him to question the very person he had idolized. Can the symbol of America’s military might understand the plight of an ordinary soldier who has paid an unimaginable price? i.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/aug09/17_captain_america_theater_of_war__to_soldier_on_1.jpg
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Post by goldenfist on May 20, 2009 11:46:08 GMT -5
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA OMNIBUS HC Written by ED BRUBAKER Penciled by STEVE EPTING, MIKE PERKINS, BUTCH GUICE, ROBERTO DE LA TORRE & LUKE ROSS Cover by STEVE EPTING Leaping from the final pages of Civil War, this is the story that stunned readers, sent shockwaves through the entire Marvel Universe and made news headlines worldwide! And the death of Captain America is only the beginning! In the aftermath of the fabled hero’s assassination, Agent 13, Bucky Barnes, the Falcon, Black Widow and Iron Man come together again in a desperate attempt to keep his dream alive. But the collapse of Steve Rogers’ dream was merely the first step in the wicked machinations of the Red Skull, who is determined to see the death of America follow soon after the death of the Captain. As the Skull's master plan kicks into motion, and chaos begins to take hold of the United States, only one man stands in its way – but is he up to the task? Freed from the psychosis that transformed him into the relentless mercenary known as the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes is called on to live up to the dream in ways he never imagined. Eisner Award-winning writer Ed Brubaker refuses to let up on the action, suspense and human drama in a tale of suspense that ties together all eras of the star-spangled warrior’s history! Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA #25-42. i.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/aug09/capdeathof_omni.jpg
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Post by goldenfist on May 26, 2009 12:02:48 GMT -5
Captain America #600 Preview With a little under a month to go until it hits stores, Marvel Comics has released a preview of Captain America #600, featuring a variety of creators. Marvel's PR for the preview reads: It’s the historic Captain America issue you’ve been waiting for as Eisner-winning writer Ed Brubaker teams up with a group of red hot artists like Butch Guice, Steve Epting, and many more to bring you the extra-sized Captain America #600! It’s the anniversary of the day Captain America died, as the Marvel Universe reflects—and the next jaw dropping chapter in the Captain America mythos begins! Plus, writers Mark Waid and Roger Stern join Brubaker to bring you over 60 pages of all new stories, plus select reprints featuring the work of Stan Lee and a Captain America cover gallery! And just who is the girl without a world? What’s her connection to Captain America? With covers by superstars Alex Ross and Steve Epting, no Captain America fan can miss this issue! Wondering what’s in store for Bucky Barnes and crew? Find out in Captain America #600! CAPTAIN AMERICA #600 (APR090492) Written by ED BRUBAKER with MARK WAID, ROGER STERN & STAN LEE Pencils by BUTCH GUICE, LUKE ROSS, DALE EAGLESHAM, AL AVISION, HOWARD CHAYKIN, DAVID AJA, RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE & KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY Cover by STEVE EPTING 50/50 Cover by ALEX ROSS Click on the link to see the previews www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album_view.php?gid=1065
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Post by goldenfist on Jun 2, 2009 20:36:13 GMT -5
The Hubbub Over Captain America #600
As word has been making the rounds, Marvel is experimenting with breaking the whole “new comics day” of Wednesday with this month’s Captain America #600.
According to communication to retailers via Diamond, Marvel has announced that retailers may request direct-shipping of issue #600 (via their Diamond sales rep by June 5th) in order to receive the issue on Monday, June 15th, rather than on Wednesday, June 17th when copies that go through regular shipping would normally arrive.
Retailers will be responsible for the additional freight charges, and as a result, may put the copies of the issue up for sale on Monday, June 15th or Tuesday, June 16th – the first time (barring holiday changes to shipping schedules) that a regular monthly comic from one of the major publishers has gone on sale in the Direct Market on a day other than a Wednesday in over ten years.
So – why?
The solicitation for the issue itself isn’t exactly subtle about it. In part, the solicitation text reads:
Where were you when Captain America died? It's the anniversary of the day Steve Rogers was killed, a day of reflection and mourning in the Marvel U...a time to look back on the things Steve did and what he stood for... or is this issue actually the beginning of the most wicked plot twist since issue 25? Yeah, actually it's both.
Captain America #25, of course, is the issue in which Steve Rogers was killed.
Speculation is tending to zero in on hints being laid in Captain America #600 that will explain or lead into the five issue Reborn miniseries by Ed Brubaker and Bryan Hitch. According to Marvel, Reborn will be receiving national press on June 15th, or rather, is scheduled to receive national press on June 15th, pending a relatively quiet news cycle, as noted by prominent retailer Brian Hibbs, who pointed out that a major event could possibly push a pre-placed newspaper story about Reborn off a day or more.
And what is Reborn about?
That’s the question – though there seemingly have been hints (the title, the image released, the writer) that the original Captain America may be returning to the land of the living. However, Marvel’s not saying, rather it’s telling retailers and fans that Reborn will "be receiving nationwide press... possibly on par with the media coverage we received during Civil War.”
While some retailers are ordering heavily on Reborn, and did the same on Captain America #600, others, such as Hibbs are pointing out problems that they see with Marvel’s plans and more importantly, the notification. As some retailers have reported, and Newsarama has confirmed, the news of the Captain America #600 direct-ship (and potential media hubbub) came one Thursday, May 28th, the Final Order Cutoff (FOC) date for Captain America #600. However, May 28th was also the day comic shops received new books, due to the one-day delay of books thanks to the Memorial Day holiday. Additionally, according to reports to Newsarama from retailers, Diamond’s retailer website listed Captain America #600 as “sold out” on the 28th, meaning orders for the title have already exceeded the print run, or planned print run.
With history as an indicator, Marvel will certainly go to a “second printing” of Captain America #600, but again, historically, “second printings” usually ship at least a week after the first printings, and thus, the second prints of Captain America #600 would miss the June 15th announcement.
One change that has happend in all of this is that Marvel has moved the FOC for Reborn #1 to a week later than the normal date of June 11th, a move which will allow retailers to order the issue based on the response to the June 15th announcement or reveal, which will most likely coincide with the release of the solicitation information for Reborn #1 from Marvel.
The thing is – given the timing of the June 15th on-sale date of Captain America #600 (and most likely news in the mainstream media), and the fact that Reborn #1 doesn’t hit until July 1st, it seems most likely that Captain America #600 is the main target or subject of the news that’s coming, as historically, both Marvel and DC have opted “day-of” coverage for major story reveals in the mainstream media, that is, the story is in the press the day the comic hits comic shops. Of course then, pushing Captain America #600’s street date back to the 15th does lead to the question of how it all happened, and how much of the changed street date was Marvel’s choice, or whether the outlet influenced the move which suggests that the news may come in an outlet that hits on Mondays (such as a weekly news magazine), an outlet that perhaps has guests scheduled weeks or months in advance, or an outlet that could tell Marvel that if they want “day of” coverage, they need to change their release schedule.
And speaking of the “day of” aspect of this – the move, while it does have its problems, as retailers have pointed out, seems to be perhaps, addressing the issue of “day of” sales spikes and a quick return of sales to normal, which is the usual model. For example, Amazing Spider-Man #583, the issue which featured a guest apeparance by President Barack Obama reportedly sold over a half million copies, but sales of Amazing Spider-Man #584 were back to normal.
With a media push to get more casual customers in stores in June for something about Captain America, Marvel has something that’s been somewhat lacking in previous “day of” media events, which is follow-through. Customers excited by Captain America #600 and driven to stores by the media can then be coaxed to return for the five-issue Reborn miniseries, which starts two weeks later. True, there will more than likely be issues with supply and demand, but regardless; it looks as if Captain America will cast a long shadow over the rest of 2009.
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Post by squidboy on Jun 2, 2009 23:23:18 GMT -5
I hope this is true, but I don't have much confidence. I have a bad feeling that it's all a publicity stunt without any real payoff. Hopefully I'm wrong.
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Doctor Bong
West Coast Avenger
Master of Belly Dancing (no, really...)!
Posts: 49
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Post by Doctor Bong on Jun 3, 2009 3:45:54 GMT -5
Hmm... it does seem counterintuitive that he would orchestrate this slow build-up of Bucky assuming, accepting and coming to terms with the role of Captain America only for Steve to show up again now... of course, I've read somewhere here that there is the possibility of Steve coming back AND not taking back the mantle of Captain America. Now that would be in tune with recent changes we've seen in certain established characters but, IMO, it would be even a bigger travesti than Pym calling himself the Wasp or Clint remaining Ronin and not taking back his Hawkeye persona. Perhaps I'm being too radical or narrow-minded but, in my estimation, I'd rather not see Steve Rogers come back than to see him alive again and not reclaim his Cap identity due to some prefabricated, disingenious "reasons".
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Post by goldenfist on Jun 23, 2009 11:04:59 GMT -5
Heroes Con '09: New Girl in Town - McKeever Talks Nomad
Sean McKeever's back writing for Marvel, and the Captain America universe has a new girl in town.
Nomad: Girl Without A World is a four-issue mini-series by McKeever that starts in September, picking up on the story of Rikki Barnes, the young girl who appeared in Captain America #600.
Her image has been advertised for a while now in teasers for Captain America #600 that ran in most Marvel Comics. While fans speculated about who this "female Bucky" could be, it turns out she's a teen hero from another earth, and her story will play out in her own mini-series this fall.
Remembered by some fans as the female Bucky who lived on an alternate earth created by Franklin Richards during Heroes Reborn, Rikki Barnes was recently transported to this earth during the Onslaught Reborn mini-series. Within the pages of Captain America #600, Rikki was shown befriending Patriot, having contacted him in a desire to meet the new Cap.
While giving the character her own mini-series is unexpected, the announcement that McKeever is writing it adds to the surprise, since many fans assumed he was still a DC exclusive writer. But selecting McKeever to write a story about a teen female hero fits his resume, the writer having established himself on teen characters in series like The Waiting Place, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane and Teen Titans.
Newsarama talked to McKeever to find out more about the Nomad mini-series and why he chose to return to Marvel for this project.
Newsarama: Let's start out by doing a little history lesson for people. Who is this new Nomad?
Sean McKeever: The new female Nomad is the old female Bucky, Rikki Barnes, who people may recall from Heroes Reborn back in the '90s. She's from a different earth altogether. Due to the events of Onslaught Reborn, she's now on the 616 mainstream earth. It's very much like her world, yet different in a great many ways. For example, on this earth, the Captain America she knows is dead. And her family as she knew it is not the same. The place where she used to live doesn't exist. It all makes her feel like she doesn't belong. So she's the girl without a world.
NRAMA: If a reader isn't familiar with Heroes Reborn, will this mini-series still make sense?
SM: In the first issue, you will find out everything you need to know in a very non-expositional way. That was important to me. I know a lot of people are going to be coming to this character fresh. So we're putting the back story out there in a way that is understandable but doesn't get into all the minutia of how she got here or where she's from and all those little continuity bits. If people do want to go back and find that stuff, it's out there in trades.
NRAMA: OK, we know who she was, and we know what she finds when she gets here. Who is she going forward?
SM: It's a big question mark for her right now. What she's trying to do is make her life on this earth as much like the other earth as she can, in certain sense, so that she feels like she's a little more grounded. She doesn't want to become lost in this world that she understands but doesn't know. She's set up a false identity for herself, and she's going to high school because she's found a school where her brother goes to school. It's this earth's version of her brother. So it's not quite the same guy, and we'll explore that in the mini-series -- what her brother was like in her world and what he's like here.
And she also desperately wants to meet Captain America. In Captain America #600, we saw that she wants to meet Cap, and Patriot tells her, well, you're not going to be his sidekick. And he doesn't exactly want to see a Bucky right now.
So those are the two main things. She is operating as Bucky on this earth and desperately trying to meet Captain America, not knowing that he is Bucky Barnes, and she's spending time getting to know her brother on this earth.
NRAMA: And obviously, she's aware that Steve Rogers was killed.
SM: Yeah. At the end of Onslaught Reborn, what made her realize she wasn't in her own world anymore was that she saw the old newspapers about Cap's assassination after Civil War. So she knows that there's another guy running around as Captain America and she'd really like to meet him.
NRAMA: What's she like as a person?
SM: She's a high schooler. She's a dancer. She was accepted to Julliard, but wound up not going because of the events that turned her into Bucky. She's resilient and plucky, and very thoughtful. We'll explain in the mini-series what turned her into Bucky, but basically, her brother got in with some neo-Nazis and became a skinhead working for the Red Skull, and her brother nearly had Bucky killed. And it was in her rescue by Captain America that she proved herself as a strong hero with strong convictions and fighting prowess. Obviously, she's very acrobatic because of her dance history. She became trained by SHIELD and became Cap's partner.
NRAMA: This writing gig for you will come as a surprise to many of your fans, who are probably still under the impression that you're DC exclusive. Was it your decision to end that exclusive?
SM: Yeah, I was offered an exclusive renewal for DC for a couple of years, but I ultimately turned it down because I just felt, at this point in my career, it would be nice to open up some possibilities. I had a great time at DC, but now it's time to see what else is out there. And obviously, one of the things I wanted to do was head back to the House of Ideas and say, "Hi, how you doing? What's going on?" [laughs] This Nomad mini-series came out of that contact.
NRAMA: Was the Nomad series something you pitched?
SM: It was from an idea that Tom Brevoort had, based off the Captain America #600 script. He felt like this was an opportunity, and that Brubaker was setting her up to become the new Nomad. And it was worthy of its own mini-series. And he felt that I was the guy for the job.
NRAMA: She's a teen female.
SM: I know where you're going. [laughs]
NRAMA: Well, Sean, one of the things you left behind at Marvel was a teen female comic. Was this something you wanted to get back to? Or were you pigeonholed unwillingly?
SM: I'm in a position now where the things I want to write are going to be the things that make me happy to write. And it does make me happy to write this. I'm enjoying it a great deal. I think that because it's a book that's a spin-off of Captain America, off of Brubaker's run on Captain America. There's an opportunity to add a little grit to it. And doing a mini-series with one character. After Teen Titans and Terror Titans and Birds of Prey, which was a lot of team stuff, it's nice to write one character with an internal narrative. So I'm finding it enjoyable in a great number of ways, and it's not to do with the fact that she's a teen girl.
NRAMA: So is this Nomad mini-series going to be a teen drama, or is that "grit" you talked about from Captain America going to make it more like that comic?
SM: It's not going to focus largely on her school life. It will have her school in it, but that's because the main plot has to do with something that's happening in her school. But her story will be told by way of Captain America, as written by Brubaker. So she's plucky and there's high school, but she's also tough. There's going to be grit, but there's going to be some relationship stuff and emotions. It's a character-driven story.
NRAMA: There have been a lot of teaser ads for the Nomad mini-series. Has that surprised you?
SM: Yeah, it's cool to see all those teaser ads for Cap #600 in the books, because I know they're doing that to push the mini-series. It is a really nice feeling. It sounds like Joe and Tom have a lot of confidence in the potential for this to be, while maybe not an ongoing series, but to be a continuing series of mini-series, at least.
NRAMA: Do you have anything else coming up at Marvel or anywhere else that you can tell us about?
SM: I have the Ravager co-feature in Teen Titans that is just starting now. And I've got another little treat at Marvel right now, and then there are a couple of other things I'm talking to various publishers about, including DC. But a lot is in the early stages and can't be announced yet.
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Post by goldenfist on Jul 8, 2009 22:07:30 GMT -5
The Roots of Reborn: Ed Brubaker on the Return of Cap
Last week, Ed Brubaker began telling a story he started three years ago.
Okay, that’s a rather dramatic way to say that Captain America: Reborn #1 by Brubaker, Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice hit comic shops, and promises, by virtue of its title, to bring Steve Rogers, the original Captain America back into the land of the living.
It’s rare in comics today that a writer gets to tell a long-term story that spans years of both real and “comic book” time, and Brubaker has spent his years on Captain America layering a complex story that centered on the death of Captain America.
We spoke with Brubaker to talk more about Reborn, it’s lengthy gestation, its nod to Vonnegut and more.
Newsarama: Ed, you've said that you had this story planned all along, since before issue #25, since back to when you began on the series. Really? So your original pitch went along the lines of, "And then, we 'kill' him, and let Bucky come in..." ?
Ed Brubaker: Well, this part of the story has been planned since I was working on issue #16 or so. The original pitch didn't go that far, just to the end of the big Winter Soldier storyline, and then had a bit of the Red Skull's Revenge plot, which is what we're still playing out, strangely enough.
As I've said in a few interviews already, when I heard about Civil War and went to my first Marvel summit and heard Millar's storyline and his ending beats, then I decided to tweak my Red Skull revenge storyline so it began with the Death of Cap. I can't claim for certain that killing Cap was my idea. I think it was, but there were a lot of people and ideas bouncing around in that room, and I do remember it being suggested that he get killed in Civil War #7, at one point.
But my original plan was to only have him be dead for six issues. It wasn't until after the story started being written that it just kept opening up and I kept seeing new possibilities. It wasn't originally my plan to have Bucky pick up the shield, but eventually it just felt like the next step in his path to redemption. Plus, Jeph Loeb kept saying "shouldn't somebody wear a Cap costume in Cap's book?"
NRAMA: Given that you've been writing for literally years now, and looking back, were there clues that you put in that you expected more people to pick up on? I remember back in one of our chats, I think it was mentioned that Doom's contraption looked a lot like a time platform, even though it wasn’t explicitly named...
EB: Yeah, everything I'm doing in Reborn is laid out here and there in the issues, from about issue #23 onward, actually. Even the WW2 annual I did with Javier and Marcos has a few crumbs in it at the end. The Doom/Skull pact, the device they're using in issue #42. Even calling Sharon "the constant" was way back then, in issues #41 and #42.
NRAMA: As we spoke about years back, Bucky's return happened around the same time as Jason Todd's return to Batman's world, and now, Cap's return seems to echo Batman's "death" and apparently his current predicament. Er...funny old world, ennit?
EB: Well, with the Judd thing, we spoke right when we each got those gigs, at Wonder Con that year, and both of us were like "I'm bringing back Jason Todd" "I'm bringing back Bucky!" at the same time, and then we laughed about it. We're old friends, so I was prepared for that. With the Batman thing, I honestly haven't read Final Crisis yet so I didn't know about it until Fraction told me the Batman thing at Heroes Con a few weeks ago (I'm a fan of Morrison's work, I just didn't get to that one yet, but I dig All Star Superman and his new Batman and Robin book).
But I wrote the Death of Cap almost three years ago, though, so I wasn't really worried since Batman's death was just a few months back.
NRAMA: Speaking of the Batman comparison, there are those who are saying that you're just ripping off Morrison's Final Crisis ideas for Batman, (even though we haven't seen Batman hopping through time, just living in a cave with another man - not that we're judging). But honestly, Cap's jumping had a more Vonnegut feel to me, as if Steve Rogers was Billy Pilgrim...given the war connections, we're you aiming towards a Slaughterhouse Five feel?
EB: Yeah, just like in last season's LOST, it's a nod or an homage to Vonnegut's time-slipping ideas in Slaughterhouse. The idea that time can be perceived differently, in a non-linear fashion, and your consciousness could slip around in your body throughout your life. I've been obsessed with that idea ever since I read that book as a kid. And it's something that seemed to fit perfectly with Steve Rogers being the whole "man out of time" of the Marvel Universe. It's an idea I've always wanted to do a riff on, and it gives me a way to bring him back while showing important and pivotal events from his life from a different perspective.
NRAMA: The "unstuck in time" or "slipping in time" idea has become a bit of a classic sci-fi idea, really, that a lot of people touch on...
EB: And I doubt it was originated by Vonnegut, even. I know Dick did it in Martian Time-Slip which was earlier, and I think Sturgeon did a story with someone skipping in time in their own body, too, but I can't remember it off the top of my head. And of course, most famously, it was riffed on in Watchmen with Doctor Manhattan. It's probably down to Einstein somehow.
And, not to get defensive here, but I would take issue with the use of the phrase "ripping off" though, because that's not how I think as a writer. I'm no more "ripping off" Final Crisis than they were "ripping off" Captain America when they killed Batman and made Robin the new Batman. It's just that both Morrison and I are doing big stories with big villains created by Jack Kirby in the ‘40s, ‘60s and ‘70s - Red Skull, Dr. Doom, Darkseid, Arnim Zola. These are all crazy science fiction characters created by a guy who practically invented what we all do. So it shouldn't be too much of a surprise if we end up doing a few stories that are at least on the surface, a bit similar. I don't think they'll ultimately be that similar, actually, since Batman is apparently in prehistoric times, while Cap is time-slipping through his own life.
But really, it's a bit insulting that anyone thinks me or Morrison or any other writer is looking at current comics or TV shows or movies that just came out and going "oh, I'm going to take that idea and do it!" If you're a professional writer, the ideas and stories that have influenced you are in your subconscious, or they're things you encountered in your formative years, which for me are long past.
NRAMA: Fair enough. We've talked many times about how you worked to keep your Cap run somewhat insulated from the rest of the Marvel Universe's twists and turns, but here, with perhaps the most important storyline since his death, the story is firmly ensconced in the present-day "Dark Reign" Marvel Universe. Was that your choice, or was it just deemed that it was time for Cap to interact a bit more with the larger universe?
EB: Actually, I've always dealt with the status quo of the rest of the Marvel U even when doing my own thing in the book. If Cap is in Avengers, I reference it. If Nick Fury is running SHIELD, he's in Cap. If Tony Stark or Maria Hill is running SHIELD, they're in Cap... so now, with Norman running the show, he of course has to appear in Cap. And I've got the entire Avengers living in Bucky's basement, so I have to use them, you know? And why would I not want to? How cool is it that the Avengers are living in Bucky's freaking basement?
NRAMA: True. Before we go on, let’s nail down some of the little details. You play Zola, I'll play Osborn. The gun Sharon wielded "froze" Steve in time and space...where?
EB: In his own body. He was killed, but frozen right there at that moment.
NRAMA: And Sharon's smashy-smashy with the machine is was cut him free, and no one (save us readers) know where he is?
EB: Yep.
NRAMA: But we saw a body! And Thor saw his spirit! What th-?
EB: See the first answer. The Thor thing, you never know what a god can do when talking to the dead, right? I just asked JMS to make sure he didn't say where or when Cap was, or something like that. I can't remember that much about it. I just gave that note and he did his own thing. I didn't realize he was having it be the one year anniversary until too late, or I'd have said something, because I knew I was using that in Cap #600.
NRAMA: Sharon's the "constant" so she's Steve's anchor? He'll come to her if she's out there like bait, in line with what Skull was doing with her and the platform?
EB: On this one, you'll have to wait and see - it's not the constant the way it is in LOST, though. I honestly forgot they used that word in that episode when I wrote issue #41 or #42 when I first called her that, and no one said anything at the time. But if anything, this story proves that when I make a plan, I stick to it, right?
NRAMA: (laughs) True, true. So what was Skull trying to do? He's tried it before, but seriously, if this was another of his "I'll put my mind inside his body" things, that's just getting a little creepy along the lines of "I want to be him" homoeroticism...
EB: It's all on the page in issue #42, man.
NRAMA: Meanwhile - how far and wide is Steve going ? Will he be going to his Tralfamadore? The year 1602?
EB: Maybe. I cannot tell you or it would spoil the story.
NRAMA: Why can't Skull just kill Cap? If this is all part of his plan, this is approaching Rube Goldberg levels of complexity, and I have this feeling that somewhere, in an AIM headquarters, there's a rocking chair and a cat is sleeping near it with its tail under the rocker that’s labeled “Plan B.”
EB: Yeah, he's definitely got issues with the guy. Still, he doesn't have a real body right now, so that's gotta affect your mental health, right?
NRAMA: What dog does Norman have in this race? Is he still smart and with it enough to realize that his tenuous hold on power may not survive Cap's return?
EB: Oh, he's got bigger plans than that here, as we'll learn in the next few issues.
NRAMA: And where are the Skull's people in all of this?
EB: You'll see in issue #2 of Reborn.
NRAMA: Finally, gut level, Ed, how does it feel to finally be getting this story out?
EB: It feels amazing, honestly. To finally be telling the story I plotted out three years ago -- which is something I should try more often. Ross Macdonald, who I consider one of my biggest influences, said he liked to plot out a story and let it sit for as long as possible until starting the manuscript, because the story keeps rattling around in your mind, and he's right about that. And now to be seeing the pages come in. Man...
Hitch inked by Guice is amazing. And one of Bryan's secret strengths is that you write a scene for him and he just takes it and runs -- he takes a small set and makes it a huge set. He takes a fight and adds 100 guys to it. He's a lunatic like that. You could almost just write - page 5 - 15 - big fight, good guys lose (or win) and let him do the entire thing, but that would be cheating.
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