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Post by scottharris on Jun 22, 2009 21:32:33 GMT -5
Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed Captain America #600. The little episodes with each of the main cast members were cool, and I liked how they came together to tell a unified story, even though this issue was mostly setup. When it ended so soon I thought, oh great, what are they going to stick in here as backups, but I was very happy with both of the backup stories. I liked how they both provided overviews of Cap's history while still telling their own stories. Usually I wish new comics had footnotes like old comics did, but in this case i think the footnotes would have been intrusive and disrupted the stories. Maybe end-notes like they used in Avengers Forever would be a good compromise in situations like this, where back issues are so explicitly referenced.
I also was happy that the reprint was a golden age story, since just about every decent silver age story has been reprinted 50 times already. I haven't gotten around to reading this golden age story but I'm glad to know it's something different.
As a completist I'm not necessarily happy about the renumbering; I love the fact they went back to the old numbering, but it also implies that all those past issues in the cover gallery have also been renumbered, meaning if I wanted to put together a complete run I'd have to get all the Marvel Knights issues and the Waid/Kubert run and stuff. Ah, well, whatever.
Very happy with this issue and the setup for Steve's return was well handled also, in my opinion. Good issue.
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Post by scottharris on Jun 23, 2009 2:16:36 GMT -5
To expand on my last thought, I specifically liked the setup of Cap's return in regards to the handling of the Red Skull. While it wasn't a huge issue for me, I did think it was a little odd that after all these years trying to defeat Cap in spirit, he would just have Cap shot like that. Skull has several times been shown, as he is in Cap #600, as being more interested in crushing Cap's spirit than in killing him, and in this sense the idea that Skull had Cap alive this whole time makes sense. The current state of the MU, with HAMMER and Norman Osborn and the Hero Registration and the Avengers reduced to petty infighting -- in a way it's a perfect victory for Skull over Cap, and he would certainly want Cap to be alive to see it.
On a totally different note, I liked the return of Rikki Barnes, the girl Bucky from Heroes Reborn. And I have a prediction to make here. Based on the scenes with the 1950's Cap and his line about finding somewhere worth saving, I think that girl Bucky is going to become 1950's Cap's sidekick and that he is going to go with her to Counter Earth. Just a guess, and it would be a nice way to tie up things with both of those characters.
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Post by scottharris on Jun 23, 2009 2:29:33 GMT -5
Oh, and one more thing. The Avengers ID card featured in the 2nd backup, the auction -- I have one of those. The ID card shown in this segment, with the signature of President Clinton, was a promotional giveaway that came with copies of Wizard back when Kurt Busiek's Avenger run was kicking off. They just added Cap's name and picture to it for this story; the ones from Wizard had a blank picture spot and name so you could turn it into your own personal Avengers ID. Maybe the coolest thing Wizard has ever managed to do (with the exception of Astro City # 1/2).
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Post by scottharris on Jun 23, 2009 21:43:58 GMT -5
To expand on my last thought, I specifically liked the setup of Cap's return in regards to the handling of the Red Skull. While it wasn't a huge issue for me, I did think it was a little odd that after all these years trying to defeat Cap in spirit, he would just have Cap shot like that. Skull has several times been shown, as he is in Cap #600, as being more interested in crushing Cap's spirit than in killing him, and in this sense the idea that Skull had Cap alive this whole time makes sense. The current state of the MU, with HAMMER and Norman Osborn and the Hero Registration and the Avengers reduced to petty infighting -- in a way it's a perfect victory for Skull over Cap, and he would certainly want Cap to be alive to see it. I realize it's gauche to quote yourself, but I wanted to mention that this directly ties in with the reprinted golden age story in the back of the issue. As fellow Avengers fan Ian Watson pointed out, this isn't some randomly picked story; it's been carefully selected to validate the idea that Skull would not just kill Cap but would keep him around to taunt him. In this golden age story (by Stan Lee, even), Cap is defeated and captured by Red Skull. Instead of killing Cap, however, Skull chains Cap to the wall in his dungeon and then disguises himself (quite poorly, I might add) as Cap. Dressed as Cap, he then goes on a crime spree, ruining Cap's reputation and returning at night to taunt his captive with news of how he is tarnishing Cap's legacy. This story first appeared in Captain America Comics #16, from July, 1942. It's interesting to read and see just how relevant it is today in terms of the current situation between Cap and Skull.
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nova36
Force Works-er
Posts: 19
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Post by nova36 on Jun 24, 2009 15:36:04 GMT -5
I too really enjoyed this issue, i actually felt ok paying extra for this oversized issue. It is really nice to see some older artists on this book and i really enjoyed seeing butch guice take most of this issue. It was mostly a coming attraction's type of comic but the setup looks good, i could complain about Steve coming back in a mini series and not his own comic but since cap will not be published while the mini is going on i won't . Is it too soon for steve to come back? Well i kinda think he won't be captain america right away and bucky will continue in that role for the next year or so, as for the other stories i was kinda let down by the roger stern story. I was expecting more and it was mostly a review of bernie and how she met steve ect. The best part of that story was the quote from steve which nicely summed up who steve is and what he stood for. The mark waid story was great and i really enjoyed dale's pencil's . I do feel we had 3 of some of the best writer's captain america has ever had in this issue only gru was missing ... would have been nice to see a re-printed story of his perhaps the one where steve willingly gave up the cap identity. As you said scott the golden age tale was interesting and foreshadows bucky saving steve ( i hope !). I do think stan wrote alot of those golden age stories i've seen a few re-prints where stan also wrote em. All and all an enjoyable issue with a nice cover by alex ross and here is hoping Steve makes a great return !!
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Post by woodside on Jun 24, 2009 22:17:32 GMT -5
Wow . . .
Congrats, Scott, you and I agree on something!
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Post by sharkar on Jun 25, 2009 14:23:34 GMT -5
In this golden age story (by Stan Lee, even), Cap is defeated and captured by Red Skull. Instead of killing Cap, however, Skull chains Cap to the wall in his dungeon and then disguises himself (quite poorly, I might add) as Cap. Dressed as Cap, he then goes on a crime spree, ruining Cap's reputation and returning at night to taunt his captive with news of how he is tarnishing Cap's legacy... ...This story first appeared in Captain America Comics #16, from July, 1942. Aha! So it seems Stan was borrowing from himself when he wrote CA #115-119 (v. 1), in which Cap and the Red Skull switch bodies and the Skull tries to discredit Cap's reputation by ignoring Cap's adoring public and acting like he's above it all. I'll never forget that Gene Colan full-page shot of the Skull as Cap stretched out on a chaise longue. Priceless! Okay, enough reminiscing--based on what everyone has posted here so far, I'm really looking forward to reading #600.
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Post by Shiryu on Jun 25, 2009 17:10:46 GMT -5
I read it too and agree with most of Scott's review. The golden age story was funny, and I loved the Stern's backup story since I started reading Cap in the very issue where he runs for Presidency. The main story itself was touching.
I haven't read Waid's story yet somehow, hopefully will make up soon.
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