Since today is the Fourth of July, I thought I'd give out a list of my reviews of Captain America's adventures over the years. After all, what better time to enjoy the trials and tribulations of the Star-Spangled Avenger, huh?
Captain America #1 (January 2005) - The beginning of the Winter Soldier storyline, revealing one of the most shocking retcons in Marvel history: after decades of being seemingly dead, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was not only alive, but he had also seemingly broke bad. However, things were not quite what they seemed.
Captain America #20 (August 1999) - During Mark Waid and Andy Kubert's run on the book, Steve had experienced a couple of shakeups. One was that his mighty shield, thought to be completely indestructible, had shattered like glass. Another was that an old flame long thought dead had also been alive. Huh, bit of foreshadowing for Winter Soldier. And as things go, Steve's broken shield was a sign of a bigger crisis.
Captain America #398 (March 1992) - The events of Operation: Galactic Storm (a criminally underrated crossover, if you ask me) hit Earth as our man Steve Rogers ends up battling the alien robotic enforcer pair known as Warstar.
Truth: Red, White, and Black #1 (January 2003) - The success of Captain America would inspire others in the Marvel Universe to create their own supersoldiers. The United States was no exception. One attempt involved a man named Isaiah Bradley.
Tales of Suspense #80 (August 1966) - A sample of Marvel's swingin' Sixties Silver Age, this tale told of how the Red Skull first obtained an item that he would be associated with for many years in the comics afterward: the Cosmic Cube. The Cube is a device that uses cosmic energies to alter reality based on the whims of the user. And our man Cap has to stop the evil Skull from getting his fascist paws on it.
Captain America #357 (Early September 1989), Captain America #358 (Late September 1989) - These two comics are part of another underrated Cap story, The Bloodstone Hunt. This storyline was Captain America paying tribute to pulp adventure stories in the vein of Indiana Jones. Makes sense, as The Last Crusade came out in 1989.
Captain America #107 (November 1968) - Captain America may be a supersoldier, but even he is only human. Even he can struggle with nightmares and regrets. Which is what he deals with here, and of course, he ends up dealing with the evil psychologist known as Doctor Faustus.
Captain America Annual #13 (1994) - A mighty flashback tale from Roy Thomas and Arvell Jones, this annual tells the tale of the Red Skull attempting to grab a strongbox that he believed contained a weapon to dominate the world. This tale is set predominantly in the 40s and 50s, and weaves in pre-established comic continuity. I love this story.
Captain America #332 (August 1987), Captain America #333 (September 1987), Captain America #341 (May 1988) - In the 1980s, Mark Gruenwald was penning Cap's book, and it was under him we'd get the epic saga Captain America No More. Basically, the government wants Rogers to operate under their thumb, and Rogers refuses. He felt that Captain America should not be used as a tool or a stooge. He made it more than that. Rather than compromise his principles, he hands in his costume and shield. He continues operating as "The Captain", while former Super-Patriot and future USAgent John Walker takes up the mantle of Captain America...and being Cap turns out to be tougher than he thought.
Captain America #300 (December 1984) - All feuds have an end. And this comic promised the final battle between Captain America and the original Red Skull. The two would battle again in the future, but this was one heck of a fight, including an epic retelling of the Skull's origins.
Captain America and the Falcon #175 (July 1974) - The climax of the original Secret Empire storyline created in response to Watergate, this storyline caused Rogers' faith in the American government to be shaken for a while, even giving up the identity of Captain America for a time.
Captain America #255 (March 1981) - Part of the short but spectacular Roger Stern/John Byrne run on Cap's book in the early 80s, this comic is a retelling of Steve Rogers' origins and how he came to be Captain America. I can imagine The First Avenger took inspiration from this comic.
And that's a list of fun Cap stories to read! While it's not a complete list of his stories I looked at, these represent some of my favorite eras of the book. Who knows, maybe they'll make you a fan as well! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time, and have a happy and safe Fourth of July!
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