Between the Panels: Captain America Reborn #1 of 5 Review
Captain America. Those two words mean a lot to the comic universe. He is one of the first superheroes on the scene that is saturated with them. American comics are deluged with superheroes, and patriotic ones to boot. We have seen so many come and go, and when Steve Rogers died, no one believed it. Well with this mini series we are not only getting one of the first patriotic heroes back, but we are getting a great reason why he was so resonant in the first place.
A brief recap of what has happened before: The Civil War drove a wedge between the American people, and their symbol. When Iron Man fought for registration of all superhumans, Cap fought against it. Their battle took place and shook the foundations of New York, and at the end Captain America surrendered. After surrendering he was marched to the courthouse to be processed and jailed, and during that time he was shot and kiled. Or was he? Meanwhile his partner from World War 2, Bucky Barnes, had come back as a brainwashed villain, been rehabilitated and decided over a long while that he would take the mantle of his mentor, friend and brother. As the new Cap, Bucky was different, while honoring the proud legacy.
Things changed during Secret Invasion when Norman Osborne took control of the United States military and superhuman agenda. Worse, he created a costumed identity that both mocked Captain America and Iron Man. In the Spider-man comics he is also creating a new heroic identity for his son, Harry Osborne. The world has changed since Steve Rogers carried his mighty shield. But the world had changed the last time he returned as well, and Steve is ever adaptable, ever ready, to fight the good fight.
So we open with Captain America: Reborn with a look at history, and end within that same thread. Ed Brubaker wastes absolutely no time diving
headlong into the story as we see various factions of who we will be following in this mini series. We have known for months that Sharon Carter was the one who shot Steve but we have also known for awhile there is something more to the story. The supporting cast of Captain America is here in full swing as we see Falcon, the new Captain America, Black Widow, Nick Fury and of course Sharon.
To get to the bottom of the mystery Sharon contacts Hank Pym, and we find out exactly what Sharon used to kill Steve, or rather, what she used to both kill and not kill Steve. This is the big crux and leap the reader has to make for Ed to really continue and enjoy this story. I think its a matter of personal taste and a bit of filling in the blanks with your mind. If you can accept some fantasy in a world with super solider serums, talking robot heads and the like, the explanation should faze you. For those that think death is a revolving door, take heart: Steve Rogers did die, just not in the way that was originally thought.
Due to how Ed uses the plot device to both kill and bring back Steve Rogers, we are also reintroduced to various points of his life, and it serves as a great jumping on point to the man that is Steve Rogers. If nothing else, this series will make you realize why Steve is here, why he is the right man for the job, and why we need him around. The man is walking inspiration, and America can use some of that. But the use of this plot device will divide people, some don’t like high end sci fi, some don’t like dead characters coming back.
The use of the characters is spot on, and the brief guest appearances of Nick Fury, 2 Dark Avengers, Norman Osborne, and two Mighty Avengers really makes this comic feel like its in the Marvel Universe and not just a niche. We find out a little of what the Red Skull was up to with his plans for Captain America, we find Arnim Zola is working for Norman (and how much Norman is genuinly interested or afraid of Steves return) and we see that Captain America is a man forever out of time. When he returned from World War 2 he was a man without a time, and Ed shows that theme hasnt run dry yet as we explore the history of Steve Rogers.
My rating of 3 out of 5 might seem a bit harsh, but with the relative clunkiness and mystery of the plot device that the resurrection of Steve Rogers is given, its hard to give it either too harsh or too easy a judgement. Either you will like it or hate it, but hopefully by the end of the series you will understand it. All the characters are spot on, and the art is genuinely bombastic. My only complaint is with the plethora of splash pages, its a quick read. That, and the jumping from each group of focus characters, makes this comic seem very fast. By the end I am sure these plot lines will converge as we see the resurgence of Cap.
Captain America: Reborn is written by Ed Brubaker, Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice and produced by Marvel Comics.
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[...] the much anticipated second issue of Captain America: Reborn! For those that don’t know, I reviewed the first issue and can’t wait for the second. Here is the solicitation for the second issue, [...]