Long Live Captain America
Posted by dailypop on June 15, 2009
The suspense has finally ended as one year after his death, the 600th issue of Captain America officially hit the stands and announced to the world that Steve Rogers is alive.
If there is one trick at generating buzz older than killing off a character it is bringing them back from the dead. That said, I’m genuinely invested in where Ed Brubaker and Bryan Hitch take their upcoming Captain America: Reborn series (due out the week of July 4th, naturally).
The coy EIC of Marvel Comics humorously discussed the fan and media speculation of what the big news was that finally broke today. I can’t help but think that he is reminding readers that there is a Captain America movie in production rather than just stating that the role is not as yet cast.
“I think the craziest [rumor] was the fact that we were going to announce who was going to be cast as Steve Rogers in the ‘Captain America’ movie in the pages of ‘Reborn,’” Joe Quesada revealed in his Cup O’ Joe column. “And I thought, ‘Wow! That is really amazing that people could go that far with it.’ And I guess that’s part of the fun of it, but at the same time it is the evils of the digital age. Stuff gets out there, and before you know it that information is attributed to somebody from Marvel, and it’s off to the races.”
Just who will portray the star-spangled Avenger in Director Joe Johnston’s movie The First Avenger: Captain America is still a mystery and the guesses are just too wildly divergent to be believed. Everyone from Will Smith, to Matthew McConaughey to Channing Tatum have been mentioned as possibilities. Thankfully Torchwood actor John Barrowman has not been mentioned for some time so maybe I can sleep again.
As for the 600th issue itself, the sell out Monday release was a celebration of Captain America’s past (including a scintillating essay from Cap’s co-creator Joe Simon!) and a hint at the future of the monthly comic. A mixed effort from several comic creators, the result is also mixed with some stand out greatness and some very clunky episodes as well. The story that strives to explain just who is Bernie Rosenthal was perhaps the most convoluted piece of exposition I’ve read in a long time and I think it’s hilarious that it included a glimpse of Cap in that awful suit of armor yet refused to acknowledge why he was wearing it. It was the late 80’s, we all wore embarrassing things.
On the flip side, the sequence featuring the Avengers both New and Dark and the vigil ceremony was well executed. It has been fascinating to watch the Marvel Universe continue to grow more sophisticated and complex these past few years. This issue dealing with the death of Captain America and the reality of just how far the world has fallen to the dogs without him is beautifully executed month-to-month in the pages of this comic and the latest issue is no exception.
While I have to admit that the inclusion of Rikki Barnes caught me completely off guard (there’s a column coming on this character), I have hopes that it will work out for the best.
DC Comics has had great success with Geoff Johns helming their Green Lantern and Flash Rebirth series but I have every confidence that Brubaker will blow both of these series out of the water with his upcoming Captain America: Reborn series.
More as it comes.
Recommended:
Captain America Omnibus, Vol. 1
The Death of Captain America, Vol. 1: The Death of the Dream
The Death of Captain America, Vol. 2: The Burden of Dreams
The Death of Captain America, Vol. 3: The Man Who Bought America
Also by Ed Brubaker:
Criminal Vol. 1: Coward (v. 1)
Sleeper: Season One
Daredevil Omnibus, Vol. 1
Gotham Central Book One: In the Line of Duty
