Captain America, Back from the Dead (sort of)
01-30-08 | 08:16 AM
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Captain America, Back from the Dead (sort of)
Heard this on Morning Edition (NPR) as I came into work this morning:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=18520433
******* THERE ARE SPOILERS AS TO WHO IT IS IN THIS ARTICLE ********
There's a link to a page from the book in the link above.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=18520433
******* THERE ARE SPOILERS AS TO WHO IT IS IN THIS ARTICLE ********
Morning Edition, January 30, 2008 · In the alternate universe of comic books, there's a crisis brewing between the U.S. and Russia. America is being threatened by a former Soviet general and his Nazi partner. Sounds like a job for Captain America.
But Captain America died last year, shot by assassins on the steps of the federal courthouse in New York City.
On Wednesday, a new issue of Captain America hits comic book stores and with it comes a new Captain America. It's not the same character ... he's still dead. But the comic didn't die with him.
Ed Brubaker writes Captain America for Marvel Comics. For the past year, his stories have been about the loss of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America or "Cap," and about the search for his killer. One particular character has featured in many of those tales — Captain America's oldest friend, James "Bucky" Barnes.
"Bucky is kind of a very conflicted character who's trying to find some redemption, and his closest friend is basically taken away from him before he can really reconcile with him," Brubaker says.
Bucky and Captain America fought against the Nazis and the Japanese in World War II. According to Marvel Comics lore, both disappeared in the final days of the war.
This is where it starts to get complicated.
Steve Rogers (Captain America) was found frozen in ice in the mid-1960s and revived to become an American hero, thwarting villains with his signature Shield.
Bucky was also found frozen, but he was revived by the Soviets, who turned him into an evil killer known as The Winter Soldier. This character is now, once again, a good guy, but he's no Boy Scout. Unlike the modern version of Captain America, Bucky carries a gun.
Brubaker says he wasn't trying to stir controversy by adding this element to the Captain America character. But he says criticism comes with the territory when you're writing the adventures of an American icon.
"All liberals want Captain America to be standing on a soapbox outside the White House bashing President Bush," Brubaker says. "All right-wingers want Captain America to be ... over in Afghanistan punching Osama in the face," just like in the first issue, when he was smacking Hitler, the writer says.
But Captain America died last year, shot by assassins on the steps of the federal courthouse in New York City.
On Wednesday, a new issue of Captain America hits comic book stores and with it comes a new Captain America. It's not the same character ... he's still dead. But the comic didn't die with him.
Ed Brubaker writes Captain America for Marvel Comics. For the past year, his stories have been about the loss of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America or "Cap," and about the search for his killer. One particular character has featured in many of those tales — Captain America's oldest friend, James "Bucky" Barnes.
"Bucky is kind of a very conflicted character who's trying to find some redemption, and his closest friend is basically taken away from him before he can really reconcile with him," Brubaker says.
Bucky and Captain America fought against the Nazis and the Japanese in World War II. According to Marvel Comics lore, both disappeared in the final days of the war.
This is where it starts to get complicated.
Steve Rogers (Captain America) was found frozen in ice in the mid-1960s and revived to become an American hero, thwarting villains with his signature Shield.
Bucky was also found frozen, but he was revived by the Soviets, who turned him into an evil killer known as The Winter Soldier. This character is now, once again, a good guy, but he's no Boy Scout. Unlike the modern version of Captain America, Bucky carries a gun.
Brubaker says he wasn't trying to stir controversy by adding this element to the Captain America character. But he says criticism comes with the territory when you're writing the adventures of an American icon.
"All liberals want Captain America to be standing on a soapbox outside the White House bashing President Bush," Brubaker says. "All right-wingers want Captain America to be ... over in Afghanistan punching Osama in the face," just like in the first issue, when he was smacking Hitler, the writer says.
Last edited by Goldberg74; 01-30-08 at 08:18 AM.
01-30-08 | 08:20 AM
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Here's the page...
Spoiler:
01-30-08 | 09:10 AM
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The only character who stayed dead while I was reading superhero comics was Robin (Jason Todd). All the rest came back.
01-30-08 | 10:09 AM
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Originally Posted by Nick Danger
The only character who stayed dead while I was reading superhero comics was Robin (Jason Todd). All the rest came back.
01-30-08 | 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Graftenberg
At least Uncle Ben is still dead.Really the only people that stay dead in comics are the parents/guardians of the superhero. Although they did try to change that with the Spider-man clone saga that almost brought back Peter's parents.
01-30-08 | 11:04 AM
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Originally Posted by slop101
... and Gwen Stacey, unfortunately, turns out she's a whore.
1. Pretend the Sins Past story never happened.
2. One More Day made it so Sins Past never happened.
01-30-08 | 11:46 AM
#10
DVD Talk Godfather
Hey, Thunderbird stayed dead (except for alternate reality stuff). Of course, Warpath is pretty much the same thing.
On the DC side, I don't think they ever really brought Barry Allen back, so that remains as one of the biggest deaths-that-stuck-so-far. And of course they didn't really bring the REAL Supergirl back.
I thought Peter David handled the issue pretty well when he had Siren react to Banshee's death in X-factor...
On the DC side, I don't think they ever really brought Barry Allen back, so that remains as one of the biggest deaths-that-stuck-so-far. And of course they didn't really bring the REAL Supergirl back.
I thought Peter David handled the issue pretty well when he had Siren react to Banshee's death in X-factor...
01-30-08 | 03:06 PM
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Well, the character is coming back, but Steve Rogers is staying dead.
... and for the record, I hated Bucky then... and I still hate Bucky now.
... and for the record, I hated Bucky then... and I still hate Bucky now.
01-30-08 | 03:22 PM
#12
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Is John Walker (US Agent) still around? I am really enjoying the whole Bucky/Winter Soldier storyline, but I wouldn't mind seeing Brubaker bring the ol' psycho back to pitchfork a few more Watchdogs to death.
01-30-08 | 03:31 PM
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From: City of the lakers.. riots.. and drug dealing cops.. los(t) Angel(e)s. ca.
US Agent is in Omage Flight, the new Alpha flight.
I thought the issue was great. Passing the torch to Bucky was smooth and really, the whole run of captain america has been great even after steve died. Great job on ed's part.
I thought the issue was great. Passing the torch to Bucky was smooth and really, the whole run of captain america has been great even after steve died. Great job on ed's part.
01-30-08 | 10:10 PM
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From: Gateway Cities/Harbor Region
Originally Posted by Nick Danger
The only character who stayed dead while I was reading superhero comics was Robin (Jason Todd). All the rest came back.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Todd
01-31-08 | 06:55 AM
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From: So Cal
Originally Posted by taffer
Although they did try to change that with the Spider-man clone saga that almost brought back Peter's parents.
01-31-08 | 09:57 AM
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From: Taxachusetts
Not a surprise at all that Bucky is the new Cap - Brubaker has clearly been setting him up to take over the mantle almost since he started writing the title. Even so, I still enjoyed the hell out of this issue. I hope Brubaker writes this title indefinitely because you know that as soon as he's off the book Marvel will bring back Steve Rogers from the dead.
01-31-08 | 11:15 AM
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DVD Talk Hero
Not really, because it wasn't a surprise like his death was. Retailers knew about this (the book had been building to this for months - no one was caught off-guard) and ordered appropriately, unlike the death issue, which no one expected and was severely under-ordered.
01-31-08 | 11:15 AM
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From: Taxachusetts
Originally Posted by MBoyd
I havent been to a comic shop (do DCBS still) - did the media attention create a run on the issue like the Death issue?
02-01-08 | 02:27 AM
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From: City of the lakers.. riots.. and drug dealing cops.. los(t) Angel(e)s. ca.
Originally Posted by fujishig
Hey, Thunderbird stayed dead (except for alternate reality stuff). Of course, Warpath is pretty much the same thing.
On the DC side, I don't think they ever really brought Barry Allen back, so that remains as one of the biggest deaths-that-stuck-so-far. And of course they didn't really bring the REAL Supergirl back.
I thought Peter David handled the issue pretty well when he had Siren react to Banshee's death in X-factor...
On the DC side, I don't think they ever really brought Barry Allen back, so that remains as one of the biggest deaths-that-stuck-so-far. And of course they didn't really bring the REAL Supergirl back.
I thought Peter David handled the issue pretty well when he had Siren react to Banshee's death in X-factor...
Barry's back. In the last arc of Justice League Legion came about to capture lightning in a rod, they brought back both Wally and Barry. Only Barry's stuck in a rod now.
What?