Comics Review: CAPTAIN AMERICA # 1 (Volume 6)
In order to attract new readers from the forthcoming film, Brubaker's re-imagining and re-numbering of Captain America streamlines the book, eschewing the gritty aspects in favour of a big, explosive blockbuster.
Written by Ed Brubaker, Pencils by Steve McNiven Published by Marvel Comics rating: 4
Back in 2004, Ed Brubaker relaunched the Captain America book, re-imagining it as a gritty espionage thriller more in line with the Bourne films. The result was both a huge commercial hit as well as an instant classic. Wisely, Brubaker stuck around, steering the character through civil wars, journeys in time, secret invasions and various sieges. Back in 2009 the series got renumbered, receiving its 600th issue as a means of acknowledging the characters legacy. However, with the Cap movie out in a matter of weeks, Marvel has decided to renumber the series yet again, relaunching with a new number one. However, this time the changes are far greater than simply the number that appears on the cover. In order to attract new readers (presumably, all those pundits that leave the cinema desperate for more Cap adventures) Brubaker streamlines the book, eschewing the gritty aspects in favour of a big, explosive blockbuster. Only time will tell if the series continues in this fashion permanently, but one can only hope that the deep character work and careful plotting that this series had been acclaimed for doesnt get pushed to the sidelines. As it is, Im incredibly torn on this issue. On the one hand, its excellently written, even if it does rely on a narrative device that, truth be told, Brubaker has used a little bit too much during his run. Steve McNivens pencils are, at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, absolutely stunning. He gives each panel a level of detail that is staggering, and his clean line work and excellent staging makes you forget that youre actually looking at still images- his Cap bounces around the page like the graceful warrior he is, giving the whole book a kinetic energy that few books can compete with. However, having the continuity of Brubakers run streamlined (by Brubaker himself, no less) is frustrating for long-time fans. This is even worse when you consider that Bucky, Caps sidekick who had become a prominent part of Brubakers run, seems to be completely forgotten about here. Im all in favour of making comics accessible to new readers, but this issue seems like a compromise that will, in reality, alienate fans of the previous stories. Sure, its a clean break and an excellent jumping on point for new fans, but lets just pray that Brubaker doesnt completely forget all the good work he did. If he doesnt get around to dealing with those loose ends and unresolved plot threads soon, then many of those old fans might not want to stick around.