ZANADU REVIEWS

CAPTAIN AMERICA & BUCKY #625

(W) Ed Brubaker, James Asmus  (A) Francesco Francavilla

Captain America embodied the ideals and beliefs of America at its most pure, before the greed of big business and corrupt Governments tainted the dream; when we knew where we stood in the world and who our enemies were. Nowadays, most people find it hard to identify with him, seeing only a boy scout that fights for his country, a relic of times past. True, he was created as a poster boy for kids to look up to during the dark days of WWII, but if you gaze a little deeper, there is much more beneath the surface.

            Ed Brubaker, best known as the man who killed Steve Rogers, teams up with newcomer, James Asmus to bring us a book that takes its queues from Silver Age Kirby adventures, as well as the more modern espionage styled stories that defined Brubaker's previous run. Captain America and Bucky is a testament to the longevity of the character, providing action packed excitement as well as a feel of what it's like to be a man out of time who is never able to escape his past.

            Joining them on this issue is new regular artist, Francesco Francavilla, whose genius I cannot do justice here. Using Silver Age techniques filtered through a non mainstream super-hero lens, Francavilla creates a retro/modern style that perfectly complements the character. With his odd color palette of purples, oranges, browns and yellows, Francavilla infuses the pages with a neo-noir sense, but without the dripping despair that is expected with that style.

            As a longtime Captain America fan, I couldn’t be happier with the direction this new creative team has taken. This is a comic that understands the inherent absurdity of Super-Hero books as well as what it means to represent the notions of a country that no longer exists.

4 out of 5 Z's

REVIEW BY CASEY!