****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Sometimes, being proven wrong is a good thing. And with this storyline, I am glad Ed Brubaker proved me wrong- something he would continually do through his long tenure on Captain America. Captain America has been one of- if not my absolute favorite- super-heroes- since I was three years old, and along with Thor, a character I read consistently. So, when a character has been an "old friend" of yours for years like that, you tend to be very protective of their history and continuity. So, when I first started hearing about the Winter Soldier storyline, and read through Wizard magazine and other sources that the Winter Soldier was going to be Bucky, I didn't exactly have the best reaction. I was like, "What are they thinking?" Don't get me wrong, I liked Bucky. I loved seeing him in flashback, and WW2 era stories, but I came from the Stan Lee school of thought: Bucky's death was the major tragedy in Cap's life. You take that away, you take away that sense of tragedy that is important and intrinsic to the character. I thought that bringing him back was a bad move, and a gimmick. However. when I picked up some of the issues to see what it was all about, this story that pretty much set the comics world on fire- I found myself not only proven VERY wrong, but enjoying every second of it! Ed Brubaker took away all the old comic reader cynicism I had and blew it away with the awesome story he was telling. Brubaker made me realize that, by bringing Bucky back, he didn't take that tragedy away from Cap's life- he replaced it with an even greater tragedy- the fact that Bucky not only survived, but was delivered into the hands of the Soviets and turned into the legendary, lethal assassin and Cold War "ghost" known as the Winter Soldier- turned into the very type of thing he and Cap would fight against- and, for the past 50 years, was performing unspeakable acts of assassination and espionage against the nation- and the world- he once defended, by the very type of people he and Cap had fought so hard and almost literally gave their lives to defeat. the way Brubaker wove this tale- almost like an espionage story/political thriller disguised as a super-hero story- with all the foreshadowing that led to the debut of the Winter Soldier, and led to the suspicions and ultimate reveal of his identity, was masterful. you become engrossed in the mystery, and the action, and all the character-driven drama & suspense written so intricately within this saga Brubaker was building, and you can see why it work perfectly being made into a fantastic feature film. Brubaker took not only his knowledge of Cap's history, but WW2, post-war, and Cold War history and conspiracy and used it to create the perfect setting for Bucky's return and this ultimate threat to Cap and the security of the world. Brubaker didn't bring Bucky back through some gimmick-filled, comic booky resurrection- he brought him back in a very believable, organic manner, using flashbacks and Cap & Bucky's history with the Soviets during WW2 to set the stage for the recovery of Bucky's body, and his transformation into the Winter Soldier through the Soviet's influence, and provided a history for the Winter Soldier's clandestine post-war activities that was not only plausible, but left room for future embellishment. he sold me on Bucky's return in more ways than one, and it's all through his skillful writing that provides a semi-historic feel that makes it work. You not only feel for Steve, knowing what has become of his best friend and partner- and knowing he may have to kill him to stop him- a struggle illustrated well by Brubaker's character-driven script, but you also feel for Bucky himself. Every time Cap confronts his former friend, you can feel not only the physical struggle, but the internal struggle within both men- you can almost sense Bucky's hesitation as he fights not only Cap, but the Soviet's conditioning and the memories and soul of the true Bucky Barnes struggling to resurface. This struggle is what makes the book, and Brubaker would make Bucky far more interesting than ever before- providing flashbacks to WW2 that showed how skilled and efficient Bucky was, both as Cap's partner and an espionage agent, and showed why he was an integral part to the Invaders' operation. These same skills would be utilized by the Soviets when they condition him into the Winter Soldier. in time, Brubaker would turn Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier into one of my all-time favorite comic characters- and now I find that thanks to Brubaker, Cap's history- and the Marvel Universe- is better having Bucky alive & well & kicking butt in it! Equal of praise is not only the writing, but the art, provided by Steve Epting and Michael Lark, who would become a definitive Cap creatve team. Epting shows his skill here, with detailed, gritty art that still has a Steranko/Colan-inspired feel, and action scenes that would rival any feature film, with the emotions of the characters and conflicts he illustrates palpable in every panel- a very difficult thing to achieve. The Winter Soldier's awesome character design alone is a testament to Epting's artistic skill. The art by Michael Lark is also integral. Lark's detailed, slightly gritty art compliments Epting's, and here Lark does the very important WW2 flashbacks, showing the darker side of the war and the activities of Cap, Bucky and the Invaders during this time that shaped Cap & Bucky into the men they are, for better or for worse, in a way no one had done before. The scenes Lark illustrated sowing Bucky's skill & importance to Cap & the Invaders is one of the greatest panels in comics history. Everything you need to know about Bucky, and why he's fighting beside Cap & the greatest super-team of WW2, is contained in those panels. There is much more to this story than I could ever mention here- you just need to read it yourself, and become immersed in this great example of graphic story-telling. And this is just the beginning of the saga that Brubaker and company would craft, that would put Cap on top again. Brubaker's run on Cap can be considered one of those great, visionary, character-defining runs that leave an indelible mark on a character and their history, and I put Brubaker's run in league with other great visionary comic runs such as Walt Simonson's run on the Mighty Thor and Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run. Had I let my cynicism drive me, I would've deprived myself of one of comicdom's greatest sagas. Being proven wrong can be a fantastic thing- and I thank Brubaker & company for showing me that! I highly recommend not only this book, but all of Brubaker's Captain America saga. Buy this and enjoy it, and then see the awesome movie this comic masterpiece inspired. You won't regret it!
