If you thought Captain America’s Death was the last number in the series, you were wrong! Marvel proves once again that this universe does not like emptiness, and Ed Brubaker allows another hero to raise a shield.
Beginnings are always difficult
After Steve Rogers dies, his friend Bucky Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier, takes his succession. He gets a very difficult task from the very beginning. Many people still consider him a traitor. Red Skull, Arnim Zola and Dr. Faustus want their own man as president and lead the United States. Sharon Carter is still missing. Sin and Crossbones carry out more bombings. SHIELD remains in disarray. On top of that, another Captain America will appear, intent on killing Bucky. Fortunately, the new hero is not left alone. The Black Widow comes to his aid, and Falcon becomes his new partner.
When weapons are not enough …
The author of the comic book Captain America: The Man Who Bought Americais Ed Brubaker. It was this screenwriter who worked on the previous three volumes of the series. Once again, it does not disappoint its readers. The plot is not only based on fights, although there are also many of them. Above all, the writer continues the plot he created. Most of the puzzles and plots straight from the crime fiction have already been unveiled for us, so the newest part turns into a sensation. Politics plays a very important role here. Red Skull is not going to win the US by force. Instead, he is trying to cast his own man as president of the United States to bring the country down. He plays with the citizens very cleverly in order to win as many votes for his ward as possible. In addition, thanks to the support of Dr. Faustus, it breaks SHIELD from the inside.Thus, the new head of this organization, Tony Stark, loses the government’s trust, which the villain quickly uses. This solution, proposed by the author, is a real masterpiece. It shows us that there is no need to be super-strong and have supernatural powers. All you need is high intelligence and money. He manages to make us hate the franchise’s villains even more, which is all as planned!
Of course, it’s also impossible not to cheer on Bucky in his first mission as Captain America. As already mentioned, his task is not the easiest one. As a Winter Soldier, he went a different path than Steve Rogers, and it is difficult for him to shake off old habits. So his path is bumpy. The beginnings of his friendship with Sam Wilson are very well captured. The gentlemen quickly begin to “arrive”, but Brubaker makes sure to justify us why. The Black Widow and her five minutes are also involved in the plot. By the way, we keep our fingers crossed for Sharon Carter. Agent-13 has an even more difficult mission ahead than the new Captain America. The author, in turn, perfectly presents the emotions that torment her, and probably only a heartless person would not feel sorry for her.
Faces still in the foreground
Five cartoonists have worked on the fourth volume of Captain America . Steve Epting made the biggest contribution here again. Butch Guice, Mike Perkins, Roberto de la Torre and Luke Ross helped him to create the following pages. And although we have several artists here, it must be admitted that they all present a very similar style. Only an attentive recipient, who likes to look at details carefully, will notice when the line changes.
As in the previous parts, the creators focus their attention on faces and emotions. So we can see immediately when the hero is scared, angry or sad. However, this is not surprising. As I mentioned, there is a lot of intrigue and conversation in the notebook, so the dialogues also need to be presented well. It should be mentioned, however, that when it comes to a skirmish, you can see and feel the adrenaline. Images are slightly blurred, thus showing how fast the action is taking place. So at times we get the impression that the next frames are moving. When necessary, drawing pads also focus on backgrounds and details. Ultimately, it should be acknowledged that the works and techniques presented here are not innovative, but they are pleasant to look at and it is difficult to have any major reservations about Epting and his team.
A chance for the show?
As you already know, in March 2021, the series created by the MCU The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will debut . It will tell about the collaboration between Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson, the main characters of the comic book. Is there a chance to get something out of the adventure presented in the fourth volume of Captain Americaappeared on the screen? Well, there are many differences. First of all, in the television production it will be the Falcon, not the Winter Soldier, that will wear the Steve Rogers shield. We will not see Red Skull on the screen either. But it is not said that another villain will not be put in his place. After all, Helmut Zemo can also buy the USA, and Hydra can always be replaced by Flag-Smashers. It was also announced that Sharon Carter and John Walker, who played their roles in the notebook, will appear in the production. The list of characters is still not closed. There are already rumors of Crossbones returning, and this might be a good time to introduce Dr. Faust or Sin. So we can be almost sure of a reference to one of the most famous comic books about Captain America.
Goodbye
Captain America: The Man Who Bought America finishes an extremely important Marvel series about Stevie Rogers and his successors. And it ends in a really big style. Ed Brubaker has shown that he is an outstanding scriptwriter who can turn the adventures of superheroes into detective stories and introduce surprising plots. The scriptwriter plays with the reader, plays on his emotions, makes twists in which the jaw drops, and at the same time draws him into the plot so much that it is impossible to tear himself away from the notebook. It also leaves the gate open to continue. No wonder it’s Captain Americathe author received the Eisner and Harvey Prize. The graphics look a bit weaker compared to the scenario. True, the writer set the bar high, but it seems that the cartoonists did not do their best. Ed showed that you can still introduce something new in the comic, and the artists chose well-known patterns. Their drawings do not look bad and they are pleasant to look at, but there is still a lack of satisfaction. Ultimately, the newest part of Captain America’s adventures should be praised first and foremost. Probably no Marvel fan can pass by the title indifferently and even must read it. In addition, who knows if he is not revealing fragments of the upcoming series from the MCU!