Captain America (2011 Series) #1
September 4, 2011
Title: American Dreamers Part 1
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Steve McNiven
Inks: Mark Morales
Colorist: Justin Ponsor
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Steve McNiven
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
It’s Ed Brubaker’s second first issue of Captain America (third if you count the Reborn miniseries) and for Steve Rogers, the world is once again passing him by. The issue begins with Steve, Nick Fury, Dum-Dum Dugan and Sharon Carter attending the funeral of Sharon’s aunt (and Steve’s wartime love interest) Peggy Carter. But the funeral is disrupted by the sudden reappearance of a man called Codename: Bravo, a onetime ally turned enemy after Steve “stole” Peggy from him back in the 40s. His return sends Steve and Nick off to look up another old acquaintance from that time, a man who has been comatose for a long time.
The story is interesting. Brubaker layers it well, introducing several new WWII-era characters in a way that makes it clear there’s more to the story than we know at present, which is not only fair, but welcome. Steve McNiven is new to the team, but I’ve enjoyed his artwork for a long time and he feels like a very natural fit for Captain America. His period scenes are very detailed and well-researched, and his action scenes are sharp.
The biggest issue, for me at least, is the price. I liked this book. Do I like it enough to pick it up at $3.99 a month? Probably not, Marvel Comics, and that’s a big problem that’s going to dog you as long as your top tier characters are in overpriced books.
Rating: 7/10
