Steve Rogers picks up ye ol' wing-tips again.
Marvel, Ed Brubaker and Steve McNiven were not joking when they said Captain America #1 makes for a perfect entry point into the adventures of Cap for those leaving the theater after seeing Captain America: The First Avenger. While Ed Brubaker has been writing a sprawling Captain America epic for the past six years, almost none of that previously established continuity factors into this debut issue. And if there are some winks and nods to previous stories peppered in, let a guy who has been reading Captain America on and off for the last couple of years be the first to tell you they don't bog down this first issue in the slightest.
Captain America #1 begins with Steve Rogers, Sharon Carter, Nick Fury and Dum Dum Dugan attending the funeral of their WWII compatriot, Margaret "Peggy" Carter. It's a somber way to kick off the first issue of a new series, but it works wonders with establishing the personalities of not only Steve Rogers, but also Fury, Dugan and Carter. I was actually surprised how touching this opening sequence actually was, featuring some humble, heartwarming banter between this book's ensemble cast.
But don't worry, Captain America #1 isn't all doom, gloom and reminiscing. The book picks up its pace quickly, with one of Cap's old war buddies making a surprising return and playing ball for the opposite team. To establish an emotional tether between Captain America and this mystery heel-turn, Ed Brubaker juxtaposes scenes from the war effort in 1944 with the contemporary happenings of Cap, Fury, Carter and Dugan as they try to figure out exactly what is going on and why this individual has shown up all of a sudden out of the blue. Brubaker has long had a fantastic handle of World War II scenes in previous Captain America comics, and that tradition continues here in Captain America #1. These sequences were actually my favorite parts of this first issue, even when they fell victim to campy melodrama.
One area of Captain America #1 that may be off-putting to readers who have been following the adventures of Cap over the last couple of years is that Bucky Barnes does not factor into this first issue at all (he's shown in the background of one flashback panel). For such an important character to Ed Brubaker's overall Captain America saga, it's striking that Bucky is left by the wayside, especially after he donned the Cap costume for years and just recently died during Marvel's Fear Itself event. This should make it clear that this latest volume of Captain America is a fresh start, perfectly accessible for those who haven't been reading a Captain America book for the last six years. For the Captain America faithful, the complete absence of Bucky is just something you're going to have to accept and come to terms with.
Up until this point I've failed to mention the jaw-dropping work of artist Steve McNiven in Captain America #1. McNiven has always been a fan-favorite artist, but in Captain America #1 he really brings his A-game to the drawing board. There are some action sequences and splash pages that boggle the mind. McNiven also provides some inspiring panel layouts that not only visually stun, but are also incredibly easy to follow and uphold the book's streamlined presentation.
Captain America #1 is a solid debut issue. It successfully establishes the cast, sets up an intriguing yarn and delivers it all with beautiful artwork to let your eyes ogle over. If you're a newcomer to Captain America, this is definitely a great place to start. The only people I can see being slightly disappointed with this first issue are the folks who don't want Brubaker's Captain America run to be influenced by Marvel's desire to draw in new readers with a new #1 after seeing Captain America: The First Avenger. Much like Invincible Iron Man and Mighty Thor before it, this new Captain America series is written with those people in mind. However, that's clearly not a bad thing, as Brubaker and McNiven have proven they know how to make a comic that can, and should, be enjoyed by everyone.
