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Captain America Epic Collection
Captain America Epic Collection, Vol. 3: Bucky Reborn
Draped in the red, white and blue, there's no character in all of comics who represents America like Cap - and his path through the tumultuous '70s reveals both the character's, and the nation's, soul. In story after story Stan Lee and Gene Colan push the envelope as Cap goes behind enemy lines in Vietnam, teams with the Falcon to oppose the radical Diamond Heads, and sets out on a coast-to-coast road trip full of motorcycle gangs, rock festivals and the Red Skull! Then, Bucky Barnes returns from the grave! But with Baron Strucker, Doctor Doom and M.O.D.O.K. tied up in his revival, this can't be the same pal that Cap remembers. What's really going on here? an unforgettable Captain America/Falcon/Spider-Man team-up!
VOL. 3; CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) 120-138
VOL. 3; CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) 120-138
400 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2017
9 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Stan Lee
7,579 books2,356 followersStan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 29, 2022
Sigh. So well-meaning, so silly. In a way, it's totally appropriate that Captain America be one of the Marvel Comics that tackles social issues most often, and he really leans into that in this collection, going on a bit of a cross-country tour and encountering all kinds of public ills. He also takes on as a partner the Falcon, Marvel's first African-American hero and one who honestly develops pretty decently across these issues. But it's so hard to assess, because maybe the best person for the job wasn't a Greatest Generation hype man already writing and editing a whole line of comics.
The last issue in the collection epitomizes the tricky issues of representation and social consciousness that Silver Age comics were starting to tread in the Year of Our Lord, 1970. On one hand, it's a typical superhero meet-em-up, where Falcon decides to go after Spider-Man to prove himself worthy to Cap of being his partner. (A little cringey, but there's no overt suggestion that he needs to do this extra work because of his race - it's just that he's the new guy. And Cap never suggests he needs to do any of it. Classic misunderstanding!) Then the heroes all team up to take on a real threat. There's where the trouble comes in: the villain making a return appearance is Stone Face, a Black, Harlem-based gangster suffering inexplicably from a case of Bell's palsy. He's scheming to up his game by blackmailing the state government, who's planning to build a highrise office building in the neighborhood. All well and good, I suppose - fight that gentrification! Except part of the plot involves Stone Face donning a specially-made "ethnic" robe explicitly to play up an "angle," and letting the gov's rep know in no uncertain terms that unless the state makes a hefty donation to his "community center" (really his own pockets), he'll rouse the people of Harlem against the project, resulting in riots and destruction. So, okay, he's the villain, and this is a villainous plot for sure. But why do Marvel stories about racial tensions ALWAYS involve a member of the impacted community being behind the nefarious goings-on? The secret leader of the Serpent Society is always a Black guy, and so on. It's a cop out, a way of skimming serious issues without accurately portraying their root causes - on the contrary, blaming marginalized communities, to one extent or another, for their own struggles. It's a bad look, and I wonder how long it'll go on.
There's a lot of fluff and whatnot in the rest of the collection - a similarly-hamfisted story about campus discontent, lots of AIM, at least two pointy-headed automatons, a truly nonsensical faux-Bucky brainwashing story, and one giant super-smart gorilla. It's the latter two-parter that actually gave me my favorite sequence of the collection; despite a lot of overwrought dramatizing in Cap's relationship with Sharon, they clearly still love each other, and so, when Cap is presumed killed after falling in a giant bottomless pit (called Project Earth Dig, lol) with the giant smart primate (lol), she and Falcon and Nick Fury have several pages of just...grieving. Like, I hesitate to call it grieving, really, because Comics, but - they really go on for three pages thinking Cap is dead, and talking about it, and snapping at each other, and apologizing, and considering what to do next. I just compare it to how a scene like that would have played out on-page even a couple years earlier: a single panel of Sharon with her hands on her cheeks, wailing "Steve, oh Steve!"? And then cut to obviously-still-alive-Cap with no mention made of his presumed death ever again? Probably. So, this is progress. And it was actually fairly moving for a sec. For, again, you know, comics.
Gene Colan's art is better in this collection than he has been in a couple other recent appearances, like contemporary issues of Daredevil. I was about to say that maybe he does better on this street-level style of storytelling than the more epic, superheroic side of Avengers, but like...Daredevil is street-level. So maybe he just found those very drab stories as uninspiring as I generally do, but found more to appreciate in Cap's adventures.
The last issue in the collection epitomizes the tricky issues of representation and social consciousness that Silver Age comics were starting to tread in the Year of Our Lord, 1970. On one hand, it's a typical superhero meet-em-up, where Falcon decides to go after Spider-Man to prove himself worthy to Cap of being his partner. (A little cringey, but there's no overt suggestion that he needs to do this extra work because of his race - it's just that he's the new guy. And Cap never suggests he needs to do any of it. Classic misunderstanding!) Then the heroes all team up to take on a real threat. There's where the trouble comes in: the villain making a return appearance is Stone Face, a Black, Harlem-based gangster suffering inexplicably from a case of Bell's palsy. He's scheming to up his game by blackmailing the state government, who's planning to build a highrise office building in the neighborhood. All well and good, I suppose - fight that gentrification! Except part of the plot involves Stone Face donning a specially-made "ethnic" robe explicitly to play up an "angle," and letting the gov's rep know in no uncertain terms that unless the state makes a hefty donation to his "community center" (really his own pockets), he'll rouse the people of Harlem against the project, resulting in riots and destruction. So, okay, he's the villain, and this is a villainous plot for sure. But why do Marvel stories about racial tensions ALWAYS involve a member of the impacted community being behind the nefarious goings-on? The secret leader of the Serpent Society is always a Black guy, and so on. It's a cop out, a way of skimming serious issues without accurately portraying their root causes - on the contrary, blaming marginalized communities, to one extent or another, for their own struggles. It's a bad look, and I wonder how long it'll go on.
There's a lot of fluff and whatnot in the rest of the collection - a similarly-hamfisted story about campus discontent, lots of AIM, at least two pointy-headed automatons, a truly nonsensical faux-Bucky brainwashing story, and one giant super-smart gorilla. It's the latter two-parter that actually gave me my favorite sequence of the collection; despite a lot of overwrought dramatizing in Cap's relationship with Sharon, they clearly still love each other, and so, when Cap is presumed killed after falling in a giant bottomless pit (called Project Earth Dig, lol) with the giant smart primate (lol), she and Falcon and Nick Fury have several pages of just...grieving. Like, I hesitate to call it grieving, really, because Comics, but - they really go on for three pages thinking Cap is dead, and talking about it, and snapping at each other, and apologizing, and considering what to do next. I just compare it to how a scene like that would have played out on-page even a couple years earlier: a single panel of Sharon with her hands on her cheeks, wailing "Steve, oh Steve!"? And then cut to obviously-still-alive-Cap with no mention made of his presumed death ever again? Probably. So, this is progress. And it was actually fairly moving for a sec. For, again, you know, comics.
Gene Colan's art is better in this collection than he has been in a couple other recent appearances, like contemporary issues of Daredevil. I was about to say that maybe he does better on this street-level style of storytelling than the more epic, superheroic side of Avengers, but like...Daredevil is street-level. So maybe he just found those very drab stories as uninspiring as I generally do, but found more to appreciate in Cap's adventures.
December 17, 2024
This book might be the most mediocre presentation of insanity I have ever seen.
Firstly, I have the sneaking suspicion this might be around the time drugs got introduced to the Marvel Bullpen. Seriously, this is some wild stuff in here. But the stories are usually paper thin and fall apart, they just happen to be out there trippy ideas.
Secondly, the name of this, "Bucky Reborn" is a strange choice as that's literally just a two parter midway through this that is mostly forgettable, really only used to set up the back half of this which is the Captain America and Falcon show.
Which brings me to probably the most interesting part of this book. In this, it is obvious that Stan Lee or Gene Colan (Or Both) suddenly decided they wanted to make this more than just Cap beats up up Robot #20 (Even though there is plenty of that) and instead really start focusing on race relations a lot and racism. We have a situation set up where Sam Wilson has to put on the costume to make an escape and which must be the first images of a black Captain America, and honestly it really was quite striking. Then once they officially become partners near the end of this it flips from over the top super-spy espionage to a street level hero dealing with drug dealers and the like. And it wasn't a bad fit for the character at all.
However, like I said, it really just isn't presented that well. But I will say this, this book did aim high, and while it definitely didn't quite meet the goal it was going for, I can applaud it for even the attempt.
Firstly, I have the sneaking suspicion this might be around the time drugs got introduced to the Marvel Bullpen. Seriously, this is some wild stuff in here. But the stories are usually paper thin and fall apart, they just happen to be out there trippy ideas.
Secondly, the name of this, "Bucky Reborn" is a strange choice as that's literally just a two parter midway through this that is mostly forgettable, really only used to set up the back half of this which is the Captain America and Falcon show.
Which brings me to probably the most interesting part of this book. In this, it is obvious that Stan Lee or Gene Colan (Or Both) suddenly decided they wanted to make this more than just Cap beats up up Robot #20 (Even though there is plenty of that) and instead really start focusing on race relations a lot and racism. We have a situation set up where Sam Wilson has to put on the costume to make an escape and which must be the first images of a black Captain America, and honestly it really was quite striking. Then once they officially become partners near the end of this it flips from over the top super-spy espionage to a street level hero dealing with drug dealers and the like. And it wasn't a bad fit for the character at all.
However, like I said, it really just isn't presented that well. But I will say this, this book did aim high, and while it definitely didn't quite meet the goal it was going for, I can applaud it for even the attempt.
October 4, 2018
It's an OK read. I really like Cap, so I was glad to read more of his early adventures but there was just some things I didn't like. There is a lot of stories about social issues but it all seems to be about the same ones over and over. Namely, the unrest of the youth at the time, and people living in poverty. I'm not against comics addressing those issues, but reading about it again and again gets pretty boring.
Cap himself is also a bit of a mixed bag here. He is really hung up and Sharon Carter. He spends a lot of time down in dumps because they just can't work it out. He also seems a little pathetic because he just doesn't have any friends, or apparently any identity outside of SHIELD and being Cap. I just didn't like reading about a moopy Cap.
The artwork is pretty good. I wouldn't think that Gene Colan would be a good fit for Cap, but I was surprised. He does a good job.
Over all it's an ok read. I'm looking forward to reading past the era where Stan Lee was writing the book.
Cap himself is also a bit of a mixed bag here. He is really hung up and Sharon Carter. He spends a lot of time down in dumps because they just can't work it out. He also seems a little pathetic because he just doesn't have any friends, or apparently any identity outside of SHIELD and being Cap. I just didn't like reading about a moopy Cap.
The artwork is pretty good. I wouldn't think that Gene Colan would be a good fit for Cap, but I was surprised. He does a good job.
Over all it's an ok read. I'm looking forward to reading past the era where Stan Lee was writing the book.
November 27, 2024
Dopo il precedente volume, questo è un poco una delusione.
Stan Lee spinge le storie di Cap e Falcon su binari meno epici e nostalgici, ossia sulle strade dell'America dei primi, contestatari, anni '70 tra la guerra del Viet-nam ed il disamoramento degli statunitensi verso la politica del loro paese.
Per fare ciò il personaggio di Falcon, afroamericano, è essenziale. Peccato che a mio parere l'accoppiata tra i due funzioni poco, almeno per come scritta da Stan Lee.
Gene Colan è l'autore della quasi totalità dei disegni, a parte l'ultimo albo qui raccolto di John Romita. Il volume presenta interesse anche dal punto di vista grafico poiché vari sono gli inchiostratori che si alternano sulle matite di Colan. Tra i decani abbiamo Bill Everett, Wally Wood, Dick Ayers, ed è interessante vedere come cambia il risultato.
Nel complesso questo volume può meritare 2 stelle e mezza, perché, per le tematiche trattate, non si può dire che sia invecchiato bene.
Stan Lee spinge le storie di Cap e Falcon su binari meno epici e nostalgici, ossia sulle strade dell'America dei primi, contestatari, anni '70 tra la guerra del Viet-nam ed il disamoramento degli statunitensi verso la politica del loro paese.
Per fare ciò il personaggio di Falcon, afroamericano, è essenziale. Peccato che a mio parere l'accoppiata tra i due funzioni poco, almeno per come scritta da Stan Lee.
Gene Colan è l'autore della quasi totalità dei disegni, a parte l'ultimo albo qui raccolto di John Romita. Il volume presenta interesse anche dal punto di vista grafico poiché vari sono gli inchiostratori che si alternano sulle matite di Colan. Tra i decani abbiamo Bill Everett, Wally Wood, Dick Ayers, ed è interessante vedere come cambia il risultato.
Nel complesso questo volume può meritare 2 stelle e mezza, perché, per le tematiche trattate, non si può dire che sia invecchiato bene.
January 8, 2020
Fun. Very over the top and late sixties!
Yeesh, though. Steve and Sharon's relationship is really late sixties too and that hasn't aged well. Or maybe it was badly written at the time, too. Neither of you is this dense!
Sam, on the other hand, is neat. I guess this is where they officially start to work as a team, although they've clearly known each other already. At this point, Sam's Falcon suit does not include wings, which I wasn't expecting.
Yeesh, though. Steve and Sharon's relationship is really late sixties too and that hasn't aged well. Or maybe it was badly written at the time, too. Neither of you is this dense!
Sam, on the other hand, is neat. I guess this is where they officially start to work as a team, although they've clearly known each other already. At this point, Sam's Falcon suit does not include wings, which I wasn't expecting.
October 6, 2017
A pretty decent collection, though much quicker to read than most volumes of the time. Many of the stories are stand alone, which makes them easier to get through as you're not compelled all the time to read the next issue.
October 23, 2024
This book was okay, I enjoyed it but I don't think I enjoyed it as much as the last one. The artwork was great and I'm a huge Gene Colan fan but this wasn't exactly the strongest storytelling I've read before.
November 20, 2019
This volume from the late sixties and early seventies has some classic Stan Lee dialogue flowing through the endless fight scenes. Plot? SMASH! WHAM! POW!
January 2, 2022
Appreciate the history, weak silver age writing.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews