What do you think?
Rate this book
Captain America (2004) (Collected Editions) #1-5
Captain America by Ed Brubaker Omnibus, Vol. 1
Collecting Eisner Award-nominated Best Writer Ed Brubaker's first 25 landmark issues of Captain America in one titanic tome, plus the Captain America 65th Anniversary Special and Winter Soldier: Winter Kills one-shots! This deluxe hardcover, fat-packed with extras, features the story that stunned readers worldwide and sent shockwaves through the entire Marvel Universe: the death of Captain America! Also including the return of Cap's wartime partner, Bucky Barnes, as the Winter Soldier; the death and life of his greatest enemy, the Red Skull; and the emergences of a new threat, General Aleksander Lukin, the head of one of the most powerful corporations in the world!
Collecting: Captain America 1-25, 65th Anniversary Special; Winter Soldier: Winter Kills
Collecting: Captain America 1-25, 65th Anniversary Special; Winter Soldier: Winter Kills
744 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2007
49 people are currently reading
1959 people want to read
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,798 books3,010 followersEd Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
November 24, 2024
Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, and Michael Lark had the audacity to bring back Bucky from the dead, and tell some of the best Captain America stories ever.
This book, the first part of a lengthy run by Brubaker as writer, was so good that it formed the foundation of the movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), a movie and comic nerds would argue would be in the running for the best comic book movie ever.
This collected edition is a book that invites itself well as a binge read, not only are more than a 2 year's worth of monthly comics, but the stories are so engaging that day will turn into night will turn into day without warning. It doubles as an arm workout too, because these omnibus books can get heavy.
This book, the first part of a lengthy run by Brubaker as writer, was so good that it formed the foundation of the movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), a movie and comic nerds would argue would be in the running for the best comic book movie ever.
This collected edition is a book that invites itself well as a binge read, not only are more than a 2 year's worth of monthly comics, but the stories are so engaging that day will turn into night will turn into day without warning. It doubles as an arm workout too, because these omnibus books can get heavy.
July 22, 2014
I cheated.
I'd recently read Captain America: Winter Soldier Ultimate Collection, so I did the skim, skim, skim thing over the first half of this book.
This sucker is a BEAST !
If you want to read the Winter Soldier storyline right up till the Death of Captain America, then grab this behemoth.
It stops after issue #25, so you're not going to get to read about the fallout from his death. I'm personally heading over to Captain America: The Death of Captain America, Vol. 1: The Death of the Dream next, for a re-read.
However, you do get a What If issue about Cap from the House of M., plus there are also a few other goodies thrown in for you collectors.
My favorite was the Spotlight interview with Brubaker where he said this:
"...Through that I think I rediscovered a love of reading for pure enjoyment. It opened my mind and now I realize that in my late teens and early 20s, I think I was full of it in the same way that almost all teenagers and young people tend to be full of it. I thought I knew everything about life and art and what was important, when in reality, reading for enjoyment, and writing things for people that they can get lost in- on a pure enjoyment level- is not a trivial thing in the least."
BOOM! Take that, all you artsy-fartsy twats.
Ed Brubaker just validated my Trashy Romance Novel shelf!
I think I may love him...
Ok. That probably wasn't what he was talking about, but I'm going to take it anyway.
Pbtttt!
I loved that the art was consistent throughout the entire book.
It has a dark feel to it, without looking all weird and twisted. So bonus points to Steven Epting and Mike Perkins for being able to complement the story, and yet not overpower the writing.
Overall, you really can't do better than this if you're looking for an omnibus collection.
I'd recently read Captain America: Winter Soldier Ultimate Collection, so I did the skim, skim, skim thing over the first half of this book.
This sucker is a BEAST !
If you want to read the Winter Soldier storyline right up till the Death of Captain America, then grab this behemoth.
It stops after issue #25, so you're not going to get to read about the fallout from his death. I'm personally heading over to Captain America: The Death of Captain America, Vol. 1: The Death of the Dream next, for a re-read.
However, you do get a What If issue about Cap from the House of M., plus there are also a few other goodies thrown in for you collectors.
My favorite was the Spotlight interview with Brubaker where he said this:
"...Through that I think I rediscovered a love of reading for pure enjoyment. It opened my mind and now I realize that in my late teens and early 20s, I think I was full of it in the same way that almost all teenagers and young people tend to be full of it. I thought I knew everything about life and art and what was important, when in reality, reading for enjoyment, and writing things for people that they can get lost in- on a pure enjoyment level- is not a trivial thing in the least."
BOOM! Take that, all you artsy-fartsy twats.
Ed Brubaker just validated my Trashy Romance Novel shelf!
I think I may love him...
Ok. That probably wasn't what he was talking about, but I'm going to take it anyway.
Pbtttt!
I loved that the art was consistent throughout the entire book.
It has a dark feel to it, without looking all weird and twisted. So bonus points to Steven Epting and Mike Perkins for being able to complement the story, and yet not overpower the writing.
Overall, you really can't do better than this if you're looking for an omnibus collection.
October 19, 2015
4.5 stars.
A great book and the best telling of Captain America or any Marvel character I've ever read except maybe Brubaker's Daredevil. Who would have thought that a character with such a stupid name could be so awesome to read about.
I've read so much Brubaker recently, he is just flawless with his plots and the art in this volume was great. Most of the characters were great and the best ones got the most airtime. I really want to see more of the winter solider, he's so badass, but I'm really not a fan of the falcon in this volume, he's more boring than iron man.
There are some great tie ins within this book, my favourite being the 65th anniversary edition of how Bucky falls in love during the war. My worst being the House of M tie in, though not written by Brubaker, it's just in here for completeness at the end.
Overall a fantastic book and I look forward to reading the others.
A great book and the best telling of Captain America or any Marvel character I've ever read except maybe Brubaker's Daredevil. Who would have thought that a character with such a stupid name could be so awesome to read about.
I've read so much Brubaker recently, he is just flawless with his plots and the art in this volume was great. Most of the characters were great and the best ones got the most airtime. I really want to see more of the winter solider, he's so badass, but I'm really not a fan of the falcon in this volume, he's more boring than iron man.
There are some great tie ins within this book, my favourite being the 65th anniversary edition of how Bucky falls in love during the war. My worst being the House of M tie in, though not written by Brubaker, it's just in here for completeness at the end.
Overall a fantastic book and I look forward to reading the others.
January 25, 2025
4.25 stars. This was great. I read the first 14 issues a few years back so it was since to finally get to the stuff after that. Re-reading those first 14 issues was a nice reminder of how awesome this story is. And the stuff after, 15-25 was just as great as well as the one shots. Brubaker was crafting something epic here and Epting was on his A game with the art. It was a joy to look at. Anyone who was a fan of the Captain America Winter Soldier MCU movie and hasn’t read this, this was where they pulled from. I was caught all up in this story as it rolled along. Great use of the characters like Red Skull, Crossbones, Agent 13, Nick Fury and others. Cap was a straight badass in here. One nitpick I would have was I wished the fight between Winter Soldier and Cap when the first met was a little longer and when they met again after Bucky remembers who he is was had a little more pizazz. But other than that, this was a top tier comic experience. Highly recommended if for some reason still haven’t read this.
August 27, 2012
This thing is massive. 27 issues in all (Captain America 1-25, the 65th anniversary special, and the Winter Soldier one-shot). It's got the entire Winter Soldier storyline, all the way through the Civil War stuff. I had already read the first half or so of the Winter Soldier story in a different trade.
I remember saying in the 90s, "Nobody in comics is really dead, except Jason Todd, Bucky, and Uncle Ben." It's a much shorter phrase now. But I'll be honest, although the idea of resurrecting Bucky really irritated me (he'd been dead, what, 40 years?) the execution of the concept ended up being one of the best comic book resurrections I can recall reading. It makes (comic book) sense and requires very little in the way of suspension of disbelief (or eye rolling, for that matter). And what's done with Bucky once he actually starts to show up again is great, and it brings in a character that could be really interesting.
The Civil War stuff... It's ok. Brubaker seems to deal with it as little as possible, which is totally fine by me, and what is there is handled about as well as it could be. The ending of issue 25 has a sucker punch at the end that I didn't see coming.
The 65th anniversary issue is a retro story, set during World War II and starring Cap himself, Bucky, and Sgt. Fury's Howling Commandos. Awesome. The Winter Soldier one-shot was a great story, and I especially liked getting to spend some considerable time in Bucky's head.
And then there's House of M. I have to wonder how Brubaker (or any other writer who wasn't working on an X-book) felt when they got the editorial directive that they had to spend a month in an alternate reality, their own storylines be damned. The issue of Captain America (#10) is so out of context compared with the actual story that it's published at the back of this collection. Brubaker may have hated having his story interrupted for this, but the end result is really fantastic, and one of my favorite single issues of the collection. In short, Cap never got frozen and actually lived through the decades that followed. It's a great opportunity to show his integrity without the mask.
About the only drawback this particular collection has is that it's so heavy it could give you carpal tunnel. Prop it up on something while you read it, or just get the shorter trades, but read it in any event.
I remember saying in the 90s, "Nobody in comics is really dead, except Jason Todd, Bucky, and Uncle Ben." It's a much shorter phrase now. But I'll be honest, although the idea of resurrecting Bucky really irritated me (he'd been dead, what, 40 years?) the execution of the concept ended up being one of the best comic book resurrections I can recall reading. It makes (comic book) sense and requires very little in the way of suspension of disbelief (or eye rolling, for that matter). And what's done with Bucky once he actually starts to show up again is great, and it brings in a character that could be really interesting.
The Civil War stuff... It's ok. Brubaker seems to deal with it as little as possible, which is totally fine by me, and what is there is handled about as well as it could be. The ending of issue 25 has a sucker punch at the end that I didn't see coming.
The 65th anniversary issue is a retro story, set during World War II and starring Cap himself, Bucky, and Sgt. Fury's Howling Commandos. Awesome. The Winter Soldier one-shot was a great story, and I especially liked getting to spend some considerable time in Bucky's head.
And then there's House of M. I have to wonder how Brubaker (or any other writer who wasn't working on an X-book) felt when they got the editorial directive that they had to spend a month in an alternate reality, their own storylines be damned. The issue of Captain America (#10) is so out of context compared with the actual story that it's published at the back of this collection. Brubaker may have hated having his story interrupted for this, but the end result is really fantastic, and one of my favorite single issues of the collection. In short, Cap never got frozen and actually lived through the decades that followed. It's a great opportunity to show his integrity without the mask.
About the only drawback this particular collection has is that it's so heavy it could give you carpal tunnel. Prop it up on something while you read it, or just get the shorter trades, but read it in any event.
February 19, 2024
Overall I'd highly recommend this book to fans of Brubaker and Captain America (especially fans of the Winter Soldier movie).
I love Brubaker's interpretation of all the characters here. The plot is intriguing and fast-paced. Great art throughout although I did find some of the color to be a bit too dark and drab at times. The digital effects are starting to show their age.
I love Brubaker's interpretation of all the characters here. The plot is intriguing and fast-paced. Great art throughout although I did find some of the color to be a bit too dark and drab at times. The digital effects are starting to show their age.
March 21, 2021
Wow, what a read, great pacing and although the latter few issues is somewhat badly affected by the Civil War event, the ending is a bit of a year jerker in a way. Ed Brubaker shines here with his take on the spy genre. I'll definitely read this again and again.
December 31, 2019
Great Captain America run (and absolutely essential for Winter Soldier fans). There are a few filler issues here and I wish the actual fight between Cap and Bucky was a bit more epic, though (it's definitely a "blink and you miss it" fight).
January 30, 2018
So good! Really lives up to the Hype... Brubaker is the best.
1 Down, 4 to go :)
1 Down, 4 to go :)
June 16, 2022
Brubaker's work really benefits from an omnibus collection, because this is a single story in 25 issues (and it goes on beyond that). Beyond that, it's a pretty great story about loss, about tragedy, about redemption. It's also a fine espionage story with twists, double-twists, and backstabbing.
All around, still a fine read.
All around, still a fine read.
February 12, 2025
Never was a fan of Captain America, although I am a huge fan of Ed Brubaker and he did not disappoint in this book. Steve Epting's art is amazing in this, I really enjoyed the look of realism, as opposed to a more cartoonish look.
January 13, 2009
Ed Brubaker's Captain America run has been pretty astonishing, not just because of the solid level of craft involved, but because he's managed to do what every writer who has written Cap for the last 10 or so years has said they were going to do: Incorporate politics, action and superheroes and do it well. A little Tom Clancy, a little 24, and a lot of Marvel characters.
This is the start of Brubaker's run, but it's also the swansong for Steve Rogers, the original Captain America. This hardcover collects the first twenty-five issues of Brubaker's run, which ends (not really a spoiler unless you don't follow the news) with Cap being killed. It's a dark story, and one fraught with potential problems, especially if you're a long-time fan of the character as I am.
But Brubaker makes it work, and follows up on it nicely (although that's not the job of this Omnibus). It's the culmination of a gigantic plot by Cap's longtime foe the Red Skull, now fused with a corporate raider/ex-Soviet general (it's two post-Cold War villain archetypes in one!), and it's also the climax of a story involving Cap reuniting with his lost love Sharon Carter, a SHIELD agent who was brought back in the '90s by Mark Waid but who really comes into her own as a character in Brubaker's action-by-way-of-noir book.
The artwork by Steve Epting, Mike Perkins and the rest is phenomenal as well. I'll always hold up the Mark Gruenwald Cap as my ideal Cap, a guy who was more than a little bit liberal, who represented an unrealistically noble spirit of the American dream, but Brubaker's Cap, a more realistic portrayal of the cracking of the symbol of America in a fractured post-Bush world, is pretty damn entertaining.
This is the start of Brubaker's run, but it's also the swansong for Steve Rogers, the original Captain America. This hardcover collects the first twenty-five issues of Brubaker's run, which ends (not really a spoiler unless you don't follow the news) with Cap being killed. It's a dark story, and one fraught with potential problems, especially if you're a long-time fan of the character as I am.
But Brubaker makes it work, and follows up on it nicely (although that's not the job of this Omnibus). It's the culmination of a gigantic plot by Cap's longtime foe the Red Skull, now fused with a corporate raider/ex-Soviet general (it's two post-Cold War villain archetypes in one!), and it's also the climax of a story involving Cap reuniting with his lost love Sharon Carter, a SHIELD agent who was brought back in the '90s by Mark Waid but who really comes into her own as a character in Brubaker's action-by-way-of-noir book.
The artwork by Steve Epting, Mike Perkins and the rest is phenomenal as well. I'll always hold up the Mark Gruenwald Cap as my ideal Cap, a guy who was more than a little bit liberal, who represented an unrealistically noble spirit of the American dream, but Brubaker's Cap, a more realistic portrayal of the cracking of the symbol of America in a fractured post-Bush world, is pretty damn entertaining.
July 27, 2010
Brubaker did the impossible: he made Bucky a badass. Captain America has never been this good, and likely never will be again.
April 20, 2021
This is a much-loved run that I always meant to get around to... someday... so I went all in on the Omnibus, the first 700+ pages of Brubaker's Captain America. It was a good choice.
Ultimately, it's too war, too murder, too masc4masc for me to really take to heart as an all-time personal favorite, but I can't fault it for quality or ambition. It reads more like a good novel than probably any Marvel comic, ever, while still being rooted in the character's history.
Ultimately, it's too war, too murder, too masc4masc for me to really take to heart as an all-time personal favorite, but I can't fault it for quality or ambition. It reads more like a good novel than probably any Marvel comic, ever, while still being rooted in the character's history.
June 16, 2015
Ed Brubaker's run on Captain America is historic for many reasons.The chief of these being the return of Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier. This change has been felt on television and of course in the recent film.
Brubaker's storytelling is bold, daring, and in-your face. The 1st Issue features the mad-schemeing of the Red Skull and ends with the Skull getting a bullet through his brain. From there, we're on a dark journey for Cap, his friends, and allies, as Cap hopes to find a little bit of Bucky buried within the assassin brain of the Winter Soldier and even after finding Bucky the two can't reunite, can't pick up and the search continues.
Brubaker's tales are tales of espionage, intrigue, and psychological suffering. At the same time, there's tips of the hats to the Invaders and a story in a more traditional style in honor of Caps 65th Anniversary. At the same time, There are many words that can be used to describe Brubaker's run: Evocative, intelligent, frightening, riveting, intriguing.
Yet, there's one word I wouldn't use to describe this book: Fun.
This is a serious book, a very well-written, well-drawn tale but as serious as a stroke followed by a heart attack. It's unremittingly, unrepently grim, gritty, and dark. If that's what you want, you'll love this book. You have Sin being tortured by Crossbones to undo her programming and turn her back into a psycho killer. You have an entire issue dedicated to Jack Monroe sharing his final dreary days. You have Sharon Cartyer's decline into crazyland and the emotional and psychological pain that's coming up on her like a ton of bricks at the end of this volume. And to double darkness, you have four stories set against the backdrop of the ultimate Hero v. Hero event, Civil War. Again, if you like dark comics, you'll really enjoy this book, probably more than I did.
Brubaker's storytelling is bold, daring, and in-your face. The 1st Issue features the mad-schemeing of the Red Skull and ends with the Skull getting a bullet through his brain. From there, we're on a dark journey for Cap, his friends, and allies, as Cap hopes to find a little bit of Bucky buried within the assassin brain of the Winter Soldier and even after finding Bucky the two can't reunite, can't pick up and the search continues.
Brubaker's tales are tales of espionage, intrigue, and psychological suffering. At the same time, there's tips of the hats to the Invaders and a story in a more traditional style in honor of Caps 65th Anniversary. At the same time, There are many words that can be used to describe Brubaker's run: Evocative, intelligent, frightening, riveting, intriguing.
Yet, there's one word I wouldn't use to describe this book: Fun.
This is a serious book, a very well-written, well-drawn tale but as serious as a stroke followed by a heart attack. It's unremittingly, unrepently grim, gritty, and dark. If that's what you want, you'll love this book. You have Sin being tortured by Crossbones to undo her programming and turn her back into a psycho killer. You have an entire issue dedicated to Jack Monroe sharing his final dreary days. You have Sharon Cartyer's decline into crazyland and the emotional and psychological pain that's coming up on her like a ton of bricks at the end of this volume. And to double darkness, you have four stories set against the backdrop of the ultimate Hero v. Hero event, Civil War. Again, if you like dark comics, you'll really enjoy this book, probably more than I did.
March 25, 2014
Let me preface this by saying, I'm a person who has never been overly fond of the character that is Captain America simply because his origin is WW2 and fighting Nazis (boring), and in the words of Loki, Captain America is the type of person only interested in having "a rousing discussion about truth, honor, patriotism. God bless America!". Captain America is traditionally a character who sees everything in black and white. However, I picked this up because it contains Winter Soldier and Winter Soldier has a rep for being great and the movie comes out soon.
What Brubaker and Epting do makes for one of the best omnibuses I've read. While CA may see things in black and white, that doesn't mean the situation always is (i.e. who's behind the nefarious plot, what are their motives, and how should CA act when he does find out who is). In short, it's sort of a crime thriller/mystery with wrapped up in super hero, and I'm a sucker for mysteries. While not every collected issue ends in a cliffhanger, the plot and art has such force that I'd keep reading and flipping pages until the wee hours of the morning. There's lots of fun things to be had in the issues as well, flashbacks done in black and white, retro comic style, and a well done issue with Cap and the Howlers in complete reworked retro style.
I'm not a huge fan of the Cap as a character, but these issues aren't solely about Cap and Nazis, you have an interesting set of characters that drive the plot as well like Agent 13, Falcon, and the Winter Soldier. All in all, an absolutely thrilling read even despite my prejudices towards Cap. Definitely will give the next two omnibuses in the series a gander as well.
What Brubaker and Epting do makes for one of the best omnibuses I've read. While CA may see things in black and white, that doesn't mean the situation always is (i.e. who's behind the nefarious plot, what are their motives, and how should CA act when he does find out who is). In short, it's sort of a crime thriller/mystery with wrapped up in super hero, and I'm a sucker for mysteries. While not every collected issue ends in a cliffhanger, the plot and art has such force that I'd keep reading and flipping pages until the wee hours of the morning. There's lots of fun things to be had in the issues as well, flashbacks done in black and white, retro comic style, and a well done issue with Cap and the Howlers in complete reworked retro style.
I'm not a huge fan of the Cap as a character, but these issues aren't solely about Cap and Nazis, you have an interesting set of characters that drive the plot as well like Agent 13, Falcon, and the Winter Soldier. All in all, an absolutely thrilling read even despite my prejudices towards Cap. Definitely will give the next two omnibuses in the series a gander as well.
October 20, 2020
This was my first time reading a Cap solo book and I’m glad I started here. The writing is excellent - it’s engaging and entertaining.
It’s as a grounded as a Marvel book can be. It treats the character with respect and doesn’t shy away from the silliness and the fantastic elements that surround him. Again, just great stuff. The art is also pretty consistent throughout in this first omni. Long runs can often suffer from inconsistencies, but this one doesn’t disappoint.
We deal with a lot of villains here (e.g., the Winter Soldier, the Red Skull, General Lukin) and with stories that go back decades, but Brubaker manages to keep everything in perfect order for the reader. I watched the Winter Soldier and Civil War before reading this one and there are elements I like more from the movie, but overall, this is a great template.
My favorite issue in this omni is issue #7 - “The Lonesome Death of Jack Monroe”. It’s fantastic and a great example of the highs of Brubaker’s run. It truly stands out to me.
Also, the more I read the book, the more I hated Civil War - which prior to this was a somewhat favorite of mine. The run doesn’t get interrupted too much (either by Civil War or by House of M), but there are few bits and pieces where it seems clear to me that Brubaker just had to do his best to deal with them, somehow. I think he did as good a job as any, and if you read the extras in the back, you can see that he definitely did the best he could with the cards he was dealt.
Overall, 9/10 for the art and story.
It’s as a grounded as a Marvel book can be. It treats the character with respect and doesn’t shy away from the silliness and the fantastic elements that surround him. Again, just great stuff. The art is also pretty consistent throughout in this first omni. Long runs can often suffer from inconsistencies, but this one doesn’t disappoint.
We deal with a lot of villains here (e.g., the Winter Soldier, the Red Skull, General Lukin) and with stories that go back decades, but Brubaker manages to keep everything in perfect order for the reader. I watched the Winter Soldier and Civil War before reading this one and there are elements I like more from the movie, but overall, this is a great template.
My favorite issue in this omni is issue #7 - “The Lonesome Death of Jack Monroe”. It’s fantastic and a great example of the highs of Brubaker’s run. It truly stands out to me.
Also, the more I read the book, the more I hated Civil War - which prior to this was a somewhat favorite of mine. The run doesn’t get interrupted too much (either by Civil War or by House of M), but there are few bits and pieces where it seems clear to me that Brubaker just had to do his best to deal with them, somehow. I think he did as good a job as any, and if you read the extras in the back, you can see that he definitely did the best he could with the cards he was dealt.
Overall, 9/10 for the art and story.
December 13, 2011
Collecting issues 1-25 and the Winter Solider: Winter Kills one shot, this collection is a great place to start for anyone wanting to get into Captain America.
I never much got into Cap Am. I knew who he was, sure, and I’d read some Avengers work with him in it… but he never seemed that interesting to me. A super soldier who wears a flag and tosses a shield around… it has it’s charms, but not much appeal to me. I picked up this volume after consistently hearing the critical praise for the run, noting the Eisner Awards, and getting a recommendation from a friend. In short, it’s terrific.
Brubaker writes engaging characters – the drama manages to feel genuine, grounded, and impactful. Storylines that seem trite on the surface are handled deftly, and the art by Steve Epting is dynamic yet shadowy, immersing Cap in the real world in a way that the fully lit depictions of the solider can’t, making him seem like a real soldier rather than a brightly coloured advertisement for America and toys. It’s perfect in establishing the tone of the book – serious and dramatic.
This really is a case of the work being “more than it seems”. To describe the story arcs provides little insight into what you’re in for. All I can say is that the story work is great, the character work top notch, and the art terrific. I flew through the 600+ pages in no time at all.
A great place to start for those interested in Captain America, and just a great overall comic.
I never much got into Cap Am. I knew who he was, sure, and I’d read some Avengers work with him in it… but he never seemed that interesting to me. A super soldier who wears a flag and tosses a shield around… it has it’s charms, but not much appeal to me. I picked up this volume after consistently hearing the critical praise for the run, noting the Eisner Awards, and getting a recommendation from a friend. In short, it’s terrific.
Brubaker writes engaging characters – the drama manages to feel genuine, grounded, and impactful. Storylines that seem trite on the surface are handled deftly, and the art by Steve Epting is dynamic yet shadowy, immersing Cap in the real world in a way that the fully lit depictions of the solider can’t, making him seem like a real soldier rather than a brightly coloured advertisement for America and toys. It’s perfect in establishing the tone of the book – serious and dramatic.
This really is a case of the work being “more than it seems”. To describe the story arcs provides little insight into what you’re in for. All I can say is that the story work is great, the character work top notch, and the art terrific. I flew through the 600+ pages in no time at all.
A great place to start for those interested in Captain America, and just a great overall comic.
April 25, 2013
Brubaker takes the trope of Cap as 'man out of time' and works it masterfully, allowing longtime readers like myself to learn something new about the greatest Avenger. By taking us through memories of World War II, we learn about how Steve Rogers, just an eighteen year-old recruit became the leader he is seen as today, and we learn much more about who and what Bucky was to Cap's missions in Europe.
Brilliant storytelling by Brubaker is elevated by Epting's art, who brings grittiness and shadows to the world of Captain America, while keeping the heroism of his iconic appearance intact. This storyline would be great with Brubake and any other artist; Epting's work makes it incredible.
Brilliant storytelling by Brubaker is elevated by Epting's art, who brings grittiness and shadows to the world of Captain America, while keeping the heroism of his iconic appearance intact. This storyline would be great with Brubake and any other artist; Epting's work makes it incredible.
December 10, 2009
Top 3 issues of Captain America Omnibus:
1) Captain America 65th Anniversary Special
2) Issue #11: How Bucky become Winter Solider.
3) Winter Soldier: Winter Kills One Shot.
1) Captain America 65th Anniversary Special
2) Issue #11: How Bucky become Winter Solider.
3) Winter Soldier: Winter Kills One Shot.
June 7, 2025
Winter soldier: Bucky was really cool, very talkative and the winter soldier file was so cool. Would have been 4 stars if Sharon didn’t PMO like she does in the movies. The squad assembling towards the end was peak. I love Bucky 4ever and always
Red menace 1: I hated Sharon less in this! But not much happens and the skulls daughter is borrrrrrring
Red menace 2: I see how this is going to set up civil war and I did like seeing how the red skull/lukin team up was going but the characters were just kinda boring in this one unfortunately:(
Cap 10: Ouch
Civil war: I’m actually pissed this was so peak until the last 10 pages WHYYYYYY WOULD HE DO THAT
Cap Civil war : this was cute, time to get my heart broken 🫠
Cap 25: me when the doctor hypnotizes me to spiral
Red menace 1: I hated Sharon less in this! But not much happens and the skulls daughter is borrrrrrring
Red menace 2: I see how this is going to set up civil war and I did like seeing how the red skull/lukin team up was going but the characters were just kinda boring in this one unfortunately:(
Cap 10: Ouch
Civil war: I’m actually pissed this was so peak until the last 10 pages WHYYYYYY WOULD HE DO THAT
Cap Civil war : this was cute, time to get my heart broken 🫠
Cap 25: me when the doctor hypnotizes me to spiral
March 26, 2011
Brubaker's a good writer; that's an absolute given. And he understands the character of Captain America; that's arguable, but a fair assessment in my opinion.
But sometimes, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.
I liked the resurrection of Bucky storyline ("Winter Soldier") more than I thought I would, though I always conceded it to be a good idea.
Exploring what an icon like Captain America is, and what the loss of him would mean to this country is a good idea. But in killing Steve Rogers the problem becomes "where do we go from here?"
Point of fact, Steve Rogers is Captain America. It isn't the suit. For the last 44 years Captain America has been a man out of time, a man who grew up in the Great Depression and fought WWII who is still young and looking at the 21st century through those eyes. So, while we may have pretenders to the title for a few years (Bucky has taken over the role right now), it's only a matter of time before Steve Rogers is in turn resurrected.
With that in mind, the next chapters should be interesting (Brubaker is still writing the series, and we almost have enough issues to fill a second Omnibus volume).
But sometimes, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.
I liked the resurrection of Bucky storyline ("Winter Soldier") more than I thought I would, though I always conceded it to be a good idea.
Exploring what an icon like Captain America is, and what the loss of him would mean to this country is a good idea. But in killing Steve Rogers the problem becomes "where do we go from here?"
Point of fact, Steve Rogers is Captain America. It isn't the suit. For the last 44 years Captain America has been a man out of time, a man who grew up in the Great Depression and fought WWII who is still young and looking at the 21st century through those eyes. So, while we may have pretenders to the title for a few years (Bucky has taken over the role right now), it's only a matter of time before Steve Rogers is in turn resurrected.
With that in mind, the next chapters should be interesting (Brubaker is still writing the series, and we almost have enough issues to fill a second Omnibus volume).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2014
This is a really nice collection. It’s been awhile since I read an epic collection like this. It was cool how there were separate stories, but it was really one long story. I’m wondering if the writer intended it to be collected and read it one massive book.
The art is really fantastic. The Artist seems to be able to switch between action and talking no problem. He also does the fighting scenes really well. I always imagine Captain America would move through a fight with the violence of a linebacker, and the grace of a ballerina. It can be difficult to capture movement like that when you’re working with still pictures, but it was all pulled off well.
The biggest let down was that I knew what the two biggest surprises would be. Since I knew what those where going to happen I wasn’t as blown away by these BIG events as I meant to be. I was also unhappy when Captain America and Winter Solider finally meet. I was expecting something much bigger.
Over all it was a very good read.
The art is really fantastic. The Artist seems to be able to switch between action and talking no problem. He also does the fighting scenes really well. I always imagine Captain America would move through a fight with the violence of a linebacker, and the grace of a ballerina. It can be difficult to capture movement like that when you’re working with still pictures, but it was all pulled off well.
The biggest let down was that I knew what the two biggest surprises would be. Since I knew what those where going to happen I wasn’t as blown away by these BIG events as I meant to be. I was also unhappy when Captain America and Winter Solider finally meet. I was expecting something much bigger.
Over all it was a very good read.
January 31, 2017
What really need be said here? You've got Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting, one of the best creative teams out there, creating the seminal Captain America run.
You've got The Red Skull, the origin of The Winter Soldier, plenty of WWII flashbacks, big battles and intrigue. Always intrigue. And It's just getting started too.
Brubaker's style seems to have had more influence than previously realized, for this run heralds the coming of a darker Marvel universe. From rebel Avengers to Normans Thunderbolts, things start getting crazy. Plus all of the skrulls. Skrulls everywhere.
Focusing on this book though, its just really well done. Grounded and believable, thanks to Epting-- his AIM suits are the best.
It's hard to call this anything other than solid. A Great read, highly recommended.
You've got The Red Skull, the origin of The Winter Soldier, plenty of WWII flashbacks, big battles and intrigue. Always intrigue. And It's just getting started too.
Brubaker's style seems to have had more influence than previously realized, for this run heralds the coming of a darker Marvel universe. From rebel Avengers to Normans Thunderbolts, things start getting crazy. Plus all of the skrulls. Skrulls everywhere.
Focusing on this book though, its just really well done. Grounded and believable, thanks to Epting-- his AIM suits are the best.
It's hard to call this anything other than solid. A Great read, highly recommended.
April 12, 2021
4.5 stars
I mostly wanted to read this for the Winter Soldier storyline, and oh I'm glad I did! That was amazing, writing at its best! I absolutely loved all the flashbacks and the background to how Bucky became the Winter Soldier (Bucky has really become a favorite character of mine by now). Steve has also really grown on me (at least this version).
Also since I'd already read the Civil War issues on their own, they now finally made sense and it was nice to see the build up of the entire series that eventually leads to Cap's death and the aftermath of it.
I rounded down my rating simply because I'm picky and I didn't enjoy some issues as much as I did the Winter Soldier ones.
Highly recommend this series!
I mostly wanted to read this for the Winter Soldier storyline, and oh I'm glad I did! That was amazing, writing at its best! I absolutely loved all the flashbacks and the background to how Bucky became the Winter Soldier (Bucky has really become a favorite character of mine by now). Steve has also really grown on me (at least this version).
Also since I'd already read the Civil War issues on their own, they now finally made sense and it was nice to see the build up of the entire series that eventually leads to Cap's death and the aftermath of it.
I rounded down my rating simply because I'm picky and I didn't enjoy some issues as much as I did the Winter Soldier ones.
Highly recommend this series!
February 26, 2015
Hmm, adding this volume seems a quicker way than trying to figure out which TPB collections were in it... not so good for my annual reading target, but hey. Saves cluttering this up with a dozen TPBs.
Captain America. Never thought I'd enjoy it, but I read one in one of the crossover events, and was interested enough to go and read the rest. And lo and behold I suddenly found myself really enjoying this series.
Captain America. Never thought I'd enjoy it, but I read one in one of the crossover events, and was interested enough to go and read the rest. And lo and behold I suddenly found myself really enjoying this series.
September 20, 2015
I read this after reading the 'death of Captain America' novelization. I should say, I reread this. I think Ed Brubaker's series is one of the best runs of Captain America on the market. I also love the artwork in this series. It is phenomenal. The praise might be too high, but for me it still stands. It is better than the prior two to three iterations of the series that came out before this series [volumes 2 - 4]. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it again. The series had action and adventure, it had super-powered melees, it had spies and saboteurs and assassins, it had advanced technology, and it had romance. It even did what was once considered impossible!
Ed Brubaker did the same thing that Josh Whedon was able to do with Colossus of the X-Men - Brubaker was able to bring back to life a beloved character in such a way that was somewhat believable and able to be accepted by the fans of Captain America. For the longest time, Bucky, Gwen Stacy and Uncle Ben have been three characters that could never be brought back to life. There have been clones of Gwen and alternate-reality Uncle Ben's who have appeared in the comics, and there have been pseudo-Bucky's, but the real deal could only appear in flashbacks.
After having reread 'Civil War' and then rereading this, I cannot help but wonder how much ahead of time Brubaker knew about what was going to happen with the 'Civil War' series and began laying that foundation in this series. For instance, Philadelphia is partially destroyed by a bomb, and the public knows that metahumans were involved in this act of terrorism. Yet I do not remember any mention of this act of terror being mentioned in any of the other Marvel series out at the time. Then we have a blurb about how Congress is considering legislation to force metahumans to register with the government. Finally, metahumans are involved in a melee that destroys a large swath of London and places in danger a number of government officials. So in addition to Stamford we have the foundation put in place of the SHRA to be enacted by Congress. Of course people are going to demand the government take action to protect the general population in light of such activity!
It is funny, because after reading the run collected in this omnibus, I still do not get that strength of the feelings that Larry Hama indicated Sharon Carter had in the novelization [which starts around issue 22 and runs until issue 42 in terms of what was adapted] in regard to the SHRA. We know she has issues, as they are discussed after-the-fact in each case, but I do not think the comics reveal the same level of intensity. Which is okay - I am sure others have read this and would disagree with me.
This time around, I did notice more revealing lines/phrases than I had noticed previously . They came across as innocuous parts of the conversations and could be easily missed/overlooked [as they were in my case].
I still think Fury's comparing the SHRA with either Nazi Germany or the Communists in Russia to be a bit extreme. I also think it is a bit hypocritical, because Nick Fury states 'that's not the America I fought for' [in WWII] yet America interned [imprisoned] Japanese-Americans during WWII for 'protection' as this segment of society was viewed as being even less trustworthy than German-Americans and Italian-Americans. The SHRA required metahumans to register with the government; if they wanted to 'serve' [i.e. - stop crimes, enforce the laws] they would be expected to undergo training so that they could safely control their powers and to be held accountable for their mistakes if negligence was involved. Otherwise, they could not use their powers to enforce the law [as in, get involved in super-powered melees]. Realistically and legally, these costumed characters are technically breaking the law by battling metahuman criminals; we also know that characters like Daredevil and Batman are not above using force and terror to make people talk. In addition, despite their claims of being 'morally right,' they are still attempting to force their interpretation of the law and how it should be enforced upon the criminals they battle. This is not really any different than what they complained the government wanted to do with the SHRA. But I digress.
I do think it funny how the three issues directly tying into the Civil War series did not seem to focus exclusively on Captain America. It was like his character was hijacked for the miniseries, and he had to 'take a bye' in his series to star in the miniseries. There was a lot going on in the C.A. comics by this point, so I am impressed that Brubaker was able to tie it in so well with the Civil War series [which makes me think he knew about it well before his run reached the point where it was going to have to tie into the Civil War 'event'. Cap definitely seemed more level-headed in his own series when he showed up than how he was portrayed in the Civil War series itself.
I think the 'goofiest'/dumbest 'scene' in this series is what we discover about Sharon Carter , about how she shot the final three bullets that killed Captain America. I know the panels implied that people were looking everywhere for who fired the first shot as well as if there were any more snipers. Yet the panels clearly show there were US Marshals around Cap as he lay on the ground, and one was cradling his head. Yet none of them saw Sharon Carter point her gun and shoot him three more times in the abdomen? Really? One can only conclude that the US Marshals [especially the one right there when she shot him] had to also have been under the control of Dr. Faustus [which is equally hard to believe].
I find it interesting that nobody can duplicate the Super-Soldier Serum to create more soldiers/men like Captain America, yet the Red Skull was able to create Super Soldiers in WWII .
I still despise Brock and Sin. They are horrific characters. I realize they are foils to show how innately 'good' Captain America is, yet they are never 'punished' for their multiple murders committed through the course of the series. Perhaps they only murder people in states that do not have a death penalty? Hah! Not likely. Perhaps the murders are 'okay' because they kill a lot of other villains in this run as opposed to just killing innocent people? The way Brock goes about returning Sin's memories and personalities to her are more than a little disturbing. I know comics strive for some kind of 'realism' for today's 'sophisticated audience,' but sometimes [often] they go farther than they need to in order to portray how sadistic/evil a villain is.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this series. I loved the artwork. I loved the flashbacks to the past. I loved how Brubaker was able to reintroduce Bucky Barnes back into the Marvel U in such a way that was acceptable and made him into an even more beloved character. I know I have touched on some of my dislikes/frustrations with the series [especially the Civil War tie-in issues], but those frustrations/dislikes did not take away from my overall enjoyment of reading this run of issues. I think this is a series I would highly recommend to somebody wanting to start reading about Captain America. It was an amazing mishmash of different genres used to tell this amazing story that Brubaker had to tell.
Ed Brubaker did the same thing that Josh Whedon was able to do with Colossus of the X-Men - Brubaker was able to bring back to life a beloved character in such a way that was somewhat believable and able to be accepted by the fans of Captain America. For the longest time, Bucky, Gwen Stacy and Uncle Ben have been three characters that could never be brought back to life. There have been clones of Gwen and alternate-reality Uncle Ben's who have appeared in the comics, and there have been pseudo-Bucky's, but the real deal could only appear in flashbacks.
After having reread 'Civil War' and then rereading this, I cannot help but wonder how much ahead of time Brubaker knew about what was going to happen with the 'Civil War' series and began laying that foundation in this series. For instance, Philadelphia is partially destroyed by a bomb, and the public knows that metahumans were involved in this act of terrorism. Yet I do not remember any mention of this act of terror being mentioned in any of the other Marvel series out at the time. Then we have a blurb about how Congress is considering legislation to force metahumans to register with the government. Finally, metahumans are involved in a melee that destroys a large swath of London and places in danger a number of government officials. So in addition to Stamford we have the foundation put in place of the SHRA to be enacted by Congress. Of course people are going to demand the government take action to protect the general population in light of such activity!
It is funny, because after reading the run collected in this omnibus, I still do not get that strength of the feelings that Larry Hama indicated Sharon Carter had in the novelization [which starts around issue 22 and runs until issue 42 in terms of what was adapted] in regard to the SHRA. We know she has issues, as they are discussed after-the-fact in each case, but I do not think the comics reveal the same level of intensity. Which is okay - I am sure others have read this and would disagree with me.
This time around, I did notice more revealing lines/phrases than I had noticed previously . They came across as innocuous parts of the conversations and could be easily missed/overlooked [as they were in my case].
I still think Fury's comparing the SHRA with either Nazi Germany or the Communists in Russia to be a bit extreme. I also think it is a bit hypocritical, because Nick Fury states 'that's not the America I fought for' [in WWII] yet America interned [imprisoned] Japanese-Americans during WWII for 'protection' as this segment of society was viewed as being even less trustworthy than German-Americans and Italian-Americans. The SHRA required metahumans to register with the government; if they wanted to 'serve' [i.e. - stop crimes, enforce the laws] they would be expected to undergo training so that they could safely control their powers and to be held accountable for their mistakes if negligence was involved. Otherwise, they could not use their powers to enforce the law [as in, get involved in super-powered melees]. Realistically and legally, these costumed characters are technically breaking the law by battling metahuman criminals; we also know that characters like Daredevil and Batman are not above using force and terror to make people talk. In addition, despite their claims of being 'morally right,' they are still attempting to force their interpretation of the law and how it should be enforced upon the criminals they battle. This is not really any different than what they complained the government wanted to do with the SHRA. But I digress.
I do think it funny how the three issues directly tying into the Civil War series did not seem to focus exclusively on Captain America. It was like his character was hijacked for the miniseries, and he had to 'take a bye' in his series to star in the miniseries. There was a lot going on in the C.A. comics by this point, so I am impressed that Brubaker was able to tie it in so well with the Civil War series [which makes me think he knew about it well before his run reached the point where it was going to have to tie into the Civil War 'event'. Cap definitely seemed more level-headed in his own series when he showed up than how he was portrayed in the Civil War series itself.
I think the 'goofiest'/dumbest 'scene' in this series is what we discover about Sharon Carter , about how she shot the final three bullets that killed Captain America. I know the panels implied that people were looking everywhere for who fired the first shot as well as if there were any more snipers. Yet the panels clearly show there were US Marshals around Cap as he lay on the ground, and one was cradling his head. Yet none of them saw Sharon Carter point her gun and shoot him three more times in the abdomen? Really? One can only conclude that the US Marshals [especially the one right there when she shot him] had to also have been under the control of Dr. Faustus [which is equally hard to believe].
I find it interesting that nobody can duplicate the Super-Soldier Serum to create more soldiers/men like Captain America, yet the Red Skull was able to create Super Soldiers in WWII .
I still despise Brock and Sin. They are horrific characters. I realize they are foils to show how innately 'good' Captain America is, yet they are never 'punished' for their multiple murders committed through the course of the series. Perhaps they only murder people in states that do not have a death penalty? Hah! Not likely. Perhaps the murders are 'okay' because they kill a lot of other villains in this run as opposed to just killing innocent people? The way Brock goes about returning Sin's memories and personalities to her are more than a little disturbing. I know comics strive for some kind of 'realism' for today's 'sophisticated audience,' but sometimes [often] they go farther than they need to in order to portray how sadistic/evil a villain is.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this series. I loved the artwork. I loved the flashbacks to the past. I loved how Brubaker was able to reintroduce Bucky Barnes back into the Marvel U in such a way that was acceptable and made him into an even more beloved character. I know I have touched on some of my dislikes/frustrations with the series [especially the Civil War tie-in issues], but those frustrations/dislikes did not take away from my overall enjoyment of reading this run of issues. I think this is a series I would highly recommend to somebody wanting to start reading about Captain America. It was an amazing mishmash of different genres used to tell this amazing story that Brubaker had to tell.
April 29, 2021
#1-#14:
this was... everything and more? (and THEN much more); I can't believe it took me so many years to get through this bad boy, this is one of the best comic stroylines I have ever read in my entire god damned life (I know, I know, there'll always be more but whatever) and I want to thank thee king Ed Brubaker for gifting us this wonderful and thrilling piece of art (I will admit that the slight changes made to Bucky's Winter Soldier backstory in the MCU are kiiiinda better? but that's just me, though).
love the boooooatloooooooads of great sharon and steve content, as always <3
65th Anniversary Special:
Bucky is the world's greatest little shit and I loved reading about his little adventure with Gretchen <33333 (their kiss! be still my beating heart!) and the art style was so so so gorgeous I just want to live in it!!! the callbacks to Jack Kirby's unique style were obvious and made me I love it even more (it also reminds me of the art in Gotham Academy, ngl?).
a wonderful adventure and great addition to the Bucky and Steve mythos of their WWII history for modern audiences (can I just say, that panel of Steve holding the little camera inside that Hydra tent with Fury? adorable beyond reason).
#15-#25 + Winter Kills:
reading a summary about what went down in Civil War years ago does not do it any justice, especially once you actually read it (from the Captain America perspective, of course)... truly just an unhinged piece of writing and I just think it's brilliant; who ELSE is doing it like Brubaker???? no one. period.
just a class act of a story (maybe one day I'll sift throught the whole CW story in its entirety... maybe...)
Winter Kills was so sad, I love Bucky :'( and this reminded me just how much I love Kate Bishop, she's such a dumb bitch, but she's MY dumb bitch !
it's 6 am and I haven't slept at all as of writing, reading nothing but cap comics has melted my brain into a pool of shit. toodles xx
this was... everything and more? (and THEN much more); I can't believe it took me so many years to get through this bad boy, this is one of the best comic stroylines I have ever read in my entire god damned life (I know, I know, there'll always be more but whatever) and I want to thank thee king Ed Brubaker for gifting us this wonderful and thrilling piece of art (I will admit that the slight changes made to Bucky's Winter Soldier backstory in the MCU are kiiiinda better? but that's just me, though).
love the boooooatloooooooads of great sharon and steve content, as always <3
65th Anniversary Special:
Bucky is the world's greatest little shit and I loved reading about his little adventure with Gretchen <33333 (their kiss! be still my beating heart!) and the art style was so so so gorgeous I just want to live in it!!! the callbacks to Jack Kirby's unique style were obvious and made me I love it even more (it also reminds me of the art in Gotham Academy, ngl?).
a wonderful adventure and great addition to the Bucky and Steve mythos of their WWII history for modern audiences (can I just say, that panel of Steve holding the little camera inside that Hydra tent with Fury? adorable beyond reason).
#15-#25 + Winter Kills:
reading a summary about what went down in Civil War years ago does not do it any justice, especially once you actually read it (from the Captain America perspective, of course)... truly just an unhinged piece of writing and I just think it's brilliant; who ELSE is doing it like Brubaker???? no one. period.
just a class act of a story (maybe one day I'll sift throught the whole CW story in its entirety... maybe...)
Winter Kills was so sad, I love Bucky :'( and this reminded me just how much I love Kate Bishop, she's such a dumb bitch, but she's MY dumb bitch !
it's 6 am and I haven't slept at all as of writing, reading nothing but cap comics has melted my brain into a pool of shit. toodles xx
February 14, 2023
This was so good omg, I love the way it starts off with this out of time story and what happens to Red skull and Steve slowly finding out who the assassin maybe and my god the re-introduction of Bucky was so well done here, its awesome, seeing the whole myth done justice, then seeing the way he takes out others, his past, how Steve copes with learning it and the battle and the face-off and the restoration of his memories. Also getting new enemies in Aleksander Lukin and the new status quo of Red skull which was fun, dealing with Crossbones and Sin!
Its a volume packed with too much action balanced by reasonable exposition, good retcons and a lot of flashback to the WWII era and thus fleshing it out, also dealing with the changes and adding so much to Bucky's character that turns the whole history of Cap on its head for the better!
And then there is the story with him teaming up with Spitfire and Union Jack to stop some HYDRA attack in London and I love them and my god the whole setting and the banter and all, and the big fight there. The team ups are always fun in international cities and the tie in to Civil war is so good, because what follows this is so interesting and at the same time very tense and one of the most important moments in the characters history!
I definitely recommend it, its filled with great art by Epting, and amazing writing by Ed and I believe is the quintessential run on the character!
Its a volume packed with too much action balanced by reasonable exposition, good retcons and a lot of flashback to the WWII era and thus fleshing it out, also dealing with the changes and adding so much to Bucky's character that turns the whole history of Cap on its head for the better!
And then there is the story with him teaming up with Spitfire and Union Jack to stop some HYDRA attack in London and I love them and my god the whole setting and the banter and all, and the big fight there. The team ups are always fun in international cities and the tie in to Civil war is so good, because what follows this is so interesting and at the same time very tense and one of the most important moments in the characters history!
I definitely recommend it, its filled with great art by Epting, and amazing writing by Ed and I believe is the quintessential run on the character!
March 4, 2022
Having never read any Captain America before, Brubaker’s run was almost always at the top of the list of recommendations. But after looking into it, I was hesitant… I preferred the look of Waid’s run so much more. Frankly, I thought this book looked kinda ugly. Ultimately, this omni was still in print and on the cheaper end, so I figured I’d give it a shot and maybe be pleasantly surprised.
I hate to say it, but I wasn’t surprised. This book is good, and all the folks who rave about it aren’t wrong! But it’s just not to my taste… I think Brubaker writes well and Epting’s art is great for what it is - I was just looking for something different I guess? I think it’s a combination of things. I’m not really big on crimes and mysteries, the tone was almost always a bummer, and I kind of prefer cartoony/stylized art.
So this was a miss for me, but I respect it and might give it another chance some day - but not before I seek out some other Cap runs to compare for myself.
I hate to say it, but I wasn’t surprised. This book is good, and all the folks who rave about it aren’t wrong! But it’s just not to my taste… I think Brubaker writes well and Epting’s art is great for what it is - I was just looking for something different I guess? I think it’s a combination of things. I’m not really big on crimes and mysteries, the tone was almost always a bummer, and I kind of prefer cartoony/stylized art.
So this was a miss for me, but I respect it and might give it another chance some day - but not before I seek out some other Cap runs to compare for myself.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews