Captain America: The Ghost Army

by Alan Gratz, Brent Schoonover (Illustrator), Matt Horak (Illustrator)

#1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz delivers an all-new, original Captain America graphic novel!

In this thrilling historical adventure, 18 year-old Steve Rogers (AKA Captain America) and his young sidekick, Bucky Barnes are fighting in WWII when they encounter a threat like none they've ever seen -- a Ghost Army. The dead of this war and wars past are coming back to life, impervious to bullets, flames, or anything else the Allies can throw at them. The armies rise from the ground in the night and seem to disappear without a trace.



How can Cap and Buck fight something that's already dead? And just what does the mysterious Baron Mordo, sitting in his castle atop nearby Wundagore Mountain have to do with this?



Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz (Refugee, Ground Zero) merges the worlds of historical fiction and super hero comics in this one-of-a-kind graphic novel that is sure to be met with major enthusiasm from fans of all ages.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Marvel, Superheroes, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2023

About the author

Alan Gratz is the bestselling author of a number of novels for young readers. His 2017 novel Refugee has spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list, and is the winner of 14 state awards. Its other accolades include the Sydney Taylor Book Award, the National Jewish Book Award, the Cybils Middle Grade Fiction Award, a Charlotte Huck Award Honor, and a Malka Penn Award for Human Rights Honor. Refugee was also a Global Read Aloud Book for 2018.

Alan’s novel Grenade debuted at number three on the New York Times bestseller list, and his most recent book, Allies, debuted at number two on the list and received four starred reviews. His other books include Prisoner B-3087, which was a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Readers pick and winner of eight state awards; Projekt 1065, a Kirkus Best Middle Grade Book of 2016 and winner of five state awards; Code of Honor, a YALSA Quick Pick for Young Readers; and Ban This Book, which was featured by Whoopi Goldberg on The View.

Alan has traveled extensively to talk about his books, appearing at schools and book festivals in 39 states and a half-dozen countries, including Brazil, Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, and Switzerland, and has been a Writer in Residence at Tokyo’s American School in Japan, the James Thurber House in Columbus, Ohio, and the Jakarta Intercultural School in Indonesia.

Alan was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, home of the 1982 World’s Fair. After a carefree but humid childhood, Alan attended the University of Tennessee, where he earned a College Scholars degree with a specialization in creative writing, and, later, a Master’s degree in English education. He now lives with his family in Asheville, North Carolina, where he enjoys playing games, eating pizza, and, perhaps not too surprisingly, reading books.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Wish I had some kind of super-power. But I'd use it to be a hero, not a villain." - Bucky

"You have no . . . 'super-powers,' as he does?" - Sofia Maximoff, referring to Captain America

"Nope, just my dashing good looks, my crackerjack smarts, and my uncanny reflexes." - Bucky, with a grin

Now here was a super-agreeable all-ages and high-spirited action/adventure tale that looks and feels as if it was ripped straight from a mid-60's newsstand issue of Captain America - recounting Cap's WWII-era missions with sidekick Bucky - plus it was loaded with more onomatopoeias that an entire season's worth of Batman live-action TV episodes. (CLANK! TROMP! CRUNCH! & RAT-TAT-TAT much lately?) In The Ghost Army we have the vigorous and valiant duo of Cap & Bucky - and, arguably, said teen sidekick should've been included in the title as he is just as much the important protagonist and personality - in Nazi-occupied Romania and teaming with battle-tested members of the Howling Commandos (woot-woot!) and the Maximoff family (who later bequeath Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver to the world) in a combination wartime / sci-fi & supernatural narrative. It features a dastardly villain with enough father issues to give Freud a field day and a sweetly chaste romance between Bucky and Sofia - they practice self-defense moves on each other (ahem!), which counts as flirting under the circumstances - as they carry out much of the heavy-lifting heroics. Credit must also be given to artist Schoonover and his illustrations, which have a 60's throwback style.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A stiff and slow throwback adventure has Captain America and Bucky fighting magicians in World War II around Wundagore Mountain. Like a man with a hammer seeing only nails to be pounded, Cap just keeps slinging his shield until bad guys go bye-bye. Ho-hum.

It's kind of weird that Marvel licensed Captain America out to Scholastic Inc. to make this graphic novel. Why not keep it in-house? They farmed Alex Ross' Fantastic Four: Full Circle out to another publisher also recently.

My favorite part of the book was the anachronistic tribute to Marvel's monsters and 1970s horror comics shoehorned in starting on page 121. I recognized Werewolf by Night, Fin Fang Foom, Frankenstein's Monster, Man-Thing, Dracula, and Sauron right away. I had to refresh my memory on the Living Mummy and the zombie Simon Garth. And I had never heard of Manphibian or Marvel's version of the Golem until I looked them up for this review. They add little to the story, but they gave me a fun little research project in an otherwise boring book.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, MCU-inflected supernatural adventure war story with vibrant art and a legitimate threat in Baron Mordo and his nasty old Nazi grandpa.

[Maggie Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm an automatic Alan Gratz reader but I don't know much about Captain America in general. My onomatopoeia was spot on according to my kids who I shared this aloud. Mixed in with Captain America and some mythology, I will say I learned something about real US history through these pages... I was unfamiliar with the Ghost Army, the first mobile, multimedia, tactical deception unit in US Army capable of simulating two whole divisions—approximately 30,000 men—and used visual, sonic, and radio deception to fool German forces during World War II’s final year including the use of an inflatable tank. So cool!

Learn more here: https://www.history.com/news/ghost-ar...

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE GHOST ARMY is a new graphic novel adventure of Captain America during WWII. Captain America is fighting off the emeny soldiers with a small team, including 15-year-old Bucky Barnes, when it seems they are vastly outnumbered. Luckily, the United States Ghost Army comes in with their tricks to make it seem like they are bringing in the cavalry. Later that night, as they sit around the campfire, a literal ghost army begins to attack. They are unable to attack them back and only make a retreat by using the knowledge of a Japanese American soldier who knows the mythology that they cannot travel over moving water. They make their escape across the river.

Attacks are escalating as the man in the castle improves his weapon of resurrecting ghosts to fight the allied forces. Captain America and Bucky Barnes will have to defeat him before it is too late and his weapon can be deployed on the larger scale and a demon brought out of another dimension.

What I loved: The illustrations are really fantastic with lots of detail. They really bring the characters to life with plenty of emotion and color. The amount of dialogue was great too, with a focus on the images. It was easy to follow and see who was talking and heavily relied on the images to tell the story, which they did quite well. There were a few important themes throughout, touching upon a history of prejudice with the Japanese American having been put in an internment camp with his family (and the main characters pointing out that this wasn't right) as well as the Romani characters later discussing the terms they use and the things they have seen and faced as part of WWII.

What left me wanting more: This is being billed as a middle grade, and it was very violent with war scenes (a character loses a hand, though not as bloody as you might expect) plus guns and bombs throughout. The majority of the story is battle scenes. The characters are also older, 18-19 for most of the soldiers and even Bucky was 15. While this may work for some older middle grade readers, I think this would be better targeted to a YA audience. Additionally, the plot came with a few random surprises that seemed a bit out of the blue for drama at the end. It made the story feel less smooth and a bit more convoluted.

Final verdict: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE GHOST ARMY is a graphic novel adventure of Captain America and Bucky Barnes that will appeal to fans of superhero warfare with a supernatural twist.

Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This read to me like a lost Invaders comic from the 70s as well as a first time author playing in a new sandbox—standard genre tropes (young woman who catches a hero’s eye; injured traitor from within, etc)

Such a fun romp and unexpectedly works matching Baron Mordo vs Cap & Bucky

[Stephanie Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an old-fashioned moralistic Captain America story. I liked the touch of sorcery in it!

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great Graphic Novel set in WWII where Capt. America (Steve Rogers) and his best friend Bucky Barnes encounter something no one has ever come across yet in a war, maybe ever. Capt. And Bucky and some new friends who will serve next to them need to beat a bunch of like ghost zombies, but how do you fight beings that are already dead?
This is wonderful graphic novel that is part historical fiction and part superhero. Bucky is my favorite as he has no super powers just lots and lots of training. This is a good book even for all the reluctant readers out there, so lets go jump in and rock and roll.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 11-year-old and I went to an event tonight with the author and illustrator, and I was so fascinated by their talk (and drawing demonstration) that I had to check this out. I hadn't heard of the Ghost Army (unit of creatives dedicated to tricking the Nazis) so this was a fascinating introduction

Read it because:
Attended an event featuring the author and illustrator (yet another reason to love the library!)

(Yes, this is a 176-page graphic novel intended for middle grade audiences, but I'm totally counting it toward my reading goal)

[J.M. Giovine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set during the middle of the Second World War, and prior to the introduction of the Howling Commandoes, Alan Grantz, alongside artist Brent Schoonover recreates the classic vintage style of comic book feel to present an old-school version of the character, with the same tone and style similar to those first Joe Simon, and Jack Kirby issues. The story is set in the Orient Front, in the fictional country of Transia, were the allies are struggling against the German-Nazi forces, are suddenly being supported by a special unit known by The Ghost Army, which ironically will be also the apparent state of the army's new enemies; an army of ghosts from past (and current) wars, brought from the grave to defeat the American forces. Only Captain America, alongside his unconditional ally, Bucky Barnes, might be able to uncover the mystery of the supernatural forces surrounding those ghosts.
This was classic Marvel alright. I'm not familiar with Grantz work, but I understand this is his first collaboration as a comic book writer, and this is also the first time I check on Schoonover's art, which as I said, he does bring some vintage vibes from the pencils of legendary artist Jack Kirby, most proper if we're intending to place this during those early days of stories. I'm not that passionate a fan of Cap America, at least, not as I am for other Marvel characters, but I do acknowledge he has some great titles behind his back. Grantz is not intended to compete against the legacy of authors such as Ed Brubaker, Dan Jurgens, or even Mark Waid; his is a rather nostalgic, more faithful approach to the original style of comic books, so it does fit rightfully with the early eras of the title during WW2, with the addition of some familiar names in the Marvel Comics library (that weren't created back then), such as the Maximoff family, Karl Mordo, even Dormammu, the God of the Dark Dimension from the Doctor Strange comics. Is a nice tie-in with the grand scale of the Marvel Universe, as well as a nice callback to classic titles focused mostly in the adventure and the action, but adding certain lighthearted depth to the rest of its characters. Is an innocently conceived adventure that isn't attempting to change the media, or even the character's legacy in any revolutionary way, even for anyone expecting some kind of "political commentary" regarding the perception towards the great war might be a little disappointed to see the typical already established orientation the nation had about the conflict remaining, and that's fine. Like I said, this isn't trying to change things, but rather complement how they were set in the first place. I personally enjoyed it; didn't think it was a masterpiece but perhaps a decent modern title that could help a younger audience to immerse on the world of Marvel's best soldier.

[Gadiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overview: Cap and Bucky help and succeed at bringing down a group of Nazis from a stronghold, only once it turns dark for a complete different army to arise from the shadows

Thoughts: A pretty entertaining and quick read, I was finally able to finish some literature (even if it is a comicbook) but it was a fun story and it was interesting to learn more about Bucky believe it or not and also Mordo was in this and I did not expect that and what he really wanted to do with the ghost army, and I liked how the title “Captain America The Ghost Army” is a play on words because both the allies and the man controlling the castle both have ghost armies but of very different caliber, the allies was for trickery and diversion and the enemy was an actual ghost army. There were some things I thought were a bit cheesy and very heavy armor for the main characters but it was an interesting story with a very interesting ending and an even more insane climax like I did not see that coming (DM) anyway good comic Id love to read more from marvel, hopefully I can find some great ones, I was thinking civil war or secrets wars but I would love to read a winter soldier comic first and more individual characters that I'm more interested in like (daredevil, wolverine, cable, hawkeye/ronin (specially ronin what I saw in Endgame was not enough), the punisher, vision, the winter soldier and sentry among so many more) before starting the big team up stuff.

What I learned: I like reading comic books

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars, not amazing but fun enough to finish and quick too

Favorite Quote: “We must stop injustice where we find it, and hold those responsible accountable. But then we must move on. YOU must move on. That is the only way” pg. 154, pretty great quote interestingly deep. I should of kept up with the quotes with this comic but it all went by so fast I just did not oh well for next time.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Capitão América: O Exército Fantasma é outro livro daquela coleção publicada originalmente pela editora Scholastic voltado para leitores juvenis, que apresenta histórias em quadrinhos da Marvel em capa dura. O roteiro é de Alan Gratz, que tem uma tradição em escrever livros sobre a guerra para o público juvenil e os desenhos de Brent Schoonover emulam um estilo vintage que combina com a história contada aqui, ambientada na Segunda Guerra Mundial. Nela, acompanhamos o Capitão América e Bucky enfrentando um Exército feito de fantasmas da Primeira Guerra Mundial, graças à magia do inimigo do Doutor Estranho, o Barão Mordo, que está instalado no Castelo de Wundagore. Mas as referências ao Universo Marvel não param por aí e a equipe criativa oferece mais algumas delas, além de trazer elementos novos, como os personagens romani que se aliam ao Capitão América e Bucky, fazendo desse quadrinho uma trama aventuresca e com toques sociais e que mesmo sendo para um público mais jovem não deixa de ser um ótima leitura.

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted a story about Cap, not teenage Bucky. For being titled “Captain America”, Cap was barely in it. 😒😤 Talk about false advertising.

The art style has the look and feel of the comics from the ‘60s while retaining a modern look at the same time which was an interesting combination though I wouldn’t call it my favorite.

The story is fine though I do wonder how Mordo survived for so long—if he’s alive in the ‘40s, how in the world isn’t he 90 or older when Doctor Strange crosses paths with him in modern times? That really doesn’t work unless he’s somehow immortal.

An overall disappointment that I was just meh about—it needed more Cap!


‼️Content‼️

Language: heck; gah; son of a ghost

Violence: fighting with weapons and hand to hand (PG); explosions; a ghost touches a man and removes his hand (G); a man is touched by a ghost and dies

Other: superhero/superpowers; ghosts; magic; sorcerers; a demon “god”; death and grief

[Timothy Burbage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a story set in WW2, and we follow Cap and Bucky as they take on Baron Mordo and a ghost army in Transia, Eastern Europe.

We get to see old characters, plus some possible ancestors for classic characters. We get soldier-punching, magic-wielding, whizz-bang action.

I liked how we see Cap's ethos here, plus his action chops. There is shield-throwing galore and one very cool way to escalate up a building that only Cap could do. We also get a good amount of time with Bucky (cheesy Burt Ward style sidekick Bucky) and see him contributing and being a good hero in his own right.

Bringing in magic as an antagonistic force was interesting with the setting involved (Latveria is only a few miles away) and something that Cap doesn't really have the tools to deal with.

One thing I really liked was the art style and colouring was straight from the 1940s. It could have been a comic of its time and I think that hokey style adds to the kitch-ness of the story.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

As soon as I saw Alan Gratz's name on this I decided to try it. I definitely liked the WWII setting and seeing some of the Howling Commandos. I also liked that this featured the real life Ghost Army. Finally, I definitely prefer Steve and Bucky being contemporaries and friends rather than Bucky being his young sidekick.

[Mr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, fast read for comic fans who don't take themselves too seriously.

[Clare Deffenbaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

lol it was fine. I picked this up randomly at Target a while ago because Bucky is on the front annnnnddd it was fine. The art was cute and the story was very simple but it was made for kids so 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’ll probably forget this in 24 hours but again it’s for children so I’m not about to go into heavy critiques of it lol

[kuusela harry-pekka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rare possibility to see Bucky in action. Good story and throwback art.

[Ethen Winright · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I realized this was a kids' book I was about to stop reading it but decided to give it a shot anyways. While it wasn't really something I'd recommend for adults, it is pretty good for what it is. Not really my speed but the story was okay. Didn't really like the art style though.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This throwback comic was definitely interesting and in my opinion a good entry point for newer comic fans to Captain America and Bucky’s story. You see classic Cap. with his trusty and resourceful teen sidekick Bucky! The overall story was interesting especially the aspect of magic and the Ghost Army.

[wellreadkait · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and fun story featuring Steve and Bucky. What’s not to love?

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Marvel and I love Alan Gratz. He does such an amazing job at writing historical fiction and Captain America is the perfect Marvel character for him to write. Set in WWII, Cap and Bucky work together to end a Nazi plot. I enjoyed how Alan not only touched on the Nazi's bigotry but also the U.S.'s. The story dealt with fantastical elements but didn't distract from the historical significance of the setting. Bucky and Cap are technically just kids in this (15 and 17) and I enjoyed how Alan addressed this, especially considering that Bucky looks like a kid but Cap doesn't. This was a fun read and I would love to see more like this from Alan Gratz.

[Nat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Captain America faces an army of ghosts during WWII that can be defeated with fans.

Fans.

This is certainly a book for middle schoolers. It’s fun, lighthearted and gives a lot of references to future events in Cap’n and Bucky’s life.

But it’s simple in plot and presentation. The art is reminiscent of early Cap books (think 1960s), but this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Good if you are a die-hard gotta read everything Captain America fan.

[Liz Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gratz uses the real story of the US’s ghost army, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, to anchor this Captain America graphic novel. The blend of this authentic unit and the Marvel universe works well. I wish there was end matter that directed readers to the information, but the book trailer Gratz did for Scholastic covers that informationZ

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Partial preview provided by Scholastic Inc in exchange for an honest review.

Captain America and Bucky Barnes find themselves battling Nazi’s in this throwback comic that is reminiscent of some of the original artwork and storylines of Captain America. In this graphic novel Steve Rogers (Captain America) is 18 years old and partnered with his friend Bucky to defeat the Nazi army…only this isn’t the normal Nazi units they’ve encountered before. Captain America welcomes the American of Ghost Army but then the enemy soldiers actually rise from the ground, he has to figure out how to kill that Ghost Army for good and quickly!

Author Alan Gratz crafts an entertaining story and uses some historically accurate WWII information such as utilizing the Ghost Army, which was a unit that consisted of actors, writers, artists, and ad men who used loudspeakers, inflatable tanks and other illusions to confuse the enemy.

In this partial preview of the novel, this particular Captain America adventure feels very retro especially with the storyline and the colors. Illustrator Brent Schoonover brings some vintage aspects to the drawings, readers will smile at the KABOOM! and CRUNCH! bolded words that emphasize the hand to hand combat scenes. The colors include deep beiges and greens, reminiscent of some of the original comics and the faces drawn show just how terrifying the characters are when they realize that the Nazi’s they killed earlier have risen again. There are also some silly jokes (give us the background on Dum Dum Marvel!) and it’s a fun ride especially for fans of the Marvel Universe who can appreciate the vintage touches.

Captain America: The Ghost Army is an exciting new entry into Marvel’s longstanding tradition of Steve and Bucky adventures, I’m looking forward to reading just how they defeat the Ghost Army!

[Deborah Zeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost army? Zombie ghosts? Captain America & Bucky? History? Alan Gratz delivers it all in this MG graphic novel. It’s WWII and Cap & Bucky are in the midst of fighting the Nazis when they come up on a ghost army. With the help of some other army personnel, they fight back to protect the citizens and stop this Ghost Army. This was my first foray into the world of Alan Gratz and it didn’t disappoint. The illustrations lifted up the story and draws the reader right into the action. This is one that will NOT stay on my library’s bookshelves.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable read. This is a World War II Cap adventure, co-starring teen sidekick Bucky. There's a lot of action and magic, and the dialog is generally really good. Mordo definitely works as an antagonist, and the ending made me wonder if he's being set up for a future Doctor Strange book. There's a bunch of fun Easter eggs for readers who are pretty familiar with comics lore, but nothing too obtrusive. The one thing that I would've added is a page or two talking about the real Ghost Army that at least partially inspired this book.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This feels like a bit of a switch for what we're used to with Captain America - instead of being set in the present day, this takes place during WWII with the original Nazis. I appreciate the change, but I wish this was a little less magical (we see some characters associated with Doctor Strange) and more focused on human involvement.

[Rob Schamberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect gift for all of the superhero-loving young readers in your life! 8 year-old me would’ve been all over this, especially Schoonover’s dynamic art!

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Nazism
Death from a head injury (sc)
Military deployment during War World Two (theme)