Captain America: No Escape

Captain America (2004) (Collected Editions) #13

by Ed Brubaker, Jackson Guice (Illustrator), Mitch Breitweiser (Illustrator)

Acclaimed artist Butch Guice joins award-winning writer Ed Brubaker as Zemo returns to finish the job his father started--Killing Bucky! COLLECTING: Captain America #606-610

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Fiction

120 pages, Hardcover

First published December 22, 2010

About the author

Ed 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.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bucky Barnes doesn’t get much respect; not before he was miraculously brought back into Marvel continuity* or now from the petty villain, Baron Zemo, Junior.

It seems that Junior doesn’t appreciate the fact that Bucky, a man with a less than scrupulous past, should take over the mantle of the Red, White and Blue boy scout himself, Captain America. It doesn’t matter that Steve Rogers/Captain America wanted it this way, Junior still just wants to perpetuate the hate that dear old dad, Baron Zemo, Senior started years and years and years ago.

Junior goes to great lengths to make Bucky/Cap’s life miserable, including calling in favors from old Nazis (yes, they’re still around), lady Beetles and villains embedded as heroes.

Brubaker’s resurrection of Captain America is nothing short of miraculous. To put this into perspective, check out some of Captain America’s old, crappy villains from the 1980’s and ‘90’s – Slug (he’s fat), Doughboy (he’s very fat), the Coney Island Cruisers, Ameridroid, Armadillo (half man-half um, Armadillo), the Armless Tiger Man (okay, I’ll stop) Turner D. Century (I lied. One more), Porcupine. Whew

Who knows, Marvel’s cinema future could take a page from the Bucky as Cap storyline?


*The fan boy in-joke was that there were two Marvel characters that would/could never get resurrected: Bucky and Uncle Ben. Bucky because he was kind of lame as Captain America’s World War II side kick (hell, they brought Toro, the Human Torch's sidekick back) and Uncle Ben because who the hell wants him back.

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[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another fun read!

Bucky has to deal with mysterious attacks as his friend Sam is injured and then the media knowing about his history and the complication that it brings with it and then the stuff with the new Beetle and I love the twist with it, how she gets under his skin and the drama there and then finally fending and battling aganst Iron hand and later Baron Zemo himself and we come to know of their plans and I love how its a big Bucky story and its personal in all the right ways and the stakes couldn't be higher. This feels like the "fall" chapter before the eventual rise of the hero and its done really well, plus the art here feels very noir-ish and its excellent! Just great stuff again!

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could have been a lame Cap junior vs Zemo junior storyline, instead I really loved how Brubaker used Helmut and Thunderbolts not just as villains, but more as anti-heroes in diaguise helping Bucky in his plot-abused quest for redemption.



Far better than expected.

[Kemper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steve Rogers may be back from the dead, but James ’Bucky’ Barnes is still Captain America. James is dealing with the consequences of a hard decision when Baron Zemo targets him for revenge. Zemo uses a variety of methods to make James look out of control and leaks his real identity to the media. Since James’s history includes a long stint as a brainwashed Soviet hitman called Winter Soldier, the American media goes into a typical frenzy as James insist on taking on Zemo by himself despite warnings from his friends that he‘s walking right into a trap.

Brubaker has managed to make the only ‘death’ of a superhero into a story that I’ve actually enjoyed reading instead of just a stunt. However, while I’ve liked these tales of James trying to live up to legacy of Steve Rogers, Brubaker might have used James’s twisted past one too many times now. His time as Cap has been a long struggle for redemption as well as trying to fill the shoes of a legend, but I’d hoped that we’d start seeing James put some of that behind him.

Still, it’s another solid tale from Ed Brubaker, and it feels like this story is going somewhere and not just treading water.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zemo Zemo Zemo, you are a fun little asshole aren't you.

So what happens when Zemo decides to out Bucky. Let the whole world know who Captain America is? Not too bad except for the fact he also targets Bucky and all his friends in an attack. On top of that he lets the world know of all of Caps crimes, making Bucky go freaking insane. This is basically a lead up to the trails of Captain America.

It was a lot of fun seeing Zemo get ahead of Bucky almost at every turn. I also enjoy Bucky motivation and style as it's very different from Steve. Also was cool to see Steve, Bucky, Falcon, and Natasha all working together. Oh and the art was pretty damn solid. The ending was kind of a letdown though.

Overall, really solid volume. Probably my favorite in awhile. A 3.5 out of 5, but I'll bump it to a 4.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to everything else that Brubaker has been pulling out with Cap, this storyline is just ordinary. There's nothing terribly exciting about Captain America vs. Baron Zemo for what must be the hundredth time, at least. Sure, Brubaker does a more than decent job writing it, but it still isn't the most exciting story he could do. I wish he'd done more with the one thing Cap and Zemo have in common: they're both successors to the originals. This is the original Baron Zemo's son, and of course this is Bucky and not Steve. On the bright side, Zemo's motive is at least different, and it sets up what could be a far more interesting story in the next volume.

[Drew Canole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Bucky solo adventure. Some villain is out trying to kill Bucky - not Captain America but the WW2 Hero Bucky Barnes!

Bucky's identity is leaked to the media. The public turns on him when they find out he was the Winter Soldier. But, I don't know, can the public really not buy into the idea that he was brainwashed? They live in the Marvel Universe!

It ends with yet another visit to the island where Bucky and Rogers met their demise in the 40s which I feel like has been brought up and discussed in every volume of Brubaker's run.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty enjoyable volume. I don't love how outrageous Zemo was. It wasn't really intimidating or frightening, just kind of laughable.

Anyway, I loved Bucky and Sam's scenes together. This was a volume of both of them worrying about each and, as always, I adore their partnership. I really can't wait to see this come to life in the upcoming TV show.

Steve appears, but he's not super personable. He seemed a bit stiff. Natasha's dialogue didn't seem like her at all. She does several kick ass things but, I didn't really read "Natasha" in her scenes. It was odd.

Anyway, pretty solid volume.

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zemo is causing mischief. However getting to a stage where its not that exciting with Bucky. Probably wont continue with this much more.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bucky is Captain America, and the son of an old foe comes around and tries to turn the public against him. Nice story, but what's Steve Rogers up to? Why is that not explained here? This is why comics need exposition, folks, to let the reader know what's going on. Apparently, Norman Osborne's Avengers are no more, either, but we're not given context of that, either.

If there is one common theme in Brubaker's Captain America series, is that, quote William Faulkner, the past isn't dead, it even isn't past. This is one reason why I docked a star here in an otherwise good story. We're getting to the point where it's all a one trick pony. All the references to WW2, villains from that time period, and the recounting of the origins of Captain America and Bucky ad nauseum, makes me wonder why Brubaker can't find another trope to mine. It's just getting old, and a bit predictable.

The art by Guice looks a bit like Don Heck most of the time, and in a few instances Jack Kirby. Artistically, this feels like a comic from the Bronze Era. That's a good thing.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as strong as some of the other story arcs, and the first few issues dragged. It became old that Bucky kept charging into situations, reminiscent of female characters in urban fantasy series, especially since Bucky is supposed to be a stealthy dude, but the payoff was good. I liked the exploration of Bucky's past and his determination to live up to the shield. I'm a sucker for a redemption hero story.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The son of Baron Zemo and the new Captain America (a.k.a. Bucky) square off in this volume. It's standard stuff, a cat-and-mouse game leads up to a predictable climax, but I still love the way Ed Brubaker writes this series. While the heroes and villains wear costumes, he treats them like any other pulp espionage characters.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brubaker continues to take average plots and turn them into epic stories. Guice continues to take the art and make it look cinematic/noir, which I'm beginning to believe is the secret difference that makes this run of Captain America so damned compelling. If a hack was drawing this stuff it wouldn't seem half so good.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable comic. It was interesting to see Baron Zemo Junior. What happened to his face? Will Steve go back to being Captain America soon? It's cool that Falcon is able to communicate with birds. Who are the Thunderbolts? What happened to Norman Osborn?

[David Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even as a child, I've always loved Cap's best friend, Bucky when I read the Captain America comics back in the 60s and 70s . He would crack jokes, and make Steve Rogers stoic mannerisms bearable. But adult Bucky is amazing. He doesn't crack many jokes anymore because life hasn't been easy for him. He's been through torture and brainwashing, but he's someone with amazing determination. He's come through all of that, and still, he manages to get through whatever situation he's had to overcome, as demonstrated in this book. And he doesn't have the super soldier serum to help him, either. That's very admirable.

The new Heroic Age means a lot of changes for Bucky. Steve has returned, but he's not Captain America, leaving Bucky to continue to fill that spot. Steve's presence in the series, as well as that of his girlfriend Sharon, has declined significantly, leaving Bucky, Natasha/Black Widow, and Sam/Falcon to carry most of the story. Bucky is also experiencing guilt following the previous "Two Americas" story that ended with him killing the rogue 50s Captain America, who looked exactly like Steve. And now, after uncovering the identity of the new Captain America, Baron Zemo returns to target him. Zemo's plans are intricate and masterfully designed to push his buttons, and in the end Zemo manages to exploit Bucky's greatest weakness, the legacy of his time as the Winter Soldier in the service of the Soviet Union. This is just the beginning of a new leg in Cap's story.

Brubaker continues his excellent characterization of Bucky, a noble but conflicted hero who can still be tweaked a little too easily by playing on his emotions. His relationship and partnership with Black Widow is excellent, one of the most engaging superhero duos in comics, and, of course, Brubaker writes an excellent Steve Rogers. I should also note his characterization of Falcon, who, despite minimal screentime, comes across as a competent and capable hero. Brubaker's Zemo is also intriguing, with his motives playing nicely into recent stories of Zemo's own attempts at seeking redemption.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one focused on Bucky as Zemo showed up to relive the old days, specifically when Bucky "died." The art was good and the story wasn't bad, almost like we had to see Zemo and Bucky go head to head again. Still a really good run of Captain America.

[Matty Dub · Rating 3 out of 5]

Convoluted as hell and Guice aping Kirby did the book no favors.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

four stars for the cap quartet!

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gee, used to be Ed Brubaker's Captain America was a solid read earning 4-5 stars easily, but this story arc was much weaker than any before and seemed only to serve as a way to displace one character out of the Captain America role and put things back back to the status quo just in time for the movie in July. While I miss Steve Epting's art, I can't blame Butch Guice for my 3 star ranking because he's another great artist. Was this arc supposed to be an homage to Jack Kirby? The art seemed out of place to me and appeared to mimic Jack Kirby's style and panel layouts. If I wanted Jack Kirby art I'll read a Jack Kirby Captain America story. If Guice insists on drawing it like Kirby then please give the book to Mike Perkins or Luke Ross. Something really felt off about this book to me, even the way the one caption points out: "Hey, it's Luke Cage," rubbed me the wrong way. I guess Marvel thinks readers are too ignorant to know any better about which character is which despite the assistance of dialogue.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really hope Ed Brubaker is not slipping. After loving, absolutely loving over 50 issues of his Cap run, the last two collections have both left me unsatisfied. I think the idea of Baron Zemo wanted to do what his father couldn’t (kill Bucky) is a great concept. The execution was actually very 60s era Batman though. Pretty cheesy and Zemo was way too therapeutic. I do love Bucky & Natasha together though. Butch Guice’s artwork was rougher than I’m used to from him. Maybe there was a change in inker or schedule but he’s also produced better work. Overall a disappointing book.

[Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the whole, I've been a pretty big fan of what I have read of Ed Brubaker's run on Captain America. The first three "ultimate" collections effectively collect almost the first four years of Brubaker's run on the book, and this may be the best four year run on any book ever. Ultimately that four years of Captain America was to set up replacing Steve Rogers as Captain America with the "reborn" Bucky, who first appeared as the Winter Soldier, only to take over as Cap when Rogers "died" during the Death of Captain America arc. Eventually, Rogers comes back (because you just can't kill Captain America) but when the decision is made as to who Captain America is going to be going forward in Two Americas , I think that it was a likely a shock that Bucky would continue on as Cap.

In some ways, I think that from Brubaker's viewpoint, keeping Bucky as Cap makes some sense. Before Winter Soldier Bucky was pretty much an avatar for Cap's doubt. Most of the times we saw Bucky before Winter Soldier Bucky is little more than Cap's mascot, with his death serving as both Cap's motivation and regret. There had been previous attempts to bring back Bucky, but they were almost always some mindfuck created by Cap's enemies, be it the Red Skull or what have you. But Winter Soldier changed the game--in the first four years of Brubaker's run, Bucky goes from being one of Cap's greatest enemies to his replacement. And if that was the plan all along (and given how tight those first four years were I have to think it was) I could see Brubaker being reticent to jettison Bucky as Cap, simply because it turned out Rogers hadn't died in the first place.

Unfortunately, when reading Brubaker's Cap, it feels like he is not as comfortable working with Bucky as Cap. This volume in particular is interesting in that the main villain, Baron Zemo (I don't feel like I am blowing anything here since he's on the cover of the trade) seems to have odd motivations for his attacks on Captain America, especially since it is revealed that he isn't attacking Captain America at all (I'll leave that out in the ether for you to read and figure out for yourself.) One of Brubaker's strengths is weaving the history of the Marvel universe, especially where it pertains to Captain America himself into the plot. In this case however, I feel a little bit lost since I don't have the background on the Thunderbolts (even though I do have a trade of Busiek's first Thunderbolts collection sitting in my "to read" pile as of this writing) and the Thunderbolts seem to be Zemo's motivation in engaging Captain America in this volume, which I think is supposed play as a "doing the right thing for the wrong reasons" sort of thing.

And then there is Steve Rogers himself. If he had remained dead, I think Bucky continuing as Cap would have been an easier proposition. But Rogers is here and is still very involved in the Captain America and with it a sense of inevitably that eventually he will be Captain America again. Is it worth it to keep Bucky running around as Captain America? The problem is that in its execution it doesn't seem to work as well as when Rogers is Cap, dead or alive. With that in mind, is Zemo's plot necessary? Maybe not.

[Linnea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy No Escape, but I had such high hopes for this story and it just didn't quite meet my expectations. Let's start with the good things, shall we? The art in the main part of this comic was so incredibly wonderful with the '60s-'70s-esque style and vibrant colors, prompting me to save many of the pages for reference in my own work. And even though I didn't quite love the intermittent Rikki/Nomad storyline (it was a bit hard to follow as its own cohesive story and I felt like I needed to read a whole 'nother book on the character to understand what was going on-- props to Marvel for the marketing strategy though lol) I thought the art in that was really cool as well. As for the plot, I had such high hopes for the first comic in this run featuring Zemo jr considering what I have read with his father and what I have seen so far in the MCU/Disney+ trailer (why, God, did you have to push back the series again??? Whyyyy). I think, as I have felt with many of these books now, it should have been longer. My favorite stories have been longer and that's because in longer books there's more time to flesh out the villain. I get that we have seen these characters before in many different Marvel storylines and in the multiverse or whatever, but I wish we were given more insight into Zemo's motive and thinking as he does seem like a complicated villain. And I. Want. To. See. The. Metal. Arm. None of that lame human-arm-camouflage bullshit. Other than that though, I love Steve's new uniform and obviously any story featuring my favorite foursome (not to be confused with the Fantastic Four) is cool with me. Final verdict: Poor Buck Can't Catch A Break

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Baron Zemo learns that the new Captain America is Bucky Barnes, believed killed by Zemo's own father in WWII, he sets out to ruin Cap's reputation by revealing his secret identity and his past as the Winter Soldier.

The actual basic stock of this book is pretty solid, if overly familiar. Seeing Zemo set out to ruin Bucky by smearing him in the press and bringing to light Bucky's dark past as a Soviet assassin makes for a nice counterpoint to Bucky's own inner torment about the same issues. It all leads to a confrontation on the island off of the European coast where Bucky originally fell afoul of a different Baron Zemo in the Second World War.

The problem which holds this book back, however, is Zemo's motivation, or apparent lack thereof.
The villain, who has a complicated history with the good guy/bad guy personas himself, is pretty open about the fact that he thought his father was an idiot and has no desire to get revenge on that basis. Where that leaves us is with Zemo enacting a very elaborate scheme in order to teach Bucky a valuable life lesson. But why? It's either some murky motive not covered here or, more likely, it's all just an overly-contrived way of forcing Bucky to relive his 'death'.
Seriously, Zemo's scheme wouldn't be out of place as a plan of Doctor Evil in Austin Powers.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Henry Blackwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alright, this is losing a star because my trade has this dumb Nomad B storyline and I’m sick of fucking skipping it - it’s useless.

But as for the main story, i don’t know... Baron Zemo is a good villain to use against Bucky but it just didn’t impress me. Like the last couple of trades on this run. I felt most of the trades leading up to Reborn were great and had a connecting storyline and intricate plot threads giving payoffs at different times at the start of Brubaker’s run. But ever since Reborn it’s seemed very aimless like Brubaker is just writing a bunch of B stories. This Zemo one could have been cool but the readers weren’t even told which Zemo this was, what his clear intentions against Bucky were (although the father thing is obvious but it could’ve been fleshed out more because I feel like the ‘not earning being Cap’ part of Zemo’s motivations weren’t good at all), how this Zemo came back to life? And why this storyline happened at all

Maybe this was the time at marvel when they stared going Event crazy and everything interesting was happening there because these last trades have been underwhelming to say the LEAST.

[Philip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bucky Barnes as Captain America is like the Rick Grimes of the Avengers, and not in a good way. He spends the entire book whining about how he knows he should listen to his friends' advice; knows he shouldn't walk into a trap; knows he should calm down and act like a grown-up - but then he goes on and does whatever the hell he originally planned, which generally leads to disaster. "I know I'm not really ready for all this responsibility..." - you're right! You're not! So give it up, you big dangerous baby!!

And then the plot doesn't make much sense, either. Bad guy Zemo spends the whole book trying to ruin Bucky's life, and then in the end just kind of...let's him go, because he really just wanted to teach him a moral lesson? Or something??

Way done with the Avengers for a good while. Enjoyed the Civil War series and seeing how it was similar/dissimilar from the movie, but I think I'm all superhero'd out. Shame to go out on such a low note, though.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hit hard.

Especially after the last three parts that weren't really ... challenging or at least catching like "The Death of Captain America", this hit heart. Zemo was a fresh opponent with a complete new way of wanting to destroy our hero and Bucky. Wow. And let's not talk about him or my heart will shatter. The ending, when he had those flashbacks of his time as the Winter Soldier? When he thought, that maybe he deserved dying? I am a freaking mess right now because of this. Ed Brubaker knows how to fuck me up.
And I loved it in every possible way.

Plus, the story was a lot better than in the last parts. "The trial of Captain America" hopefully arrives tomorrow, so I can go on crying in peace soon.

[Katlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect to care about a Baron Zemo orchestrated plot after the mess that was Captain America: Civil War, but I actually do here. As Bucky is still struggling with having to kill 1950s Cap, Zemo learns Bucky is not only alive but also Captain America and decides kill him (but ruin his life first).

I will always love Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Natasha together in anything. I love seeing Sam and Steve worried about the pressure being Captain America is putting on Bucky. I love seeing Bucky still dealing with that weight and reconciling it with his past as the Winter Solider. This is a great set up for Bucky dealing with that publicly after his identity and past is revealed.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bucky Barnes: The Man Who Finds Ways To Survive Anything

Even as a child, I've always loved Cap's best friend, Bucky when I read the Captain America comics back in the 60s and 70s . He would crack jokes, and make Steve Rogers stoic mannerisms bearable. But adult Bucky is amazing. He doesn't crack many jokes anymore because life hasn't been easy for him. He's been through torture and brainwashing, but he's someone with amazing determination. He's come through all of that, and still, he manages to get through whatever situation he's had to overcome, as demonstrated in this book. And he doesn't have the super soldier serum to help him, either. That's very admirable.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always loved Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America, which is funny as was never a huge fan of the ‘Bucky-as-Cap’ thing.
This book collects together Captain America #606 - #610, which sees Baron Zemo Jr seeking to do what his father was unable to do - kill Bucky. It all unfolds like a superhero thriller, with crackling dialogue and great turns from Falcon, Black Widow, and Steve Rogers.
It never quite pushes on to be the masterpiece it feels like it’s capable of being, but it still plays out very well. The Guice art suits the story well too.

Recommended.

[Shane Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. At the heart of it all, I liked the basic story idea and some of the things that happen here. I felt the first half of the story was way more interesting than the second half. I think the biggest weak link here was the art. In places it was decent, but overall the art work was mediocre to poor...sometimes becoming a distraction.