With Captain America #34, we have the all-new, all-different Captain America.
(SPOILERS below)
So Bucky — the Winter Soldier — finishes his rehabilitation (in various ways) and becomes Cap. Kinda-sorta. Dorkish kinda costume (it works with the art in this book, but will look goofy to start with elsewhere, and will not age well). Yes, he carries a gun. No, he’s not as strong and fast as Steve Rogers, but he’s got a cybernetic arm. Oh, and a gun.
Interesting juxtaposition between Bucky’s tactical, assassin’s training and Cap’s full-frontal assault techniques. Interesting mixing him with Black Widow. And interesting twists in the Kronos / Red Skull plot line.
A good book. And a reasonable new version of Cap. But … in this issue at least, there’s nothing really gained, story-wise, in putting Bucky into a (new) Cap suit. A good book — but it’s not Captain America yet.
It went better than I had feared it would. Bucky was the natural choice, and this could be good for him, especially if he has a long stint as Cap.
How long you figure before Steve Rogers returns? One year? Two?
I really don’t know. I don’t see a particularly open way for them to bring him back that isn’t blatantly manipulative — which doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen, but I *think* they are somewhat cleverer than that.
Well, at the end of the Civil War stuff they did drop Cap’s casket into the deep antarctic ocean. Frankly I imagine THAT one was empty too, and Cap’s actually in a SHIELD lab somewhere getting his brain regrown or something.
And I’d expect Cap clones (a la the DC series Manhunter) before the real Cap comes back.
I totally agree that the costume won’t last. It’s too bad US Agent still has the black version of the classic Cap uniform, because that’s actually a really good look.
Read it today while picking up comics…
I do not like the Uniform, and if it was CoH I would tell the person to go back and ask Serge for a Refund. ;P
I am still bothered by the Gun, and I hope it is only a short term plot crutch.
It’s the New Grim-n-Gritty Cap, with Knee-Capping Pistol Action!
We’ll see. It’s an odd uniform for Cap’s previous role — America’s Soldier. More like America’s Commando, except for the colors and the shiny and all. And pixie gloves.