Captain America: ALIVE!

Last year, after a jarring Civil War that pitted hero against hero, Captain America was killed. He was shot in the stomach point blank on the steps of a courthouse. His assassin had many faces. She was Sharon Carter, Cap's longtime off and on girlfriend, who, while brainwashed, actually pulled the trigger killing the most important person in her life. It was Dr. Faustus, who brainwashed Sharon, pretending to be her work appointed therapist, all the while filling her head with subliminal messages with the ultimate goal being that she would be holding the gun that kills Captain America. It was the vicious Red Skull/Aleksander Lukin combo, who share both one mind and one hatred of America. Yet even though all of these characters had a hand in the death of Captain America, none played a more vital role than Ed Brubaker.

Ed Brubaker is the writer who currently attends to the writing chores for the monthly installment of Captain America, published by Marvel Comics. Brubaker wrote the now famous issue of Captain America where, after surrendering the S.H.I.E.L.D and awaiting his trial for treason, was suddenly assassinated on the steps of a courthouse.

Now, Brubaker is bringing him back, this time in the form of Cap's long dead partner, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes. Bucky, long thought dead after a plane he was trying to stop exploded with him attached, turned out to be alive and in the employ of Lukin. As it turned out, when the plane exploded, Barnes had his arm severed and was plunged into frozen waters. His body was located near the Soviet Union where they managed to revive him and, through brainwashing and the attachment of a cybernetic arm, turn him into the assassin known as the Winter Soldier. Barnes would eventually remember who he was thanks to Cap, and, as a result, he feels obligated to keep Captain America's legacy alive.

Bucky, however, is a different kind of Captain America. His costume has differences and he is carrying a side arm, a 9 mm. Beretta from what we can see. Captain America was a soldier, so killing is nothing new to him. He never carried a gun though.

What kind of Captain America will Bucky be? Will he fall prey to the horrible cookie cutter characters of the mid 90's, where the tough guys in comics were easily recognized by their ponytails, leather jackets or trench coats, big pecs and big guns, ready to shoot at anything or anyone, or will the gun be used in worse case scenarios, much in the way a law enforcement officer uses their sidearm. Only time will tell. One thing is for sure, and that is Ed Brubaker knows what he is doing, and comic book geeks all throughout the land are waiting on pins and needles for the next issue of Captain America, something that no comic book geek, myself included, could have seen themselves saying ten years ago. Last year, after a jarring Civil War that pitted hero against hero, Captain America was killed. He was shot in the stomach point blank on the steps of a courthouse. His assassin had many faces. She was Sharon Carter, Cap's longtime off and on girlfriend, who, while brainwashed, actually pulled the trigger killing the most important person in her life. It was Dr. Faustus, who brainwashed Sharon, pretending to be her work appointed therapist, all the while filling her head with subliminal messages with the ultimate goal being that she would be holding the gun that kills Captain America. It was the vicious Red Skull/Aleksander Lukin combo, who share both one mind and one hatred of America. Yet even though all of these characters had a hand in the death of Captain America, none played a more vital role than Ed Brubaker.

Ed Brubaker is the writer who currently attends to the writing chores for the monthly installment of Captain America, published by Marvel Comics. Brubaker wrote the now famous issue of Captain America where, after surrendering the S.H.I.E.L.D and awaiting his trial for treason, was suddenly assassinated on the steps of a courthouse.

Now, Brubaker is bringing him back, this time in the form of Cap's long dead partner, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes. Bucky, long thought dead after a plane he was trying to stop exploded with him attached, turned out to be alive and in the employ of Lukin. As it turned out, when the plane exploded, Barnes had his arm severed and was plunged into frozen waters. His body was located near the Soviet Union where they managed to revive him and, through brainwashing and the attachment of a cybernetic arm, turn him into the assassin known as the Winter Soldier. Barnes would eventually remember who he was thanks to Cap, and, as a result, he feels obligated to keep Captain America's legacy alive.

Bucky, however, is a different kind of Captain America. His costume has differences and he is carrying a side arm, a 9 mm. Beretta from what we can see. Captain America was a soldier, so killing is nothing new to him. He never carried a gun though.

What kind of Captain America will Bucky be? Will he fall prey to the horrible cookie cutter characters of the mid 90's, where the tough guys in comics were easily recognized by their ponytails, leather jackets or trench coats, big pecs and big guns, ready to shoot at anything or anyone, or will the gun be used in worse case scenarios, much in the way a law enforcement officer uses their sidearm. Only time will tell. One thing is for sure, and that is Ed Brubaker knows what he is doing, and comic book geeks all throughout the land are waiting on pins and needles for the next issue of Captain America, something that no comic book geek, myself included, could have seen themselves saying ten years ago.