Raise of hands: who here doesn’t like a little political intrigue, a little spy-vs-spy, in their superhero comics?
Yeah, I thought so. We all love it! Now, mix those elements together alongside one of comicdom’s most beloved characters (even if he does have a silly, dated name) and you’ve got a sure-fire hit on your hands. It’s a wonder Marvel Comics didn’t do this years ago!
Do what?
Give Winter Soldier his own series. And let fan-favourite Ed Brubaker write it.
Winter Soldier #1
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Illustrated by: Butch Guice and Bettie Breitweiser
Published by: Marvel Comics
For those that don’t know, Winter Soldier (another silly – but modern – name) is actually, Bucky Barnes, Captain America’s star-spangled sidekick. In twenty-five words or less, here’s his origin: with Cap frozen during post WWII, Bucky was captured by the Russians, brainwashed into servitude, and made to commit heinous acts of assassination and anti-American undertakings.
Gee whiz, Wally, that’s awful!
It sure is, Beave. But Cap saves him from the commies and Bucky Barnes, Winter Soldier, turns good again, fighting for truth, justice and the…oh wait, that’s the other guy.
Seriously, Winter Soldier, in his run as a Russian agent, did a lot of bad. And that’s what this new series is about: retribution and, more importantly, atonement for those misdeeds. Ed Brubaker does hard-hitting realism in a cape-and-cowl world like few others. His work on Gotham Central is a revelation, as is his work on Criminal, Sleeper, Incognito and Captain America. Brubaker was the writer that brought Bucky back into prominence the better part of a decade ago and he’s the right guy to give the character a new beginning. The first storyline teases the thought that cold-war era Russia might have had more than one “Winter Soldier” and that Bucky has his own arch-nemesis somewhere out there in the political wilderness.
In terms of visuals, look for detailed, high contrast, cinematic artwork with beautiful lines from Butch Guice in this series. His action sequences look like something out of The Bourne Identity. Really amazing work here!
So, there’s no reason to hibernate this season. Nope. Not only has the weather been mild, but Winter Soldier is sure to bring the heat of summer faster than you can turn splash pages!
Make the run and pick up the hot first issue – you’re gonna love it!
Every Wednesday, JP makes the after-work run to his local downtown comic book shop. Comics arrive on Wednesdays you see and JP, fearful that the latest issue will sell out, rushes out to purchase his copy. This regular, weekly column will highlight a particularly interesting release, written in short order, of course, because JP has to get his – before someone else does!
