When Words Collide - Apr 23, 2012

[CBR News]

In another installment of BEFORE THEY WERE FAMOUS, Tim takes a look at the Captain America comics right before Ed Brubaker began his enormously-long run. Robert Kirkman superheroes, Marvel-style.


Full article here.

[Superalec006]

LOVE these articles. Thanks for writing them, and keep 'em coming!

[Rollo Tomassi]

Hmmm...I thought the Diamondback LMD was fake just for this story arc, not the whole time she was dating Cap. I dig that Cap went the booty call route at the end of the arc/issue. It's like "Hey, I'm a Boyscout, but I'm not passing up a hot, athletic 20 year old with pink hair. Giggity."

[rev sully]

What about StormWatch #36
http://megasad.com/comics/covers/lar...rmwatch-36.jpg

right before Warren Ellis' Gamechanger at
StormWatch #37
http://www.thecomicarchive.com/wp-co...06/ellis1.jpeg

-Sully

PS I love this series of columns as well! It's fun! Thanks.
I remember the Cap MAX title on the shelves at the time of its release and didn't pick up on it. My favorite Captain America is Peter Fonda so my opinion is moot but iDigress...

[hutchimus]

Little harsh on the John Ney Reiber issues. Coming out of 9/11 they were pretty powerful, at least the first arc was, I think. Plus picking on a Marvel series for being decompressed in 2002 is like making fun of wearing combat boots and flannel in 1993. It's just what you did.

[Sam Robards, Comic Fan]

Little harsh on the John Ney Reiber issues. Coming out of 9/11 they were pretty powerful, at least the first arc was, I think...

I agree, he was a little rough on them. I've only read the first arc, and, while it's been a while since I've read it, I really enjoyed it. Now basing the entire concept of that volume around terrorism probably wasn't the best long-term strategy, but it was very apropos for the time.

[CaptainLiberty76]

Little harsh on the John Ney Reiber issues. Coming out of 9/11 they were pretty powerful, at least the first arc was, I think. Plus picking on a Marvel series for being decompressed in 2002 is like making fun of wearing combat boots and flannel in 1993. It's just what you did.

I agree--a bit too harsh on the Reiber/Cassady issues along with an unecessary dig at the TEA Party. I remember those issues, I still have them and I enjoyed them. It was also my first exposure to Cassady's art (which I still enjoy to this day). Overall, it was an interesting read and a trip down Memory Lane to some difficult memories; I lost my brother that week of 9/11.

While I admit Reiber wasn't exactly my cup o' tea for Cap--his stories still spoke to the hearts of many Americans and are appreciated for that. the author of this article needs to remember those days and how powerful they were--particularly the scene where Cap intervenes in the abuse of a middle-eastern individual and reminds his attackers that that is NOT how Americans respond to troubles. It was GREAT stuff.

[Schmakt]

I agree too... I was actually really enjoying this run until Kirkman started writing it, and I was extremely displeased to hear it get chopped and rebooted AGAIN. Brubaker's run really is fantastic, and I'm glad I kept buying, but volume 4 was fun for me until the last few months. I no longer read Cap despite Brubaker still writing the series. Tired of renumberings. So it goes...

Of course, I also thought that Ney Reiber's "Shadows Fall" was pretty excellent back in the day...

[chastmastr]

particularly the scene where Cap intervenes in the abuse of a middle-eastern individual and reminds his attackers that that is NOT how Americans respond to troubles. It was GREAT stuff.

Yes, I thought the Rieber issues were very good--precisely because of scenes like that--and not at all the way Tim portrays them.

[jdviant]

Having just reread the first storyarc from that volume, I can see both the negative aspects listed in the article and the positives listed here. I read it the first time as it was coming out, and some of its power has certainly faded since a decade ago, and sometimes it is overly sappy in the way described, but up until he last chapter I really enjoyed the storyline.

[sharkpaul]

I am curious if you are going to tackle X-Men 113 (before the New X-Men 114), and X-Force 115 and 130.

[LightningBug]

I agree--a bit too harsh on the Reiber/Cassady issues along with an unecessary dig at the TEA Party. I remember those issues, I still have them and I enjoyed them. It was also my first exposure to Cassady's art (which I still enjoy to this day). Overall, it was an interesting read and a trip down Memory Lane to some difficult memories; I lost my brother that week of 9/11.

While I admit Reiber wasn't exactly my cup o' tea for Cap--his stories still spoke to the hearts of many Americans and are appreciated for that. the author of this article needs to remember those days and how powerful they were--particularly the scene where Cap intervenes in the abuse of a middle-eastern individual and reminds his attackers that that is NOT how Americans respond to troubles. It was GREAT stuff.

Are any digs at the Tea Party unnecessary?
But seriously, I thought there was plenty to like about the Reiber/Cassaday run as well. Cassaday redefined Cap's depiction for years with that run -- it was he who first made the scales really look like armor, and lots and lots of copy-cats still draw him that way. Unfortunately, Chuck Austen came in and ruined the whole thing. There truly aren't any unnecessary digs at him. I also have very fond memories of the Robert Morales and Chris Bachalo run. I thought it was a gutsy take, and I always assumed it was cut short for being too politically risky. I would like to have seen it continue.