COMIC BOOK REVIEW: Captain America and Black Widow #639

Captain America and Black Widow #639 (Marvel)
Cullen Bunn (writer); Francesco Francavilla (art and colors)

I've enjoyed the long game Cullen Bunn has employed through his tenure on this Cap team-up book. The overall plot through the Hawkeye arc, the Iron Man arc, and now the Black Widow arc has been well developed and flows very nicely throughout the three team-ups. But, yes, unfortunately there is a "but" here, each arc started with a bang and then petered out. I considered dropping this title after the humdrum finale of the Hawkeye arc, but stayed for Batroc's participation in the Iron Man arc. Then when Iron Man team-up story also ran out of steam, I returned for the Black Widow arc since it was announced that the series would end after that arc, and why not just stick it out to see where Bunn was taking this Vennema Multiversal story, but mostly I stayed because Francesco Francavilla was on art duties.

So, just as with the previous arcs, the Black Widow segment started out with ambition and great fun and has now also settled into the same pattern as the previous installments. Issue #639, being the penultimate issue seems to be so much padding for next issues conclusion. Yes, the table-setting has a pay-off as the cliff-hanger is well done and somewhat unexpected, and Cap makes a promise that seems almost impossible for the noble warrior to keep, but most of #639 is just so much padding. Now, the real draw of this issue is Fracavilla's lush art and colors. He's on a must buy list for anything he draws and each and every page payout, indeed, each panel compels a long linger. Simply wonderful stuff. Of course, one of the drawbacks of single issue reviewing is that some installments of a longer story may not be up to be par. Hopefully, as this concludes, the sum of its parts will be well worth it. Good.

COMIC BOOK REVIEW: Captain America #1

Captain America #1 (Marvel)
Rick Remender (writer); John Romita, Jr. (pencils); Klaus Janson (inks); Dean White (colors); Joe Caramagna (letters)

I missed most of the entirety of Ed Brubaker's 8 or 9 year run on Captain America. I wasn't really reading monthlies regularly during the first 2/3s of his run. I jumped in good old Cap with volume 6, number 1, which started around the same time as the Captain America movie and ran 19 issues ending just last month, right before Rick Remender's and John Romita, Jr.'s volume 7, number 1. So, where Brubaker apparently grounded his Cap stories in espionage and mystery, Remender's take is to bring some pulpy, sci-fi fun back to Cap. Now, I can't comment on Brubaker's entire run, but his Captain America volume 6 begins with quite a pulpy opening arc concerning Codename: Bravo's origin and then later the machinations of the Hydra Queen. (Of course, that series got bogged down in mad bomb silliness that went on and on, but the opening arc was great comic book fun: pulpy, hints of sci-fi, and things only probable in a comic book along with a spy and mystery angle).

This is all a long way of saying that, unlike other reviews I've been reading about this new incarnation of Cap, Remender’s take doesn't seem so unlike the Captain America of volume 6. There is a different tone, of course, as there should be with new creative teams. Remender provides Cap with a staccato, terse narration that's at once to the point, colorful, and full of the right amount of bravado, especially during the opening encounter with the environmental villain, Green Skull. The story moves along to see Cap fall – too easily – into a trap set in another dimension ("Dimension Z") and a frenetic action sequence setting the plot for future issues.

It's a fast moving issue and Romita's art is excellent during the action sequences, capturing action in a hurried, urgent, yet balanced way. However, the art falters during the civilian scenes. Sharon Carter looks 13 years old in one panel then looks like her Agent 13 self in the next. This is a small quibble as action carries the day throughout the issue, so Romita is well served by Remender’s script.

Remender sets up an interesting storyline using a flashback to Steve Rogers as a boy, Sharon’s long-term plans for her and Steve in the present, and Cap’s current situation in Dimension Z. This new Captain America is simmering with potential. Let’s hope when the story reaches its boil, it’s worth the wait. Recommended.

2 Snapshot Reviews and This Week's Haul

Last week's purchases were a solid bunch. Here's two of the standouts:

All-Star Western #7 (DC) *pick of the week*
Jonah Hex leaves Gotham for Nawlins and meets up with Nighthawk and Cinnamon in a fun tale that further blurs the line between Hex's anti-hero tendencies and the fact that he is pretty darn heroic. The Nighthawk and Cinnamon back-up hits all the right marks as well. The back-ups thus far have been excellent additions the All-Star Western roster. This book remains in the top 5 of the New 52. Recommended

Captain America & Bucky #628 (Marvel)
The closing chapter of the 2nd Bucky and Adam III story as well as the final Cap & Bucky tale as the title shifts to Cap & Hawkeye next issue. This arc was pretty great. The story had depth, action, whimsy, and sorrow. Well done, Ed Brubaker and James Asmus. But, the real accolades go to Francesco Francavilla, who just killed it over the 4 issues. Just amazing art and coloring. I was planning on dropping this book after this arc, but since Cullen Bunn of the fantastic Sixth Gun is hopping on board for the Cap/Hawkeye series, and he promises dinosaurs, I'll keep it in the "to buy" pile. Recommended

Later today I fully expect to have these in my possession:

Action Comics #8 (DC)*
Animal Man #8 (DC)
Creepy #8 (Dark Horse)
Daredevil #10.1 (Marvel)**
OMAC #8 (DC)
Swamp Thing #8 (DC)
Ultimate Spiderman #9 (Marvel)

*DC has Action #8 listed with 4/4 as the release date, but my LCS doesn't have it listed as an arrival for today. I'll see what happens.

**Not sure I get this ".1" business for comics. I'll flip through and see if it's worth my while.

In other news, IDW announced a new Godzilla series for the summer in addition to the new ongoing Godzilla beginning in May. It'll be nice to get my Godzilla fix again after a succesful run of three series overthe past year (h/t Comics Reporter)

This Week's Haul & Thoughts On Print v. Digital

New comic book day yesterday! Here's what I picked up from the Ye Olde Local Comic Book Shoppe (LCS):

All-Star Western #7 (DC)
Captain America & Bucky #628 (Marvel)
Daredevil 10 (Marvel)
Flash #7 (DC)

Light week for the floppies. However, I buy other titles that came out this week but I deferred these to my digital purchases via Comixology. As the digital comics drop in price after a month, I wait for the price change, so I'm about a month behind on many of my titles.

I've slowly become a digital enthusiast for a number of reasons:

-Storage. What do I do with these 30 plus issues per month. They take up space. A part of me wishes I would treat these like the Sunday paper, read it and into the recycling bin it goes. But, that's not going to happen. So, transferring to digital allows me to purchase issue by issue and doesn't clog up my house. (Related, I have around 20 longboxes in my brother's basement and he's moving soon, so I need to find space for those in my place. Sigh.) Also makes reading comics during travel easy. Load up the iPad with comics to read, saves space on carrying around trades. (The trick is to get the iPad away from the kids during airplane rides.)

-Ease of Use. I mean this in both the reading experience and the ability to buy. It's really easy all around. Plus, I have an iPad 3 on the way and Comixology has upgraded the comics to be compatible with the retinal view or HD or whatever the iPad 3 is bragging about. Should be great! (I'm not a fan of the "guided view." I have it set-up to see the full page then tap to view each panel then again see the full page before moving to the next page. I need to keep the experience of turning the page somewhat intact.)

-Taking Chances. Buying digital issues makes it easier to take a chance on a series, writer, or artist that pique my interest. It's a cheaper gateway than buying a trade. Buy the first issue then if I'm hooked, buy more. That's how I discovered the amazing Sixth Gun (Oni Press). I bought the first issue on a lark for sale ($0.99) and soon after the entire back catalog and it's now in my monthly rotation. Conversely, switching to digital for some titles allow me to cull my list. Since I wait a month to get the cheaper digital price, I can see if, when the discount takes effect, I'm still interested in the title. I haven't officially dropped titles yet with this method, but I do have a few that I'm a few issues behind in purchasing. Plus, no back issue hunting if I let a month pass without buying. It's always available for downloading.

Now, slowly becoming a digital enthusiast doesn't mean that I'm wavering in my enthusiasm for the print monthlies. There's still a jolt of excitement in going to the LCS on Wednesday and scanning the shelves for the new arrivals or wandering around the aisles looking for a new title, writer, artist to discover among the trades and graphic novels. Though I don't really socialize or linger in the shop, I still feel a sense of community with the other patrons and employees. I suppose a bit of nostalgia comes into play as well when I eavesdrop on a conversation between two teens discussing the events of new Spiderman or Avengers or Batman. That was me over 25 years ago when my brother, a friend, and I would go comic shopping together and excitedly discuss what we were purchasing, why we were purchasing, and probably joshing each other about the lame stuff in our piles too.

Also, I'm a flipper. Nothing better than sitting down with a pile of comics and flipping through each to get a taste of what's going to happen. Can't really flip through the digital pages. An added bonus to getting the floppies each month is that my soon-to-be 5 year old at home also loves flipping through my weekly haul. It brightens my day to watch him happily sit on the couch with a pile of comics studying each page. (He likes anything with Captain America, Flash and monster books like Godzilla.)

So, for me, it's not a case of print versus digital. Rather, it's print and digital. I'm happy to be an advocate for both.