Screen Time: CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen

Directors: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo

Runtime: 147 minutes

Certificate: 12A

Release Date: 29th April 2016 (UK)/6th May 2016 (US)

Matt C: There are a number of reasons why Captain America: Civil War works so well, and why it provides a new peak for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but perhaps one of the most pertinent is that it feels like a real culmination of everything that has been put in place since Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark uttered the immortal words "I am Iron Man" back in 2008. Marvel has been able to cultivate its audience through twelve movies that exist in a shared universe, offering characters that never remain static but organically grow and develop over the course of time. Because we've invested in the various individuals that make up the Avengers (and beyond), and seen how their dynamics have shifted and matured, we now have enough built-in emotional attachment  to them so that when something causes a schism within the group, picking a side isn't quite as easy or clear-cut as choosing between the hastags #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan on Twitter.

From The Vaults: CAPTAIN AMERICA #25

While we spend a great deal of time engrossed in the current crop of comic books, let us not forget those fantastic tales from the past that still sit in amongst our collections and are always worth revisiting...

CAPTAIN AMERICA #25

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artists: Steve Epting & Frank D'Armata

Marvel

James R: Death in comics is a permanent punchline for us fanboys - the very nature of a business where sales always need to be driven up but the status quo needs to be kept means death is never the final chapter, more a temporary condition. When Ed Brubaker killed off Steve Rogers in the middle of his epic run on Captain America, I remember it being less of a shock and more a source of excitement - given how he had utterly rejuvenated the character and the book since taking over stewardship with Steve Epting in *gulp* 2005, it was clear that he had a master plan for the Sentinel of Liberty, and it was great to be along for the ride.

I haven't read this issue since its release in 2007, but after nine years it still packs a punch. What totally surprised me was that the death of Cap is in fact the epilogue to Civil War - I had absolutely forgotten that it was the conflict over the superhero registration act that saw Steve Rogers clasped in irons; my memory was that his arrest was part of the Red Skull (naturally) and Doctor Faustus' insidious plot. As always with Ed Brubaker, he makes writing good comics look easy - the assassination does tie in neatly with the ongoing plot in the title, and Brubaker gives us much more besides. In 32 pages he and Epting cover the build-up to the hit by showing us just who Captain America is, and what he means to those closest to him, before the fantastically claustrophobic and tense assassination outside the courtroom. The plot then shifts to arguably the true protagonist of the Brubaker/Epting run (more on that later), Bucky Barnes, as he attempts to track down the shooter with the help of Sam Wilson. And if all that wasn't enough, there's still time for one final twist, as one of Cap's closest allies is revealed to have had a hand in the dramatic events.

Do You Remember The First Time? CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON #182

In Do You Remember The First Time? we take a nostalgic trip back in time to discuss a seminal purchase that introduced us to a character, title, creator, or even a hobby.

Rob N: I should perhaps come clean and begin by admitting that Captain America #182 wasn't actually my first Captain America comic, but sadly the advance of senility combined with the fact that I didn't buy that title in my early years of comic collecting means that the memory of my actual first issue is lost to posterity.

It could have been anything, to be honest, and probably was.

The thing is, I wasn't actually that keen on Cap to begin with. Yes, he was the mainstay of the Avengers, but he seemed a bit old fashioned even by Marvel standards, what with him lecturing Rick Jones and the 'Teen Brigade' (a worrying concept these days in light of Operation Yewtree) on the importance of getting at least eight hours sleep each night instead of riding around on Chopper bikes pretending to be the Fonz from Happy Days. He was a bit too clean cut and patriotic for the early 1970s when all the world seemed to be growing its hair long and protesting against Vietnam. I perhaps missed the point of Cap to begin with – that he was indeed a Stranger in a Strange Land, relegated to an era he didn't fully understand, and trying desperately to come to terms with it. By the mid-'70s writers like Steve Englehart took that concept in interesting directions when, with issue #175, Cap had his moment of doubt in the concept of Truth, Justice and the American Flag. At the culmination of a long running 'Secret Empire' saga he tracked down the leader of the villainous cabal that was out to corrupt American society to the very offices of the White House itself. There, in the heart of Government, Cap unmasks the villain as central to the US Government, though we don't see his face ourselves. The man commits suicide and Cap is left shaken with the realisation that... shock, horror... politicians may not always be honourable men! (Relax, this is only comic books – it could never be the case in real life).

Do You Remember The First Time? CAPTAIN AMERICA #318

In Do You Remember The First Time? we take a nostalgic trip back in time to discuss a seminal purchase that introduced us to a character, title, creator, or even a hobby.

Matt C: I’d come across Captain America a few times in various UK reprints of Marvel comics in my formative years, but this issue, released in 1986, was the first bona fide US Cap comic I'd ever picked up. Up to that point I’d never seen a genuine US comic book on the shelves of a British newsagent, so I guess there’s a fair amount of nostalgia tied up in recalling  this purchase, and while rose-tinted spectacles may be involved I think it still holds up pretty well 30 years later. Why this particular issue and not any of the others on the shelf at that time? As is often the case with this medium, it’s the cover that gets you first, and the cover of #317 was bursting with energy, excitement and a guy on roller skates. What’s not to like?

Although a roller skating bad guy isn’t really the most fearsome foe they could have thought up, the suit looks pretty cool if you ignore the wheels (it looked cool to 12 year-old eyes, at least!), and then there’s Cap on a motorcycle in pursuit, complete with distinctive helmet (“And Check Out Cap's Great New Head Gear!” screams the slogan!), which is either a homage to Evil Knievel or Peter Fonda’s character from Easy Rider (or perhaps neither). The armoured villain is called Blue Streak, a very minor entry into Marvel’s pantheon of super-criminals, one who doesn’t appear again after this instalment (for reasons which become apparent by the final page), although the name would get recycled several times across the years.

Do You Remember The First Time? CAPTAIN AMERICA #260

In Do You Remember The First Time? we take a nostalgic trip back in time to discuss a seminal purchase that introduced us to a character, title, creator, or even a hobby.

Simon M: I can’t tell you how many comics I've read over the last 40 years, but it is many tens of thousands. The number of covers I vividly recall however would be a ridiculously small percentage. There are obviously the iconic covers that everyone remembers (Crisis On Infinite Earths #7, The Dark Knight Returns #1 and Amazing Fantasy #15 just to name a few), but outside of those there are very few I can recall that were associated with what was essentially a throwaway story. Captain America #260, released in 1981, was one of the few.

I remember first setting eyes on this issue as a 9 year-old at the local store with about two bucks of chore money burning a hole in my pocket. After buying the weekly supply of candy I would have enough left to buy two comics. As I perused the racks, I saw the cover you see here. I thought, Captain America in prison? That can’t be right! Although I was aware of Captain America, I had never bought or read an issue prior to that day. It didn’t take long to make the decision to pick this one up.

From The Vaults: TALES OF SUSPENSE #79-81

While we spend a great deal of time engrossed in the current crop of comic books, let us not forget those fantastic tales from the past that still sit in amongst our collections and are always worth revisiting...

TALES OF SUSPENSE #79-81

Writer: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby, Don Heck, Frank Giacoia & Stan Goldberg

Marvel

Andrew B: During World War II, it was often complained of the GIs stationed in England prior to D-Day that they were “overpaid, oversexed and over here”. I used to feel much the same way about Captain America.

When I started reading comics lo, those many years ago, the characters that I thrilled to the most were those with whom I seemed to have something in common, teenagers like Spider-Man or the Human Torch. In fact, particularly with Peter Parker, it was the scenes from the hero’s private life, all those personal problems and girlfriend issues, that proved the read-again highlights of many issues. Back in the '60s, Cap didn’t seem to have a private life at all, except a worryingly wallowing fixation with a dead teenage sidekick which these days would no doubt get his shield felt by Operation Yewtree.

Do You Remember The First Time? CAPTAIN AMERICA #1

In Do You Remember The First Time? we take a nostalgic trip back in time to discuss a seminal purchase that introduced us to a character, title, creator, or even a hobby.

Tom P: Cap never really clicked with me until Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting and Frank D'Armata showed me what I was missing out on with Captain America #1 in 2005. This run has proven to be incredibly influential and its fingerprints can be seen all over the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The book effortlessly blends the spy and superhero genres. It starts with a killer hook as the Red Skull makes a sinister deal with General Lupin, who is, in my opinion, one of the greatest Marvel villains. He's a radical rouge Russian selling KGB-developed weaponry to the highest bidder. It sets up the start of a creepy and uneasy alliance between the old Soviet general and the Nazi fanatic effectively mirroring the uneasy truce between Russia and Germany at the start of World War 2, the conflict Captain America was created for. It’s a plan that eventually leads to the death of Steve Rogers following the events of the Civil War crossover. Many misremember his death as occurring within the pages of that miniseries (which gives the third Captain America movie its title) but it was in this particular run of comics that Steve famously met an assassin’s bullet (whether or not the upcoming film takes this plot point on remains to be seen!). It also features the first appearance or the Winter Soldier, a secret weapon of the Cold War that becomes the backbone of the entire narrative, eventually revealed as Steve’s old partner Bucky Barnes, leading him on a quest to free his old friend.

Mini Reviews 03/04/2016

We may not have time to review every book on our pull-lists but we do aim to provide a snapshot of what's been released over the past week, encompassing the good, the bad, and those that lie somewhere in between.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON #7

Writers: Nick Spencer, Joss Whedon, Tim Sale & Greg Rucka

Art: Daniel Acuna, Angel Unzueta, Matt Yackey, John Cassaday, Laura Martin, Tim Sale, Dave Stewart, Mike Perkins, Andy Troy & Frank D’Armata

Marvel $5.99

Matt C: Marvel are never ones to shy away from fleecing their audience with often tenuous ‘anniversary’ issues, but if any character deserves the ‘bumper issue’ treatment, it’s Captain America, celebrating 75 years since his first appearance in Captain America Comics #1 in March 1941. The bulk of this issue sees spins out of the ‘Standoff’ event - which appears to be a pretty derivative storyline to tie in a bunch of comics under the same banner (using a sentient cosmic cube to make criminals happy, or something) - with Sam Wilson carrying the shield and old Steve Rogers battling Baron Zemo again, leading up to a reveal that’s pretty obvious if you throw a cosmic cube into the mix (or if you’ve seen any recent advance solicitations). Although Daniel Acuna’s artwork livens things up a little, it’s a bit dull and feels rather dated in its writing style, and it certainly doesn’t make me anywhere near interested to see how ‘Standoff’ unfolds. The good stuff is, off course, the back-up tales with creative heavyweights like Joss Whedon, Tim Sale, Greg Rucka and John Cassaday all getting involved to mark the Sentinel of Liberty hitting three quarters of a century. All three tales are strong, with arguably the sumptuous Whedon/Cassaday collaboration being the most on point, but they all seem to prove that perhaps a one-shot celebratory compendium book would have been preferable to what we get here (it would have been nice to see Ed Brubaker return, for example). This issue is unlikely to convert anyone not already signed up to the current ongoing adventures of Cap and co, but the additional content makes it just about worth the hefty price tag for fans of the character. 7/10

CAPTAIN AMERICA MONTH @ THE PCG

Matt C: This time last year, in the run up to the release of Avengers: Age Of Ultron, we decided to hold an 'Avengers Month' at the PCG where we published a series of articles related to Earth's Mightiest Heroes to coincide with the movie's arrival in cinemas. During April 2016, we're going to zero in our focus on one particular member of that team to tie-in not only to another cinematic release we're all incredibly excited about but also the 75th anniversary of the character's first appearance in a comic book. Captain America, the stoic cornerstone of the Marvel Universe, headlines his third feature film with Captain America: Civil War in less than a months time (for the UK, at least - sorry US readers, you have to wait a week longer for some inexpiable reason!) as well as celebrating 75 years since he first punched out Hitler on the cover of Captain America Comics #1 in 1941. 

Often dismissed as a one-dimensional, flag-waving boy scout by some, he is a far more complex and interesting character than his lazy critics would have you believe, a man out of time who holds fast to his firm, altruistic beliefs and repeatedly refuses to be anyone's political pawn. There's a reason he's lasted out for over seven decades in popular culture and with a our selection of articles we hope to provide some insight into why he remains such a draw for not only us, but for fandom and beyond. 

Stay tuned...