Broken Frontier

The mystery behind Captain America’s death continues to explode across the Marvel Universe, but it’s up to the Falcon and the Winter Soldier to figure it out.

You have to hand it to writer Ed Brubaker for crafting an excellent murder/mystery within the pages of Captain America. Not only did he allow the good Captain to be put on ice, but he ostensibly raised the profile of supporting characters like the Falcon and the Winter Soldier in the process. Just where this is all leading to is anyone’s guess, but I am sure this will be one of the biggest story arcs in the history of Marvel Comics when this is all said and done.

Now with this kind of ideology set in motion, Brubaker is destined to examine Captain America’s legacy in a story that is designed to stretch out for more than two years. So far he seems to be off to good start after setting up all the integral players in this mystery. We get a glimpse of Sharon Carter struggling with her own guilty demons, and that is coupled with scenes of the Red Skull, Dr. Faustus and Arnim Zola all gloating over the good Captain’s untimely demise. For my money’s worth though, this is offset by the noble exploits of Sam Wilson, as he dons his Falcon identity and goes off to enlist the aid of the former Bucky Barnes. Both heroes are hellbent on figuring out the real truth behind the mystery and with this much intrigue in tow you can bet this is going be a blockbuster.

It is obvious to me that Ed Brubaker has a story to tell and you can see these ruminations in the actions of characters like the Falcon and the Winter Soldier. What I love about this idea is that all the supporting players in this series get to shine and will no doubt carry the book for the duration of Cap’s absence. In this case, strong plotting techniques were utilized to give readers the skinny on the mystery and there is ample enough indication to suggest an epic tale is in the offering. Ed should always be commended for stellar dialogue and much of this issue kept my interest throughout. I am really looking forward to the next issue and there’s no doubt about the magnitude of this story arc.

What I also noticed with this issue is how seamlessly the art of both Mike Perkins and Steve Epting go hand in hand. Just like bees to honey, these two artists work extremely well as chief chroniclers of this series and every page smacked of pure genius. I can’t say enough about their abilities and with the addition of colorist Frank D’Armata, this team can surely conjure up prime sequences of action and adrenaline. Just flip to the last few pages and watch as your jaw drops while Bucky gets himself into a fierce bar fight, and then flip back to the truly haunting shot of Steve’s lifeless corpse. These two scenes truly summed up everything that makes this story arc worth reading.

So when this is all said and done, I am sure readers will look back and be amazed at how intricate the plotting is for this arc. Ed’s dialogue is iron clad and he obviously understands the story beats to craft an excellent murder/mystery. So if you are one of the few people in the minority not reading this story, then I suggest picking this up at your local comic shop. You won’t be disappointed.