Broken Frontier

Happy Birthday Buck...um, I mean Captain America!

James “Bucky” Barnes continues his posturing as the late super soldier in Captain America #50.  In this special episode, Bucky takes on some metal-head “patriots”, relives birthdays past, and gets a surprise of his own.

In "Days Gone By," Bucky Barnes gets caught up in a fight with a previously unknown (to him) enemy on his birthday no less!  The Watchdogs are a group loyal to Steve Rogers, and apparently take issue with any impersonators to the Captain’s shield.  While Bucky engages these turbo-boosted foes and dodges heat-seeking missiles, he flashes back to past birthdays which were equally unique.

The reader is treated to a super-issue on the eve of Captain America’s 600th issue, where we get a wonderfully created biography of Steve Rogers and Bucky, for those who haven’t been following Cap for the past 70 years.  The biography takes us from the beginning of Steve Rogers and the creation of the Captain America alias, through the alliance with Bucky and the Invaders, to the Civil War and Rogers' eventual death.  The major relationships that were formed during Rogers' life have an impact on how Captain America #50 is enjoyed.

Ed Brubaker weaves an extremely inspired arc in this issue.  His ability to conceive such harmony between past and present in a single story benefits the reader.  Brubaker writes here with such solid detail to the history of Bucky and Rogers' relationship, one ponders whether he wasn’t the creator of American hero himself.  Bucky’s flashbacks to important birthdays in his past are artfully connected to further develop the issues he continues to struggle with; namely trying to uphold the magnanimity of Rogers' reputation.  This story is as compelling an addition to an ongoing saga as Brubaker has ever written.

As an artist, Luke Ross (Samurai: Heaven and Earth) is just as good as anyone in the business.  His vision when framing pages is what allows him to stand apart from mediocrity.  Ross’ use of overlaps and triptych-style framing are engaging and apropos to action storylines.  If Ross is a visionary pencil artist, Frank D’Armata’s colors allow this real-world vision to leap from the page.  D’Armata’s lighting and texture relate meticulously to the photo-realistic conceptions of Ross.  

For new readers interested in getting into Captain America, this issue is a great place to start.  Reading the biography first will undoubtedly enhance Brubaker’s "Days Gone By."  No matter the order read, this comic is full of action, remorse, humor and reflection.  A must read!