Broken Frontier

Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers return to the 1930s, where their first encounter receives a fresh origin.

Ed Brubaker and Marc Andreyko return to Bucky’s point of view in this first issue of Captain America & Bucky.  In this fantastic period piece, Brubaker and Andreyko follow Bucky from his tragic and heart-wrenching beginning as a military brat, to his first day as Captain America’s partner. 

Bucky’s fantastic, updated origin comes as a necessity in comparison to his original, where he haphazardly discovered Cap’s true identity.  Instead of a chance encounter, Brubaker and Andreyko give Bucky a much more fulfilling, layered, and deep backstory, which perfectly complements Brubaker’s Captain America work on the character.  Over the course of the issue, Bucky transforms from a combative bully, to the man his father would have been proud of.  The story is conveyed beautifully through Bucky’s monologue, as he evaluates his life and the two different “masks” he wears.  Even Steve Rogers' brief appearance is exciting because he is written through the eyes of a teenager in awe of the older, more powerful, and respectable Captain.

The outstanding team of artists Chris Samnee and Bettie Breitweiser perfectly capture the tone and life of 1930s and 1940s America.  The characters exude a certain classic and hopeful look, perfectly seen as Bucky crashes an off-base dance; what begins as a classy evening out with his military pals breaks down into an outstanding and exciting fight scene over a dame.  As Bucky begins his training with the British S.A.S., the color palette changes to dark, dreary, and pale to reflect Bucky’s exhausted mentality.  The pair is able to tailor their styles to work with Brubaker and Andreyko’s story.

For fans that miss Bucky and his story as Captain America, this brand new series is an outstanding way to catch-up on classic stories that uncover the history of Cap and his partner.  Hopefully, the Bucky-centric point of view will remain dominant, as it continues to be a breath of fresh air in the Captain America mythos.