Broken Frontier

This special story focuses upon the past remembrances of the former Bucky Barnes, who’s now returned to the modern world as the Winter Soldier.

I have to say I was totally against the idea of resurrecting Bucky Barnes from the dead, and worse yet plopping him smack dab in the middle of Cap’s life once again. I guess I’m not a fan of tampering with classic moments in a character’s past (such as Captain America’s), especially when it was a pivotal moment in the man’s life. In this case, the writer responsible for this (Brubaker) gambled on the idea and pulled off the biggest feat possible. What resulted was the birth of the Winter Soldier, and now he takes centre stage in this powerfully written one-shot.

Since Bucky’s return, he’s been actively involved in assisting Cap in his struggles against the Red Skull. He’s even gone as far as to defect from his Russian controllers and is now working with Nick Fury (who’s gone rogue). It’s now Christmas and despite the seasonal good cheer all around the city, Bucky cannot seem to relate to the new world around him. Times have indeed changed, and as he finds himself falling into a maudlin mood because of it, the colonel calls and asks him to stop a trio of Young Avengers from making a big mistake. Bucky of course objects, but eventually he gives in and goes about the task like the dutiful soldier he once was.

For the most part, the majority of this tale serves to reconnect Bucky with fond remembrances from his past. He’s never forgotten the last Christmas spent in 1944, nor has he forgotten spending that evening with his good friend Toro. Much of this is contrasted with the present and how the growing tension among the heroes embroiled in the events of the civil war are affecting everyone involved. Even Bucky is affected by the events, but writer Ed Brubaker is content upon endowing him with tons of guilt to drive him emotionally throughout the story. As a writer, Ed’s penchant for believable dialogue is coupled with edgy/hard hitting action sequences, and after reading this issue I could see the Winter Soldier eventually getting his own on-going series. There’s a vast wealth of history to rely upon and the character is steeped in the anti-hero role to warrant large amounts of interest from readers.

At least the upper brass at Marvel had the good sense to find the right artist(s) to bring this tale to fruition. A trio of talents (Weeks, Gaudiano, Hoberg) were all brought together to work symbiotically from the first to last page. The talented tandem each brought their distinct styles to this strong tale chronicling a sizzling fight scene and including several moments harking back into the past. Every scene meshed perfectly together, and it made for a very pleasing read overall.

In the end though, the birth of the Winter Soldier has been one of the biggest assets in Captain America’s current run. I will admit openly that I wasn’t fond of resurrecting Cap’s older partner from the dead, but now that he’s had some time to gestate (in earlier issues of Captain America) his character has developed fully. This issue is an ideal read for anyone wanting to peer into the heart of a hero on the verge of greatness, so check it out and bask in the glory of Marvel’s latest blossoming son.