FAMILYFANS Books & Comics

CAPTAIN AMERICA #30: The Death of the Dream (Part 6)

by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, and Mike Perkins

(Marvel Comics)

Reader Appeal: Teens to Adults

Genre: Superhero comic

Well, Captain America is still dead.

The good news is that we finally know who killed him. As it turns out, so did the Captain—beforehand. And yet he remains dead. There are some rumors, though, that Captain America will rise again. Otherwise, you might wonder, why keep publishing his comic? In this issue, we finally begin to get some answers.

In case you haven’t heard, Captain America, that mainstay of the superhero world since the days World War II, has been assassinated (back in issue #25). But who killed him? Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, is busy trying to find out, and in this issue he finally puts the pieces together.

Meanwhile, the Winter Soldier (Cap’s old sidekick, Bucky), has taken Captain America’s old shield and is also busy trying to track down those responsible the death. Unfortunately, he’s caught in a trap laid by an old nemesis, The Red Skull, and doesn’t seem to be in a good position to either avenge Captain America or succeed him. Also, Cap’s old flame, Sharon Carter, is shocked to discover that she’s pregnant…and brainwashed. To be continued…

All in all, this was a pretty decent issue. The plot seems to have devolved somewhat from a superhero adventure into a soap opera, but it’s still a mystery that invites probing. Captain America (Steve Rogers) was one of the greatest heroes of all time. Of course we want to know what happened to him and what’s going to happen now that he’s gone. I probably enjoyed the parts with Tony Stark the most in this comic. His complex relationship with the Captain and the difficult role he faces in helping to fill the void left by Cap’s death make him the most interesting character, in my opinion. This is really a chance for him to grow as a person and as a leader, and as a reader you can appreciate the drama of that situation. There comes a time in many of our lives when we suddenly find ourselves without that person who used to represent order and sanity in the world, whether it be a parent, a mentor, a friend, a big brother - and suddenly we find that we have to step up to the plate and keep things together. And it’s not easy.

The art was pretty good in the issue and supported the mood of the story well. The style is a little more noir than I’m used to, and the only primary color that really comes through is red, but it works. In particular I liked the subtle touches: only the old photographs of the Captain and the Captain America star on Winter Soldier’s uniform seemed properly colored. Everything else seemed drained of color and life (except maybe Tony Stark, whose color seemed to be growing over time), which really got the point across of how things are feeling for the characters emotionally right now.

As for criticisms, I don’t have a lot, other than the slight trend toward corny soap opera plot points, which isn’t really a surprise. Nothing seriously objectionable pops up in this issue either (though there is a revealing advertisement for body spray on the inside of the front cover).

There are, I believe, some neat spiritual elements going on in this plot. The only problem is, because so much is happening so quickly, if you don’t have the previous issues, you might not have time to really focus on them or understand them. Captain America was a great role model and a bit of a father figure to the other Marvel characters. We all know what a tough thing it is when someone like that dies. This comic deals (when it can) with the important question of how we react (and should react) when something like that happens. Tony is tempted to drown his sorrows in drink, but is held back by the knowledge that it’s not what Cap would have wanted. Winter Soldier has become bitter and vengeful. Sharon Carter seems to be losing it altogether, and the rest of the world seems to just be trying to move on. As far-fetched as the world is, the situation is something we can all relate to.

Even if you were bothered by the death of Captain America, it’s still worth following the story of the aftermath, especially if you’re a fan of the franchise. Even if you’re not, the story of how the superhero world is dealing with the death of a friend and leader is at least, possibly more, interesting and realistic than the story of how he died. At the least, it could provide a good means for discussing the subject of how we deal with death. So feel free to indulge.

FAMILYFANS RATING: B+

AFTER THE STORY (optional)

If your family members are interested in this book, then encourage discussion about it afterward. You can use these questions to get started:

• Is Winter Soldier right to blame Tony Stark for the Captain’s death? Who do you think is following more closely in his footsteps?

• How has Captain America’s death changed Tony Stark? What attitude does he seem to be taking toward the tragedy?

• In your opinion, who is taking the right approach to uncovering the truth about (and seeking justice for) Captain America’s death, Winter Soldier or Tony Stark? Why?

--MV

Note: All book or comics-related graphics in this column are standard publicity/promotional shots and are owned by their respective publisher.