Captain America Reborn #1 - Review

Captain America Reborn # 1 

Written by: Ed Brubaker
Art by: Bryan Hitch & Butch Guice

Score: 2.5 out of 5

This book was without a doubt the most highly anticipated release from Marvel this week. ‘Captain America Reborn’ promises the return of Steve Rogers, and whilst this was generally a well executed read by the creative team, the circumstances around Steve’s return left me a little disappointed.

The main story for this issue follows on from Captain America # 600. Sharon Carter explains to various Avengers members past and present how she is beginning to remember pieces of her past under the mind control of the Red Skull, when she was used in the assassination of Steve Rogers and what happened in the events that followed. She recalls how after Steve’s death, the Red Skull and Zola used her as, what they refer to, as a ‘constant’ along with a variation of Dr Dooms Time Platform in order to pluck Steve Rogers body out of the time stream where somehow he has been locked away. Confusing I know! The experiment was unsuccessful however when Sharon fights against her restraints and causes the Time Platform to shatter which then causes Steve to become unstuck in time, making him relive moments from his past, which I have to say sounds very similar to a certain Bruce Wayne’s current predicament.

Why was I disappointed? Well time travel is used so much in modern comics and films and books etc. and to it seems to be an easy way out of a characters death. Just travel in the past, grab them before they die. Like that story hasn’t been tried a thousand times before! I was hoping for something more from a good writer like Brubaker, plus we are still not clear as to why the Red Skull would go to all the trouble of killing Cap, just to resurrect him from the time stream, it just does not make sense.

This series story is such a continuation of the main title, there really was no need to make this a $3.99 mini series, apart for Marvel to make some more money. If you haven’t been following the main title new readers will probably be lost. 

The art is generally good but some of the smaller action scenes with the H.A.M.M.E.R agents felt a bit rushed. I do feel though that Hitch is a good choice for this book as the art style is in the same vein as the work Epting and Ross have done in the main Cap series.

A high point for this book was Steve reliving D Day in Normandy, it was great to see him back in action and even though this wasn’t the most positive of reviews, I am looking forward to Steve’s eventual return, so I’ll be here for the whole ride.