Captain America Is Still Dead

[iSteve]

CAPTAIN AMERICA IS STILL DEAD: TALKING TO ED BRUBAKER ABOUT CAP #30 (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=130163)

Five issues down, and still, Captain America is dead.

Although, this week’s #30 held some very interesting developments.

As with each issue since Captain America’s death, it’s time for a spoiler-laden check in on the status of the cast and the storyline...

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/CapAmerica/30/Cap30_cvr.jpg

[iSteve]

ED BRUBAKER ON CAPTAIN AMERICA #31 (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=134077)

We’re running a tad late with our monthly check-in to see if Captain America is still dead, but we finally caught up with writer Ed Brubaker to take a look at last week’s #31 which…well, if you thought things really sucked for the heroes and their friends with issue #30…yowza. Bucky is tortured and broken, Sharon comes over to the dark side, Skull rallies his army. For the good guys, things just suck.

Let’s hear what Ed has to say about it.

Newsarama: Let’s jump right into issue #31 Ed – the opening and Sharon. Is that Faustus in Sharon's head, urging her along? Does he know that she's pregnant, and is using that in the whole mix of insecurities and unsettled emotions that have caused her to drop her guard?

Ed Brubaker: That's really the question, isn't it? Does he know she's pregnant, or worse, did he tell her to get pregnant? You'll notice when she found out she was, she immediately went to join the bad guys.......

http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/Oct07/CaptainAmerica30pg00.jpg

[iSteve]

I thought that this was an interesting tidbit:

NRAMA: Back to the storyline, Skull's massed 2,000 men? Where's his camp? Who are these guys? Russians in the US?

EB: That's the Kronas security force. Remember in issue #7 or #8, when Nick Fury explained that General Lukin took his army with him when he fled Russia? That's who this is, and now they're like Kronas own version of Blackwater, if you will. A private security force, with top military training, connected to an international conglomerate, able to freely travel wherever they are sent, and subject to basically no laws. Pretty scary, right? I've been building this plot-point since issue #1, actually, and it's just about to hit.

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/CapAmerica/31/Cap31_05.jpg

[iSteve]

A CAPTAIN AMERICA IS STILL DEAD: BRUBAKER ON CAP #35 (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=148850)

Well, okay….technically speaking, “Captain America” isn’t dead – Steve Rogers – the original Captain America is still dead, his body still deep under the Arctic waters, but as of last issue, James “Bucky” Barnes, Cap’s former sidekick, has taken up the mantle in a modified suit. Stepping into his mentor and friends boots has proven to be something of a challenge, especially given that the Red Skull is making one of his boldest attacks yet on America.

Last issue, mind-controlled SHIELD agents opened fire on unarmed protesters in Washington DC, and the ramifications are still being felt. Tony Stark is called in on the carpet, SHIELD's on partial lockdown, and Cap is facing down a full-on riot in DC that’s just a smokescreen to cover what’s really going on…that would be what looks like a burglary at the Senate Office Building.

We chatted up Ed Brubaker for more on Captain America #35

Newsarama: Ed, you opened with Falcon finding Faustus' prior hideout. Go over the status of Tony & company's actions right now - Falcon's doing recon, obviously, Tony's on damage control, but what are the other "arms" doing now?

Ed Brubaker: Well, at this point, other than the Mighty Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D. is on standby, while Tony deals with the fallout from the shooting at the White House. So, effectively crippled during the night of the riot, and somewhat discredited. And since Tony was the only person claiming that Lukin isn't really dead, and the Skull is running Kronas, he's not being taken seriously right now, which is just what the Skull needed....

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/CapAmerica/Cap35.jpg

[racemccloud]

If there has ever been, from a storytelling standpoint, a better executed "death of an iconic character" in comics... brother, I don't know what it is.

[guardedmarman]

Captain Marvel had a good ending. And I guess a good re emerging.

[iSteve]

A CAPTAIN AMERICA IS STILL DEAD...ALAS? (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=150886)

by Matt Brady

Yes, this week’s issue of Captain America (#36) required us to change the title of our regular chat with writer Ed Brubaker once again, thanks to the final reveal of the issue (more on that later). So what was going on this month? Bucky continues along his path as the new Captain America with bumps and hurdles along the way. He was able to stop Sin and her Serpent Society, true (using both his knife and gun – why carry ‘em if you’re not going to use them?), although Sin escaped, and Crossbones…he won’t be talking to anyone for a while.

Meanwhile, Red Skull figured out who this new Cap is, Tony Stark lied to the Vice President of the United States about his knowledge of the new Captain America, and Sharon…well Sharon found something pretty darn interesting in Red Skull’s basement.

Let’s talk to Ed.

Newsarama: Ed, let’s start with that opening fight - probably wouldn't have caused any fan a spilt-second of worry had it been Steve in the costume, but as you even had Bucky say, he was overconfident about taking on Sin and her Serpent Squad all on his own. Is this youthful exuberance on Bucky's part, or is he still "showing off" a little - even to himself....trying to prove that he deserves to wear the suit?

Ed Brubaker: Yeah, I think he's a bit cocky, and kind of always has been, even in his sidekick days. He'd have to have had a certain amount of attitude to take that gig in the first place back then, really. And he was always a scrapper growing up, which was very different from Steve Rogers youth, obviously. But I think there's probably a part of him that's trying to prove he can do this on his own......

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/CapAmerica/36/Cap36_03.jpg