Captain America Returns to Marvel Select

No thanks...I got caught getting Spider Woman from MS and the scale was just too off for my liking, I don't want to get sucked into another series that has scale issues with existing lines.

I'll stick with ML & DCD...okay, okay...we all know about DCD scale problems, but they are the best DC has to offer.

I won a ml version on ebay by the same guy who's doing my annihilation customs and bucky as cap is great writing by Brubaker.

ToyWorldBreaker - 2008-04-09 @ 1:08 am

I'm not crazy about Bucky being the new Cap and I not crazy about the new costume but I'll buy ONE to be part of my collection. I'm not really excited about this figure either.

i am not reading the captain america comics but is bucky realy the new cap? how stupid. he was great as winter soldier. why change that?

I agree with you totally.

Captain America was revived in 1963-1964 (Avengers) in response to the Kennedy assassination. His reappearance helped a lot of people (include my father) cope with the trauma and uncertainty of that time in history. His callous demise by Marvel is a betrayal of an important cultural icon and symbol of hope. To put it bluntly, murdering Steve Rogers during a time of war, whether you agree with the Iraq war or not, completely undermines everything Capt. America was created for.

Captain America was created to tell stories. The plotline of his death is yet another vehicle for yet another story. He cannot be "murdered" per se, because that's purely contrived. He'll be back because its just a story.

Trust me.

One of the best-remembered Cap runs is 'War & Remembrance' by Stern and Byrne. They produced the BRILLIANT issue that deals with why Cap cannot be president: he is a symbol, an ideal, and as such can't make the hard choices. Four issues later, the same creative staff wrote a story where, when left with no other option, this icon decapitated Baron Blood with his shield. Cap is an icon, but he is also a soldier, and he did what had to be done, recognizing even as he did so that it was a compromise of what he stood for. That's the sort of powerful story we should want our characters to be in.

Yep, a GREAT short run of stories, but really defining in a lot of ways. It was the tag-end of a long run of stories about Steve/Cap simply not knowing his place in the modern world--and a run at being a poilce officer and as the hero Nomad. War and Rememberance brought back Captain America to where he shoudl have been--in fact, Dum-Dum Dugan looks on as Cap seems to regain his confidence and remarks that "he's back".

See, Captain America works best as the personification of a concept about America. The higher ideals of juctice, compassion, fair-play and a sense of duty are what he embodies. This is where people get tripped up on about the character.

They think he needs to be a conservative, blindly dutifull peon--ready to attack America's enemies at a moment's notice. That's the "Ultimate" Captain America--a character quite far removed from the original, and who's a bigger cipher than the mainstream version ever was.

Bucky?winter Soldier is being used in a over all arc that is meant to remind what we lose when we abandon those principles that Cap embodies. This is the purpose of Cap's "death". Take him out of the picture for a while, tell some stories that address his absence and the hole his kind of persona leaves and in the process make him relevant all over again.

And when he comes back, it'll be at the right time and in the right way........because that's what stories are all about.

The figure looks nice, but I don't think I'll ever be able to get used to the new cap. It's just not Captain America unless Steve Rogers is behind the shield.

Capt. America with a gun makes sense? What kind of violence induced and glorifying culture are we living in today when that makes sense?

Um... a soldier carrying a gun. Yes, let's blame the culture for that.

Our heroic figures now need to be packing heat? Im actually saddened to hear people say that. It accurately depicts whats wrong with our contemporary world.

This is one character. One. And it's not even the original version of the character. It's kinda like saying that Steel could never be considered a 'real hero' because the guy he's emulating (Superman) doesn't need armor to get the job done.

And as far as 'packing heat' now... you say it like it's new for characters to have guns. It would seem that our non-heroic types include the Blackhawks, Bucky (who just happens to be in the suit now), Sgt. Rock, Sgt. Fury, War Machine, Punisher, Black Widow, Mystique, Union Jack, Deadpool... the list goes on. And I'm only naming people who carry 'real' guns, not times when characters like the Fantastic Four have showed up with big-ol' Kirby guns, or even characters like Batman who originally started out with them and ditched them later on.

But really, why stop with guns? Why would that be the only weapon that would be 'un-heroic'? What about all the other weapons? There's characters like Wolverine, Elektra, and Black Knight who carry/use blades. Hawkeye, Huntress, Green/Red Arrow and Speedy have their bows. Hawkman's mace, Batman's batarangs, Thor's hammer, Iron Man's armor... when you get down to it, the majority of heroes carry some form of weapon... like a shield, for example.

Captain America was revived in 1963-1964 (Avengers) in response to the Kennedy assassination. His reappearance helped a lot of people (include my father) cope with the trauma and uncertainty of that time in history. His callous demise by Marvel is a betrayal of an important cultural icon and symbol of hope. To put it bluntly, murdering Steve Rogers during a time of war, whether you agree with the Iraq war or not, completely undermines everything Capt. America was created for. Dont people know that Capt. America comics were actually sent in care packages to soldiers serving in Europe during World War II? Many veterans were documented as saying that not only did these comics offer entertainment, they offered the moral support they needed in ordered to continue. Hes more then just some ridiculously clad comic book character. Does todays comic fan base just not care about his real world historical significant? Apparently not. I find this apparently lack of caring to be disappointing. I find killing Capt. America to utterly disrespect the history of the character and past writers of one of comics most beloved fictional caricatures ever made. The replacement of Cap by his longtime deceased ex-sidekick totally symbolizes the sad transformation in American consciousness. The gun has become a product of contemporary cynicism - its symbolism does not belong to Capt. America. Hes a superhero soldier, that doesnt make him a vindictive NRA member. Steve Rogers represented ideals still worth fighting for, ideals which are almost forgotten by people today. Killing him off and giving him a gun symbolizes where we our as a nation in this drug-drenched, greed-driven, corrupt, homicidal society.

Okay, I understand that Cap is a treasured icon, especially for you. I get that.

BUT... does that mean that the company that owns him can't try new things with him? Does that mean that they can't attempt to write good, reader-grabbing stories (actual opinion of the stories is another topic)? Quite frankly, what you're speaking out against is the sort of story that keeps characters fresh so that they aren't looked at as 'some ridiculously clad comic book character'. Without stories that rattle the cages every now and then, the character becomes stagnant- this is why Cap was canceled after WWII.

One of the best-remembered Cap runs is 'War & Remembrance' by Stern and Byrne. They produced the BRILLIANT issue that deals with why Cap cannot be president: he is a symbol, an ideal, and as such can't make the hard choices. Four issues later, the same creative staff wrote a story where, when left with no other option, this icon decapitated Baron Blood with his shield. Cap is an icon, but he is also a soldier, and he did what had to be done, recognizing even as he did so that it was a compromise of what he stood for. That's the sort of powerful story we should want our characters to be in.

What are the best-remembered stories? The ones that rock you out of the comfort zone. Iron Man's an alcoholic! Jean Grey is a cosmic threat! Spider-Man's girlfriend is dead! All the DC worlds are colliding into one! The Avengers are in the middle of a war between the Skrull and the Kree! Wolverine had the adamantium ripped from his bones! Batman came out of retirement and he's ticked about it! Daredevil can't handle Elektra's death!

Are the stories that get you out of the comfort zone often controversial? Well... yeah. If they weren't, you'd stay squarely in that comfort zone, things would get stagnant, and anyone who isn't the most ardent fan would get bored and move on.

Then my second issue is with his replacement. I remember a time when new writers actually respected, perhaps even admired the writers, creators and artists of the past. They considered themselves as playing in their sandbox, they had certain rules established by former writers that they had to abide by. Thats gone the way of the dodo. Any respect for past continuity has cease been eliminated. When I was a child, when a character died in a comic book, wed always have our doubts. It had little impact for the most part, and wed always utter the phrase, Well, hes deadbut is he Bucky dead? There were certain character you never ever resurrected, the so-called untouchables. Were talking figures like Uncle Ben, Jason Todd, Gwen Stacy, Norman Osborne, and the aforementioned Bucky. These are characters that have been six feet under for numerous decades. Their deaths have directly been responsible for some of the most revolutionary, iconic and psychological aspects in comic book history. Whats happened to those dignified times and honorable guidelines? Theyve disappeared faster then Nightcrawler can teleport. Now three of those five characters have awoken from their dirt nap and have dawned the tights once more. Current writers dont seem to grasp that sometimes a character has more of an impact on the overall mythoswhen they stay deceased. The severe lack of originality on display anymore is astonishing. Whats even more so is that some people actually eat this garbage up like a good little lemming. Reviving a character thats more known in death then life is beyond taboo. Its intellectual laziness. You better believe I have an issue with Bucky being alive. I never thought Id see the day when Bucky has returnedand Steve Rogers is in the afterlife. The comic worlds been turned flip upside-down.

I have to be honest here. You are the first out of literally HUNDREDS of people that I've heard from to complain about the resurrection of Bucky. Most of the people that I've talked to say that indeed, it should be upsetting to them, but they don't care because it's so well-written. They can appreciate the way it's done, the care that was taken to have it make sense, and they can see how the Captain America benefits from his partner's return. What would normally be enraging has been rendered good fiction.

And death has never, ever been permanent in comics... or any fiction, for that matter. We can go all the way back to Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty (often considered to be the first 'supervillain') to see that. Most characters that are dead are only such because a decent story hasn't been written to bring them back. Joe Quesada has even gone on record as saying that Steve Rogers will be back... but they will wait for a good story to do it, because they don't want to cheat his death.

And what, may I ask, was so important about keeping characters like Bucky, Jason Todd, and Norman Osborn dead anyway? The anguish that the hero went through over their deaths isn't lessened or negated. In the case of Bucky and Todd, many have said that they find the characters to be more compelling and interesting now than they ever were before death. In the case of Osborn... well, I'm of the opinion that his death was a cop-out, pure and simple. The actual 'death of Gwen Stacy' story is great, and Norman's death is powerful, but he's Spidey's opposite: Norman is the great power without the responsibility. He never should have stayed dead to begin with.

Again, I understand your attachment to the character and respect your opinions. But these characters are not meant to adhere to your sense of nostalgia. They are meant to have exciting, dynamic, and yes, controversial stories told about them so that the company can get and keep readers. You say that he's more than just a 'ridiculously clad comic book character'... but if those who work on him are not allowed to have him grow, change, and try new things with him, then that's exactly what he becomes.

Capt. America with a gun makes sense? What kind of violence induced and glorifying culture are we living in today when that makes sense? Our heroic figures now need to be packing heat? Im actually saddened to hear people say that. It accurately depicts whats wrong with our contemporary world. If someone likes this present-day Cap then more power to them, I can respect that, but its just not my cup of tea. Ill give my take as to why, and please dont accuse me of trying to start a fight. Its just my two cents. I doubt anyone will read this, but Ill try to put it as intellectually and impact as possible.

Captain America was revived in 1963-1964 (Avengers) in response to the Kennedy assassination. His reappearance helped a lot of people (include my father) cope with the trauma and uncertainty of that time in history. His callous demise by Marvel is a betrayal of an important cultural icon and symbol of hope. To put it bluntly, murdering Steve Rogers during a time of war, whether you agree with the Iraq war or not, completely undermines everything Capt. America was created for. Dont people know that Capt. America comics were actually sent in care packages to soldiers serving in Europe during World War II? Many veterans were documented as saying that not only did these comics offer entertainment, they offered the moral support they needed in ordered to continue. Hes more then just some ridiculously clad comic book character. Does todays comic fan base just not care about his real world historical significant? Apparently not. I find this apparently lack of caring to be disappointing. I find killing Capt. America to utterly disrespect the history of the character and past writers of one of comics most beloved fictional caricatures ever made. The replacement of Cap by his longtime deceased ex-sidekick totally symbolizes the sad transformation in American consciousness. The gun has become a product of contemporary cynicism - its symbolism does not belong to Capt. America. Hes a superhero soldier, that doesnt make him a vindictive NRA member. Steve Rogers represented ideals still worth fighting for, ideals which are almost forgotten by people today. Killing him off and giving him a gun symbolizes where we our as a nation in this drug-drenched, greed-driven, corrupt, homicidal society.

Then my second issue is with his replacement. I remember a time when new writers actually respected, perhaps even admired the writers, creators and artists of the past. They considered themselves as playing in their sandbox, they had certain rules established by former writers that they had to abide by. Thats gone the way of the dodo. Any respect for past continuity has cease been eliminated. When I was a child, when a character died in a comic book, wed always have our doubts. It had little impact for the most part, and wed always utter the phrase, Well, hes deadbut is he Bucky dead? There were certain character you never ever resurrected, the so-called untouchables. Were talking figures like Uncle Ben, Jason Todd, Gwen Stacy, Norman Osborne, and the aforementioned Bucky. These are characters that have been six feet under for numerous decades. Their deaths have directly been responsible for some of the most revolutionary, iconic and psychological aspects in comic book history. Whats happened to those dignified times and honorable guidelines? Theyve disappeared faster then Nightcrawler can teleport. Now three of those five characters have awoken from their dirt nap and have dawned the tights once more. Current writers dont seem to grasp that sometimes a character has more of an impact on the overall mythoswhen they stay deceased. The severe lack of originality on display anymore is astonishing. Whats even more so is that some people actually eat this garbage up like a good little lemming. Reviving a character thats more known in death then life is beyond taboo. Its intellectual laziness. You better believe I have an issue with Bucky being alive. I never thought Id see the day when Bucky has returnedand Steve Rogers is in the afterlife. The comic worlds been turned flip upside-down.

Sothere it is.

Like others have said I want a ML version of this! Hope when they do make one it looks better than this. And this costume is nice why do people keep raging on it??

Off the top of my head...

A. Captain Puerto Rico. Take a good look at their flag and you'll get it.

B. Alex Ross' paintings that promoted it were shiny and frankly really ugly. Most people don't want a Cap that looks like he's wearing a vinyl costume.

C. The way the black drapes the shoulders looks less like a uniform and more like he's shucking a wetsuit. Me no want stripper-Cap.

D. The gun throws a lot of people. I don't mind it, but it's a prominent issue.

E. It's not Steve Rogers. That right there upsets a LOT of people. Again I'm not in that group, but it's another big one.

F. This smacks a lot of people as the standard 'new guy, new costume' hype (AzBats, Ben Reilly Spider-Man, Kyle Rayner Green Lantern, and so on). Which it is. Regardless of the reasons behind it, that always meets with resistance.

G. Between the black and the gun, many feel that this is either a retread of John Walker or the 'Ultimization' of regular Cap, and many fans want neither.

There's more, but I think this covers all the major points. I'm not trying to support/disavow any of them, but since you asked, these are the major complaints that I hear. Most people subscribe to more than one.

Seeing this figure, plus the upcoming MS Thor and MS Iron Man makes want a whole 7" Toy Biz figures line to replace my ML.

Sweet!! I am loving the whole Cap strory right now and really love Bucky as the new Cap. So I was hoping we would see this in plastic sooner than later! I will get this one to hold me over till he makes his way to ML.

Draven