COMIC REVIEW: Captain America #40

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When Ed Brubaker killed Steve Rogers in Captain America 25, most comic book readers assumed that his death would be undone in a matter of months, jaded from so many false deaths of high profile characters in the past. Over a year later, Steve Rogers is still dead but Captain America lives on. Rogers’ former sidekick, Bucky Barnes, has taken over the mantle and Brubaker’s suspected publicity stunt has transformed into one finely crafted superhero epic.

Rising gas prices, collapsing mortgages, and general unrest in the civilian population have been exposed as elements of The Red Skull’s latest attack on America. Long gone are the days of goofy schemes centered on a supervillain’s attempt to beat America into submission by brute force, only to be thwarted by a 59th minute save by the hands of a hero. Brubaker has formed an intense and frighteningly believable scenario of domination where The Red Skull may eventually take over America through financial and political means, as long as he decides not to let The United States destroy herself first.

Bucky Barnes, now continuing the dream of being a beacon of hope for America, finds himself at the center of the destructive forces being whipped about by his predecessor’s arch-nemesis. While this may sound much like every other comic book face off you may have read, Brubaker brings something very special to his storyline: history. Apparently thumbing through the entire history of Captain America’s exploits, Brubaker weaves together elements from all 60+ years of Captain Americana to bring about

Captain America 40 centers on the confrontation between Barnes and another would-be Captain America replacement, The Grand Director. The curious history of The Grand Director actually began when Stan Lee brought Steve Rogers back from supposed death in the early pages of The Avengers. When Stan brought Rogers back, he had forgotten about 5 issues of Young Men comics that had been produced in the 1950’s which featured a very much alive Steve Rogers working as Captain America. Those stories were later referenced in 1972’s Captain America 153, where writer Steve Englehart crafted a tale where a young man who idolized Rogers took his name and likeness and injected himself with his own version of the super-serum. This man was later brainwashed by Dr. Faustus and re-christened “The Grand Director” and was used by neo-Nazi forces to attack and confuse the true Steve Rogers.

While this story is unknown to most readers, Bucky Barnes was still thought to be dead during this period in Rogers’ life and was unaware of what had transpired. Much like how Rogers was confused by his doppelganger, Barnes finds himself face to face with a man he knows cannot be Steve Rogers, and yet looks and sounds just like him. It’s another great example of how Brubaker can take these seemingly forgotten moments in the character’s history and turn them into compelling story elements today.

Captain America 40 is available now at your local comic shops and carries a $2.99 cover price.