By Ed Brubaker (writer), Daniel Acuna (artist), VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters and production)
The Story: The Avengers, the President, and the rest of the American people try to come to terms with Bucky’s traitorous past, while Bucky himself must decide how—or if—he can face his accusers.
What’s Good: I made no secret of the fact that the last Cap storyline didn’t thrill me. It did set the stage for this very strong issue, however. Bucky is finally starting to come into his own as Captain America, and has taken a big step towards putting his own unique stamp on the mantle. The political (rather than physical) nature of the crisis he is now facing allows him to shine in a way that hasn’t been possible until now. Bucky is finally able to exhibit the kind of maturity and selflessness befitting that is Captain America’s hallmark. Being calm, levelheaded, and brave without being foolish are (very important) traits that we haven’t seen Bucky exhibit in a while, and it’s nice to see that side of him on full display here.
I also (to my surprise) quite enjoyed the change in artists too. That’s not a slam against Guice by any stretch of the imagination; I just find Acuna’s rougher and more stylized, evocative nature to fit the feeling of this issue very nicely. And, given the shake-up of Bucky’s world that this issue begins, a change of visual pace (even if it’s only a temporary one) is very much in order, and works well.
What’s Not So Good: I would say the issue is a bit predictable (and it actually is), but that predictability comes from the fact that the plot revolves almost entirely around people—and especially Avengers—reacting to the exposure of Bucky’s past. The beats that we expect, then, come not from sloppy or unimaginative storytelling, but from good characterization. (After all, if Hawkeye or Steve Rogers acted differently than they do, it would certainly not be predictable, but it would also result in a bad and irritating comic. It’s not ideal, but the easily measured way the story unfolds is a necessary evil to set the stage for the rest of the arc. Other than that quite forgivable flaw, no real complaints here at all.
Conclusion: A very good start to “The Trial of Captain America,” one that has me more excited for the next issue of Cap than I have been since Steve passed his shield on. Well written, and tense without resorting to melodrama. THIS is the Cap (and the Brubaker!) I want to read.
Grade: B
-SoldierHawk
Grade
Conclusion