Comic Book Review: Captain America #35

The Revolution praises Brubaker’s Captain America each and every month. Honestly, I’m not related to Brubaker and I have no agenda. The fact is that Brubaker really is cranking out a run on this title that is certain to become legendary. There is no doubt in my mind that Captain America #35 is going to be another incredible read. Let’s do this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Butch Guice
Inks: Butch Guice & Mike Perkins

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with the Falcon at the upstate New York facility of Dr. Faustus. Falcon contacts Tony and informs him of this discovery and that it appears that Dr. Faustus abandoned the facility a few days ago. Tony tells Falcon to keep searching for Sharon Carter. Tony says that he is busy trying to put out the fires of the rogue SHIELD agents shooting the protestors outside of the White House.

We cut to a news report about the SHIELD shooting. We see Senator Gordon Wright announcing that with the National Guard already deployed overseas, that Kane-Meyer, a private security company will assume the duty of guarding Washington DC until order can be restored.

We shift to Dr. Faustus in Senator Wright’s office commenting at what a fine job the Senator has done. We zip over to a massive group of protestors outside of the White House. Bucky is in the crowd and mutters that the rogue SHIELD agents probably weren’t under mind control. That these ranting wacko protestors probably drove them to do it. Black Widow is in radio contact with Bucky and reminds him that he is there to prevent a riot. That Black Widow will continue her internet search for what Kronas could be up to next. Black Widow informs Bucky that Kane-Meyer is a subsidiary of Kronas.

Bucky sees a person offering protestors bottles of water. Bucky picks up an empty bottle of water and notices that the bottled water company is a subsidiary of Kronas. Bucky then realizes that drugging a crowd would be the ideal way to spark a riot.

We slide to Kronas’ headquarters where the new President of Kronas, Mr. Morovin, is negotiating a deal with Secretary of State for Kronas’ services to help with the current crisis in America. After hanging up with the Secretary, Mr. Morovin is revealed to be simply a hologram.

We see Lukin telling Red Skull that they should be destroying America and not negotiating with the American government. Red Skull replies that their final destination remains the same. That right now they have crippled America and that their people are in fear.

We slide back to outside the White House where the protestors have broken out into a full scale riot. Bucky wonders how one man can solve a riot. Bucky thinks how Steve would find a way. He wouldn’t think about it. He would just do it somehow. Bucky slips into his Captain America costume and joins the fray.

Captain America takes out the armored soldiers to prevent them from hurting the protestors. Captain America uses his shield incredibly well. It brings a smile to Captain America’s face as he thinks about how good he is getting at this.

We cut to Dr. Faustus meeting with Red Skull. Red Skull tells Dr. Faustus that he has decided that Sharon Carter needs closer treatment than what Faustus has provided so far.

We hop back to Captain America dealing with the riot. Black Widow and Captain America talk about how the riot must be a simple diversion by the Red Skull while something else more important happens. Black Widow suddenly discovers that a helicopter has landed on the roof of the Senate offices. That it must be a part of the Red Skull’s plans.

Captain America busts into the Senate offices and comes face to face with Sin and her Serpent Squad. We then shift back to Sharon Carter waking up strapped to a medical table. Arnim Zola enters the room. Sharon thinks to herself just how long did she think that she could keep her pregnancy a secret. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Captain America #35 was another excellent read. It just amazes me how Brubaker manages to make a cranky bastard like me constantly praise his work each and every month. The pacing on this issue is just right. Brubaker dishes out plenty enough action to keep the story from lumbering. As always, Brubaker serves up another enjoyably complex and deep story. Captain America #35 is another well plotted issue as Brubaker continues to weave an incredibly dense and complex story where each answer merely yields to several more questions.

I continue to enjoy Bucky in his role as the new Captain America. I really that Brubaker has played up Bucky’s much different attitude compared to Steve’s personality. Bucky’s comment about the protestors was classic. This was a subtle way of Brubaker to show that Bucky is not the sympathetic bleeding heart that Steve was. Bucky is much more militaristic and less tolerant of morons and ideological wackos than Steve was.

I also like how Brubaker has Bucky giving props to Steve but at the same time complimenting himself at how good he is becoming in his new role as Captain America. Brubaker deftly makes sure that Steve still retains his position as the “the” Captain America, but Brubaker also impresses upon the reader that Bucky has more than what it takes to make an extremely formidable and dangerous Captain America.

Bucky also flashes more cockiness and attitude than Steve. I loved how Bucky when Bucky crosses paths with the Serpent Squad. Black Widow asks what Bucky has stumbled across and he responds nothing that he can’t handle. This cockiness is part of what makes Bucky a more colorful character than Steve. At the same time, Brubaker has Bucky wrestling with his own self-doubt and feelings that he can never meet Steve’s extremely high standards. Brubaker has managed to get that perfect mix of deference to Steve, self-doubt and confidence that Bucky can get the job done.

I enjoyed the use of the riot as a distraction for Sin and her Serpent Squad to launch their attack. I like that Brubaker is taking advantage of the corporate power of Kronas in order to carry out Red Skull’s plans. We have the drugged bottled water from a Kronas subsidiary. Then we see the Senator that Kronas has purchased who selects a security company to guard D.C. that just happens to also be a subsidiary of Kronas.

This is part of what makes this story arc so unique. Brubaker is showing the reader that villains don’t need to rely on massive weapons and brute force in order to carry out their plans. Brubaker has done such an impressive job making the Red Skull’s plans incredibly complex, subtle and unpredictable. Rarely have I seen a villain’s plans as intriguing as what Red Skull has been pulling off on this title.

Brubaker ends Captain America #35 with a fine hook ending. Brubaker drops a huge bomb on the reader with the revelation that Sharon is pregnant with Steve’s baby. Yeah, there were clues to this a while back, and I have to give credit to some people having guessed this a while back. I dig this little twist and am curious to see what Brubaker has in store for us with this plotline.

Guice and Perkins deliver a great looking issue. They create the proper mood and feel that perfectly matches Brubaker’s story.

The Bad: I have no complaints with this issue.

Overall: Captain America #35 was another excellent read. It is simply incredible how consistently good Brubaker is on this title. If you still haven’t given this title a try then I recommend that you do so. You really don’t have to be a Captain America fan to enjoy this incredible story. And unlike many slower moving stories that feel like two issue story arcs stretched out over six issues, Brubaker manages to cram plenty of detail and plot development in each issue. If you don’t mind a story that moves at a restrained pace then I think you will dig Brubaker’s Captain America.