Volume 44: Captain America: Winter Soldier

Captain America: Winter Soldier

Author: Ed Brubaker  |  Illustrator: Steve Epting

"...[H]e's a Cold War myth that's turnin' out to be true."

Winter Soldier is one of the more well-known Captain America story arcs, but the issues included in the book can only tell a part of the story. If you haven't read the build-up, then you'll just have to accept that prior to the events herein some shit went down that ended with a man named Aleksander Lukin, an ex-General of the KGB, coming into possession of a Cosmic Cube (one of the many, it seems like Marvel create a new one as and when they need it).

Some knowledge of Steve's one-time partner, Bucky Barnes, will also be helpful. Bucky was killed in action during WWII, and Steve never fully got over it. The youth was his partner but also someone he felt responsible for, so alongside the loss of a friend is a feeling of failure to himself, his confidant and his country. When it's suggested that the Winter Soldier might have a connection to the event that killed Bucky, Steve's emotions are put through a wringer.

The book bounces around in time, showing events from yesterday or yesteryear, etc, that when assembled like a four-dimensional jigsaw result in a series of cause and effect scenarios that weigh heavily on Steve's conscience. His feelings are a confused mix of hope, fear, denial and anguish - states of being that artist Steve Epting captures wonderfully in his framing, expressions and lighting. In fact, Brubaker's script allows many of the weighty moments to draw their power from being shown more than told; he must have known Epting was very much up to the task.

A personal favourite moment of mine is when Steve goes for a rooftop run. High above the city, distanced from the everyday bustle, he seeks to clear his head by going through the motions, leaping and rolling as only a superhero (or super-soldier) can do. He seems to be aware that his weakness is party to guilt and loss, to friendship lost, and perhaps even a little nostalgia for a time that only he remembers. He knows that running from the problem isn't going to make it go away, but the feeling of familiarity that accompanies such actions is a kind of comfort in itself.

To get back on track, despite the leaps of faith needed by the reader, the nonsense science (and the damn Cube), Winter Soldier is a human story, a turn of events that prove even heroes aren't so different from the rest of us after all.

The book collects together Captain America (Vol 5) #8-9 and #11-14.

Verdict: