February 2008

Steve Rogers may be dead, but Captain America lives on.  Cap’s former sidekick Bucky Barnes picks up the mantle of his mentor in the newest issue of Captain America.

Captain America #34
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“Steve isn’t leading the way up the battlefield.  Yet I can almost feel him here.  But he’s guiding me now…instead of haunting me.  I can’t be him.  No one ever could.  But I can make him proud….in my own way.”

Okay, so the fact that Bucky Barnes is the new Cap isn’t a surprise (except maybe to those who didn’t realize Rogers got himself shot and stopped breathing a few issues ago).

Steve Rogers’ former sidekick turned Soviet assassin is now faced with the hardest task of his life – filling the shoes left by his friend and mentor.  With the unspoken support of Tony Stark, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Black Widow, Bucky goes where those like Wally West have gone before – trying to live up to the legacy of a true hero.

Issue #34 begins with a nice, though wordy, recap of recent events allowing readers who haven’t kept up the the story some background.  Steve Rogers is dead, and Bucky Barnes has accepted the role of Captain America, and the mission to track down the Red Skull.  Bucky dons a modified version of the costume along with adding a few choice weapons including a gun to Cap’s trademark shield.

Bucky is successful in his first venture out by stopping terrorists from robbing the National Gold Reserves, but his victory is shortlived as Tony Stark makes a startling discovery, perhaps too late, about the Red Skull’s whereabouts and his next move as rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, under the Red Skull’s command, perform a public relations nightmare live on television.  Bucky may have one a battle but it seems the Red Skull is winning the war.

This isn’t your father’s Captain America.  I still am disappointed in the death of Steve Rogers, whose unique perspective and view on life, although perhaps hard to write, was a large piece of the foundation of the Marvel Universe.  Bucky’s Cap is one that fits seamlessly in the post-Civil War world, but lacks the heart and soul of the man who he replaces.  At times Captain America might have seemed old-fashioned and even antiquated, but he also harkened back to a time, not that long ago, when beliefs and patriotism was prized rather than marketed.  Call me nostalgic, but I’ll take Barry Allen over Wally West, and Steve Rogers over Bucky Barnes.

Even with these reservations I still enjoyed the issue and the respect they offered up to Rogers’ memory.  Hopefully this will continue and remain a mainstay in the character and the series (as Allen’s spirit has been in The Flash).  I’m not sure I like where this new Cap may lead us, but after this well-crafted introduction I’m willing to give him a chance.  Hey, at least he’s better than the last replacement.

Don Chin’s band of super hamsters (parodied off the famous turtles) return to action in the new Dynamite Entertainment monthly series by Keith Champagne and Tom Nguyen.  Hamsters Assemble!  Here’s our review of the first issue.

Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters #1
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“If your daddy knew how stupid you are, he’d trade you in for a pet monkey.”

A parody of a parody.  Created by Don Chin and Parsonavich, the Adolescent Black Belt Hamsters were a parody of Eastman and Laird’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the near endless slew of action films, in the late eighties.  With the new turtle film (read our review) breathing life back into the franchise the hamsters also return for a new series from Dynamite Comics.

The five hamster team is comprised of Rock, Arnold, Jean Claude, Steven, and Lucy.  All are named after the action stars they resemble (and are often spouting catch-phrases).  Who did you expect them to be named after?  Famous artists?  In the first issue the team is called back to the Himalayan monastery which is under siege by a horde led by the reborn Genghis Khann.

Filled with action, bad puns and quotes from a variety of films including T2, Hard to Kill, Under Siege, and several others, this isn’t a comic for everybody.  But, for those like me who grew up with these films, many of these moments will bring a smile to your face.

This first issue deals mainly with introducing the team, with a short glimpse at our villain.  In order to accomplish this the issue, aside from the training scenes, is a little light on action before the real fight begins on the last few pages.  But with these final pages leaving two of the heroes near death, one attempting flight without wings (never a good idea), and the others surrounded by an army, I think we’ll see the furry fists fly in the second issue.

Writer Keith Champagne is obviously having fun here playing with the characters, especially Steven who gets most of the best scenes early on (are you a closet Steven Seagal fan, Mr. Champagne?).  The humor does seem a bit forced at times, but that’s to be expected in a first issue.  I was also pleased with the art by Tom Nguyen which gave a humanity to the characters while also playing up the absurdity of it all.

This isn’t a great issue or a must-read by any means, but it’s different and a little refreshing from the recent offerings of the bigger comics companies.  And now that my beloved Zoo Crew (check them out) has once again gone into forced hiatus and hibernation (read more here), I guess I’ll have to rely on some hamsters for a sense of whimsy (mixed, of course, with some high-octane action).  Here’s hoping Steven pulls through, if you’re gonna’ kill one how about the Rock (I’m already tired of him laying the Smackdown), and they are given an opportunity to live and fight for a few more days to come.  Now, if they could only come up with a catchy theme song…