Steve Rogers: Man of Many Talents
If you had any doubts about Ed Brubaker’s grasp and understanding of the character of Steve Rogers, there are two collections that should clear them up for you. Even though the character is no longer Captain America (at least, at the time these were written he wasn’t; he has since resumed the mantle, but we’ll get to that in a few months), the man is still one of the most capable leaders the Marvel Universe has to offer. It’s just that since he’s no longer the symbol of a nation, he can afford to get his hands dirty and have a little fun — James Bond style.
After his return to the land of the living and the events of “Siege,” Steve was installed as the new head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and made America’s new “top cop.” So when the grandson of the scientist who invented the super-soldier formula that made Steve into the man he is today claims to have cracked it and is planning to sell it to the highest bidder, that’s our man’s cue to get involved. Even though the story is called “Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier” it wouldn’t feel out of place if it had run in the regular “Captain America” title.
It’s a better-than-average tale, actually, thanks to the nice balance that’s struck between Brubaker’s love of “noir” and the character’s super-hero legacy. Introducing Professor Erskine’s grandson is only the start of things as his girlfriend turns out to be a dead ringer for someone Steve fell in love with back in the 40’s. The choice of villain was also well-done (and will probably be best appreciated if you’re like me and have recently read the new edition of “Operation: Rebirth”) and he does something that I’ve never seen to the character before: turn off the super-soldier serum. In what appears to be the most dire straits possible for Steve actually turns out to be the book’s high point as we see that the serum is only part of what makes him the greatest soldier in the world. Even as a 98 lb. weakling, he still possesses a tactical acumen and fighting skill that shames men twice as built as he is.
As fun as this collection is, it kinda falls apart at the very end. While Steve scores a certifiable victory, the whole endeavor turns out to have been part of a much larger plan by a much more sinister organization. I was disappointed that this ended in a lead in to stories with no clear follow-up… until I read “Secret Avengers: Mission to Mars” and realized that the “Shadow Council” are actually the main villains here. It’s a good thing I buy everything Brubaker writes, or else I might’ve thought he was just pissing into the wind there.
Anyway, the Secret Avengers are Steve’s “black ops” team dedicated to proactivity in the Marvel Universe and finding and neutralizing threats before they blow up to become the next crossover event. The team he has put together includes the Black Widow, Beast, War Machine, Valkyrie, Moon Knight, and (The Irredeemable) Ant-Man. Nova is also on the team as their cosmic back-up and winds up sent to Mars as the team investigates a series of artifacts related to something known as the Serpent Crown. Unfortunately they lose contact with him in short order and the team takes off after him. Putting aside the fact that this Serpent Crown is the key to unlocking a threat of galactic proportions, the Shadow Council also have their eye on it as well and they’ve got Nick Fury on their side.
The main story in “Mission to Mars” doesn’t have any of the noir underpinnings of Brubaker’s work. Sure, you could make the claim that they’re there because it’s a “secret black ops” team, but any possibility of taking that seriously goes out the window when they leave the planet. That being said, this is still a very fun superhero book as the characters are well-defined, the pace is fast, the stakes are high, and things blow up with the best of them. It’s a great example of the old formula done very well. I will say that the noir comes back with a vengeance in the last story as we find out why Nick Fury is working for the Shadow Council. It’s both a great “man on the run” story and a clever twist on one of the character’s trademarks. You’d think after all the times he has used these things over the years, something like this would’ve happened sooner actually.
So these collections are both great examples of superhero fiction, and a showcase for the awesomeness of Steve Rogers. Though each have their flaws as noted above, there’s also something else hanging over their heads: price. “Mission to Mars” is $20 for five issues and “Super-Soldier” is $15 for four (plus the eight-page origin of the character, which despite its historical significance I can’t really count as added value). As with a lot of stuff I’ve talked about these past few weeks, I found these for half-off at Comic-Con, though I’d say that the standard discount Amazon is offering is also pretty fair. With that kind of a barrier to entry, you’ll have to already have some vested interest in the character (or the writer) to want to pick these up. Once you do, by whatever legitimate means, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.