Paneled Goods: Captain America Epic Collection Volume 12

How was your Thanksgiving? Hopefully you had time to kick back and relax. My original plans were to basically eat and drink a bunch while catching up on movies in the theater but I got sick like a loser. Instead of venturing out to Happy Hour or the multiplex, I spent most of my long weekend napping, reading and online shopping. I did manage to hit Pulp Fiction on Friday as they have a giant store filled with discount graphic novels and comics. Marvel has begun releasing Epic Collections, full color runs of their most iconic titles. While on my quick trip across America, I stopped into Des Moines, Iowa to see some friends who were holding my comic book collection from Ohio and sadly did not find my cache of Captain America! Maybe it's in some different boxes but I had a sizeable run from the 60's through the 2000's. I did find the Cap cache of toys and trinkets though. Anyways, coming back to California without my stack of comics, I wanted to see what Pulp Fiction had and ended up with Volume 12 from 1985-1986 with issues #302 through #317.

These Epic Collections are quite nice, full color with some supplemental material like Letters to the Editor, corresponding Annuals or sketches and concept art. Paul Neary does most of the art with clean pencils, detailed backgrounds and a kinetic style supplemented by a chipper pastiche of smiles while editor Mark Gruenwald officially takes over writing as he feels like he's got a grasp on our Star Spangled Avenger. We get some excellent character snapshots with staples like Jack Monroe's Nomad trying to get out of the shadow of Cap, fiance Bernie Rosenthal losing her job and questioning her future with Steve. Our boy is all over the place here, hard charging and idealistic. One issue he randomly goes to Britain after being hit with some crazy psychic bolt to team up with Captain Britain to fight a contemporary of Merlin, you know from King Arthur, like you does. In another he rails against his ad agency editor about advertising putting possessions over people. Which is good though because it leads him to drawing for Marvel Comics, on Captain America! In a bit of meta-hilarity, we learn that Avengers butler Jarvis provides basic stories to Marvel and signs off, another revenue stream and positive exposure, I guess. Thanks to Jarvis we also learn that Captain America's favorite post workout repast is a GRILLED AMERICAN CHEESE SAMMICH AND GLASS OF MILK. Holy shoot, time to get Captain America YOKED.

Later on Cap runs into the Serpent Society who have formed an organized mercenary squad to carry out all your criminal or murder-centric needs. Our favorite flying head MODOK is sadly their quarry and is taken out. Later, Steve ends up with a million bucks from Army back pay and instead of using it on himself or his lady, decides to start up his national hotline. Through and through we see his relationship with Bernie deteriorating because come on, Cap's gotta fight the good fight, but it's still sad when she up and leaves him for law school, putting their engagement in limbo (psst, they don't make it). It's great to have the issues in full color but I miss seeing the ads from regular issues so you can get a context of the era. There's a funny inclusion of readers writing in, freaking out about a panel where Cap's nose is missing a line so it looks like he doesn't have one? I honestly didn't notice it and thought the schnoz was outlined plenty but whatever.

In addition to Gruenwald and Neary, these issues would not be possible without the contributions of Michael Carlin, Roger Stern, Frank Miller, Josef Rubinstein, Dennis Janke, Al Williamson, Jim Massara, Howard Mackie, Michael Higgins, Lynn Varley, Ken Feduniewicz, Al Milgrom, Jim Novak and Diana Albers.

Weird(cool) Panels: Captain America Man & Wolf

This installment of Weird(cool) panels is brought to you by the most action packed decade in comic books, the 1990's! By 1992, I had been reading Captain America comics for about 3 years, starting with the absolutely legendary 1980 9 issue arc by Roger Stern and John Bryne, collected as War & Remembrance. From there I started reading Cap monthly, growing up on Ron Lim's bulky and action oriented style along with Mark Gruenwald's writing which pitted Cap against The Serpent Society, drug dealers and the Red Skull's Skeleton Crew. By 1992, Lim moved on and Rik Levins took over. His art wasn't as crisp or impressive as Lim's but had an energy about it along with giving each character a long and lithe look compared to Lim's blocky and compact style. Issues 402 through 408 belong in Cap's Weird(cool) Hall of Fame because the Star Spangled Avenger becomes a werewolf! I've had the hankering to revisit the saga after seeing a new Cap action figure come with a replaceable wolf head. I don't need another Cap action figure but my lady was sweet enough to buy me the head by itself on eBay. With the majority of my comics collection is in storage in another state, WonderCon came through as my lady spotted the trade in a 60% off bin and I nabbed it.

In the crazy 6 part run, Steve Rogers aka Captain America is looking for his pilot, one John Jameson, son of Spider-Man's newspaper publishing nemesis J. Jonah Jameson. John was a decorated NASA pilot and astronaut who came into contact with a gem on the surface of the moon which turned him into a manwolf. He's now gone missing at the same time as a rash of rumored werewolf killings are happening in quaint northern Massachusetts. Going to investigate, Cap seeks out some supernatural support but Dr. Strange unavailable, so Doctor Druid is enlisted to help him on his quest. The pony tailed master of the occult agrees and the two Sky Cycle up to Starkesboro, population 932 where they're immediately attacked by a werewolf and a silver masked and haired baddie on a flying motorcycle, Moonhunter. Turns out the town has some natural lycanthropes, you know people who turn into werewolves while others are being turned into them by Dr. Nightshade and her caped, bad guy wizard boss Dredmund. X-Men scrapper Wolverine is also investigating the murders and fights it out with a horde of werewolves before being captured and injected with werewolf serum but his healing ability rejects it. Instead Wolvie gets mind controlled like the rest of the town and becomes a more feral and violent version of himself.

Meanwhile back in New York we get an appearance from Steve Rogers' former love, Bernie Rosenthal, whom he met in War & Remembrance coincidentally. Bernie is back in town trying to get back together but Steve had been seeing former criminal and thief Diamondback unofficially. In the meantime, Bernie screws up as she's taking a walk with Avenger butler Jarvis and Steve's old friend, Dennis Dunphry, a former pro-wrestler turned superhero sidekick D-Man. D-Man was recently found in suspended animation up in the arctic and has been a mute near zombie ever since. But he does hit the gym with Cap, bench pressing 8500 pounds! Anyways, Jarvis has to bolt then Bernie loses sight of Dennis who wanders off in Central Park. Back in Stakesboro, Cap is captured and injected with the wolf serum, turning him into Cap-Wolf! From there he has to try and maintain his humanity, organize his fellow wolf captives and lead a revolt. Wolfsbane from X-Force makes an appearance, as does her leader Cable, the giant shoulder padded and gun toting soldier from the future. Adding to the WeirdCool-ness, Dr. Druid has some interesting mind powers like being able to levitate Cap out of trouble and heal his slit throat by sheer force of will. It's like that yoga Dhalsim does that lets you spit fire.

CapWolf leads the prison escape, faces off with Dredmund and grabs the Moongem. In a kind of random showdown, Cable and CapWolf get stymied by a giant rug wrapping them up which Wolverine then slashes through to set them free. Turns out the alpha wolf in captivity is John Jameson, who has been trying to find a way to be as super heroic as Cap and the Avengers after being an astronaut was no longer enough in the modern age. Man & Wolf is a fast and fun read which a familiar but enjoyable set up of a small town taken over by an evil baddie, experimenting on the locales. Throw in a found on the moon gem that turns you into a wolf, Cap spending half the issues as one, cameos from Wolvie and Cable and you've got yourself a quirky yet well executed change of pace. You even get some Infinity Gauntlet/War spillover as Captain America's evil darkside manifests into reality and tries to kill him. I don't know how Cap was selling back then but the issues were running twice a month which I'm pretty sure is a good thing.

Supporting Mark Gruenwald and Rik Levins you had Danny Buldanadi, Steve Alexandrove, Don Hudson and Ray Kryssing on Inks, Joe Rosen and Bob Sharpe doing Lettering, Gina Going and Arianne Lenshoer Coloring then Pat Garrahy, Barry Dutter, Ralph Macchio and Mike Rockwitz Editing. While it's been 15 years since I first read these issues, they were still pretty fresh in my mind. It was funny going back and realizing that Cap was picking bullet slugs off his armor, not the slimy bugs and as a 10 year old wondering why those things you see on the sidewalk would hurt. Reading up on the issues, I found out that artist Rik Levins went into video games after spending 3 years on Cap then started teaching at Full Sail University. Levins sadly passed away in 2010 from complications of cancer. Thanks to Levin and team for providing me with childhood adventure that has made for positive lifelong memories.

Paneled Goods: The Incredible WeirdCool

Let's get this month started with a double shot of WeirdCool panels, shall we? Coming at you from December of 1983, Incredible Hulk #290 from Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, Carlos Garzon, Bob Sharen and Michael Higgins opens with the Abomination bringing kidnapped S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Katherine Waynesboro to a secret A.I.M. base where the yellow domed science terrorists want to create a new Mechanical Organism Designed Only for Killing aka M.O.D.A.K., only one they can control. Throwing Waynesboro into the Alteration Chamber where "intensive hypnotic suggestion" will turn her into a super mind, the physical manifestation of pure intellect! Hulk shows up to rescue his friend and teams up with ol' Modie to take on A.I.M. but it's a huge multiple back stabbing, double, triple crossing deal as Bruce Banner's scorned former father in law General Ross lets the DAK use Abomination if he'll kill the Hulk, who kidnaps Waynesboro for A.I.M. in order to take out the uncontrollable Mod, phew! The real victim here is Abomination who is basically used for muscle and has the emotional stability of a child. Waynesboro morphs into flying head/mind weapon MS. MODAK and immediately bonds with her male counterpart as you can't overcome the yearning of a match of the mind! But the big headed couple doesn't last as Modak wants kill everybody while the Ms. believes all life has value. No signs of Hostess baked treats, instead we get ads for two different networks Saturday Morning cartoon line ups, where NBC's includes Hulk, Spider-Man, Smurfs and Mr. T!

Next up is January, 1984's #291 that boasts a suicide dripping cover and note that it's Assistant Editor's Month. More weirdcoolness entails as assistant editor Ann Nocenti is visited by one Robert Bruce Banner at the Marvel offices one rainy night. Typical meta Marvel, you know, like Steve Rogers drawing the Captain America comic book in his own comic? Nocenti informs us that the top brass are at a convention, in San-Diego! Even though Comic-Con isn't until July, come on! Anywho this issue deals with General Thaddeus Ross, father of Betty who of course is Banner's love and eventual wife. We learn that the Ross family has a long history of military service and valor with Thad earning the nickname Thunderbolt for his hard charging ways on the battle field. But after his wife dies, the solider doesn't know how to deal with his feelings and pushes Betty away. Things don't get any easier when Betty falls in love with gamma scientist turned jade giant Banner and Ross is tasked with bringing the down the beast.

Things get weirder when Betty ends up with military guy Glenn Talbot after Banner is unable to control the monster but the Hulk then goes into Talbot's mind to fight some aliens controlling his mind? Phew! Now Ross feels like a total failure because the target he's been sworn to slay, has now been giving a Presidential pardon! So ol' Thunderbolt debates taking a dirt nap or eating a lead salad as he feels he doesn't deserve to wear the uniform or medals. But at the end of the day suicide is easy, learning to live with disgrace will be the toughest war the old warhorse has to fight...that real life sh!t...Some solid one issue adventures issues with smart, talking Hulk, excellent art, lots of character cameos and nice backstory fill in. I was just reading how comic book sales are taking a small dive since everything is super heavy handed, talking heads and a year long event leading to a special edition graphic novel. That of course has been my qualm with comics since 2000's X-Men and 9/11 as I don't read comics to be reminded of the real world per se, I read comics to be taken away into a new one. Graphic Novels are great, allegedly Wal-Mart is discussing installing a dedicated section in their stores but you won't get any sweet of the era advertisements for movies, video games, sweets or cartoons!

Weird(cool) Panels: Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos

You know I love a good offbeat issue of comic book heroics. Whether it's Captain America and Backlash fighting bears, date night or a bachelor party, random weirdcool comics is one of my things. Working through the stack of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos acquired from Seattle's Emerald City Comicon I came across the offbeat adventure that is 1968's # 51. Gary Friedrich writes as Dick Ayers pencils with inks by John Severin, lettering by Gaspar Saladino and editing from Stan "The Man" Lee himself. In the opening pages, great German sharpshooter Jorgen Kline is taken by Nazi's for a special mission for Hitler himself. Objective? Kill the big three leaders opposing Germany: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin! If he doesn't do it, his wife and kid are goners.

The Howling Commandos are recruited to provide some security detail so instead of fighting in their fatigues on some bombed out battlefield, they're cleaned up and dispatched to the secret meeting site. Dum Dum isn't too keen on the civilian attire until he's provided a new bowler hat and Fury swaps his cigars for a pipe. Dino Manelli, the movie star Howler who was wounded then set up with a sleeper Nazi agent who can't complete her mission because she loves him, can't partake in the mission and goes to a local watering hole. Not wanting to drink alone he singles out a seemingly nice fella to chew the fat with. That guy? Yup, Jorgen! Things get not so much offbeat as they do sad. Fury and his Howlers fight off some SS bums at the conference then Dino tries to talk some sense into Jorgen when they realize who is who. With his family's safety and the world in the balance, Jorgen takes his own life, knowing Hitler is evil. This leads to a bit of a existential discussion on the meaning of war and how the strength of one nation may or may not be worth the life of a single man. If that weren't enough guts and thoughts for a comic book, Jorgen's now widowed wife has her son taken away by the Nazi's and the issue ends with her holding a gun to her head as death may be the only escape!

Sgt. Fury has always mixed derring-do, action, adventure, banter and bromance with a touch of war torn reality as racism is addressed and a fellow Howler along with a ladyfriend get killed. The stakes actually mean something and can even teach the reader a thing or two about life. I laughed at Dum Dum getting a new bowler and thinking he was fancy and then took a moment to think about people I've lost in life when Dino explains that Jorgen killed himself and how helpless that made the Howler feel. Fury somehow manages to lose his blazer and half his shirt as usual then we end on Jorgen's wife weeping and ready for death. Art imitating life I guess...one of the fan letters discuses the Walter Mitty style storytelling of the comics and that also got me thinking about how maybe reading comic books and watching fantasy movies of the 80's might have spoiled me in a sense. With dynamic characters fighting the good fight and doing something because they can with an underlying thread of optimism; I sometimes feel out of place in today's rat race of latest trends, gadgets and material items along with the media's negative depiction of the world.  At least my imagination still works as I can go to another world while still remembering the one I'm in. Until next time keep questioning authority and sticking it to the man while getting the job done, Howling Commando style.

Weird(cool) Panels: Captain America and the Search for Friendship

This should really be called Weird(sad) panels but we'll get to that. Part of my bounty at one of the many con or comic book sales was a handful of 1982 Captain America's with covers by the awesomely iconic Mike Zeck. For April's # 268, J.M. DeMatties writes, John Beatty Inks, Jim Novak Letters, Bob Sharen Colors, Jim Scalicrup Edits and Jim Shooter Edits In Chief. The story begins with Steve Rogers and neighbor/new ladyfriend Bernie Rosenthal on a date. They've just seen the 1940's smash hit Raiders of the Lost Ark. Audiences loved the flick but what did Steve think of it? That Indiana Jones was amoral! Bernie lets it slip that she loves him but Steve clams up and responds that he cares about her...very much...OHHHHHH! Bernie no like that and the date ends abruptly. But give the guy a break, he's a man out of time and his only previous lady friends were both with him during World War II or became S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents. Anywho, Steve is struck down by some kind of a mental bolt from a friend who's been kidnapped by a secret agency made up of displaced operatives from the FBI, CIA and other clandestine types. Dum Dum Dugan helps locate the secret base Steve's friends are being held at and boom, Captain America is mixing it up with dudes dressed like Roman Centurions and talking about how he's been dodging Nazi Death Rays long before they were born! Apparently these evil dudes want to take out the USSR, the last blockade of lasting peace but Cap socks their leader in the mouth as he works for understanding, not death and represents the American dream not a bunch of borders, boundaries or blind hatred. Highlights of this issue were definitely Steve unintentionally dissing Bernie and a Hostess Fruit Pie starring Daredevil!

# 269 is a nice off-beat adventure, which I love. We start with Steve eating breakfast at his landlord Anna's apartment along with brownstone neighbors Joshua and Mike. Steve is a bottomless pit who eats all the waffles while the other men tap out. That's what happens when you're buff, you gotta eat! Mike mentions some current events with Neo-Nazi's that makes Anna's blood boil, wishing they could lock them all up to which Steve exclaims that we can't take away freedom or deny rights. And that society must be unafraid of ideas however noxious and believe people are wise enough to make the right choice. Bernie shows up and it's awkward city since she just told Steve she loved him last issue and our guy couldn't respond in kind. Ol' Steve-o then jumps on his hog and rides over to a motorcycle exhibition as Captain America. You see, Steve has loved motor bikes since first straddling one during World War II. There's a grace and heart stopping beauty to the machines as well as the potential to rise to another level of power. See how deep this guy is? Stop making him some middle America yokel who likes football. The man is an artist who lost both parents young, grew up sickly then fought in World War II. He's sensitive, Damme it!

At the bike show we meet Team America, a trio of stunt riders named Honcho, Reddy and Wolf. Cap joins their show doing tricks and whatnot before a mysterious vortex opens up in the middle of the arena and a huge, naked bald guy with yellow skin shows up and grabs them. They're all teleported to a picturesque village known as Ponder where they're greeted by none other than Mark Twain and Albert Einstein! It doesn't go full Twilight Zone with a parallel dimension but it's close as we soon learn that other inhabitants of Ponder include Shakespeare, Plato, Abraham Lincoln, Confucius and Socrates among others. All summoned by The Mad Thinker, a man with formidable reasoning powers who can predict just about any action! Also a talented mechanic and designer, The Mad Thinker has built an army of advanced androids and put the consciousness of his favorite historical figures into them. Learning is his god so the replicas keep him company but there's only so much a dead person's personality can provide. Think has been kidnapping Nobel Prize winners in order to spur independent thought in his androids and thinks Cap would be a great addition to his collection of copies. But Cap and Team America destroy the androids which leaves The Mad Thinker depressed as all he wanted was some friends to pass the time with...Super sad, everybody needs friends! Also sad is the lack of cool ads in this issue.

June's # 270 reintroduces us to Steve's childhood friend Arnie Roth. Growing up, Arnie was always there for Steve and had quite the life as a popular ladies man. The two met up again while serving in the military and Arnie couldn't believe how Steve had changed post-Operation: Rebirth. Cut to the 80's and Arnie's life just didn't work out very well, he never got married and is always in trouble with a gambling addiction. The swinger turned loser couldn't believe Steve was still alive and knew his secret identity. Arnie tries to use that knowledge to clear a $50,000 debt or it's curtains for roommate Michael, the only good thing in Arnie's current life. Cap walks into the trap and takes out some thugs before facing off with their big, armored, brain looking monster boss. Just a super weird and kinda sad couple of issues, man. I guess it really is hard to make friends as you get older...Mike Zeck's art has always been among my favorite with lots of dynamic action and jumping poses, angry looking faces and muscularly heroic heroes and villains. He also has some of the most memorable covers of all time across The Punisher, G.I. Joe and Cap.

Weird(cool) Panels: Castaway Cap in Dimension Z

 

On my WonderCon action item list was to pick up some Captain America from the recent 2012 run by Rick Remender and John Romita, Jr.  After all the blah blah blah about Brubaker's turn (brought back Bucky and had Cap get killed by a sniper, lazyyyyyy), which blew no wind up my skirt, it was interesting to see Cap was getting sent to an alternate dimension in a total change of pace.  Thanks to the massive success of The Winter Soldier, Cap comics were everywhere and I picked up the first 10 issues in hardcover graphic novel and single issue format for cheap.  I'm not sure where things stand in the Steve Rogers/Captain America universe as I haven't read comics regularly in about 10 years.  Here, we see Steve still with Sharon Carter who apparently has proposed to him.  For whatever reason, Steve is still written as kind of a straight arrow goofball when he should be the Robert Redford of comic books; a complex brooder disguised as a handsome movie star.  Things get going quickly as Rogers is teleported to Dimension Z where old villain with a giant face in his chest Arnim Zola has created his own world, killing and experimenting on the local native race, the Phorx.

Zola is looking to exploit the Super Soldier serum running through Cap's veins to augment his two children but the mighty Avenger escapes, taking Zola's son with him.  Dubbing the boy Ian, Cap and new son travel the harsh alien wasteland.  In between foraging for food, (Cap cooks soup in his shield!) and fighting with decapitation happy lizard/dinosaur looking aliens, 10 years pass before Cap finally figures out a way to get back home.  The issues read extremely fast and I breezed through the first 5 issues in one sitting.  Remender and Romita, Jr. do a solid job of telling an offbeat saga which shows Captain America's determination to stand up and be a good man while defending those who cannot defend themselves.  All of the alien world action is inter-cut with flashbacks from Steve's  childhood which expand on his father being an abusive alcoholic and the passing of his mother.  In my memory, most of his childhood is only given a panel's glance or fleeting line of dialog but here, Steve's history is really opened up and helps set up his current mindset in fighting Zola and taking care of Ian.

Romita Jr's art is equal parts snappy, explosive and grungy.  That was one of my main peeves with Brubaker's run, regular artist Steve Epstein's art tries to be pseudo real and just came off as boring.  There was no zip or POW! to anything.  Thank 9/11 and the X-Men movie for making comics go dark but end of the day this is a guy who survived a science experiment and fought through World War II in a flag colored outfit carrying a big metal wok on his arm, so let's try to keep it fun, entertaining AND educational, shall we?  Since Cap has been stuck in Dimension Z for so long, his costume is falling apart and his appearance gets a bit mangy with long hair, beard and proverbial bloodied face from battle.  Romita's art has an innocent, cartoonish quality with big eyes and smooth cheeks on the children and va va voom curves on the females which juxtaposes nicely with some big action scenes, explosions and alien creature mayhem.  One thing that kind of bothered me was the ever changing size of Cap's shield.  But in an unusual device, it always seems to be smaller than you'd expect, almost coming off like he's holding a Frisbee on his arm.

While it's been a fun read, Captain America escaping Dimension Z isn't enough to get me back into comics regularly, especially at $4 bucks a pop per issue.  That's why conventions are great, you can catch up on just about any series and not be at the whim of a dying business nickel and diming you.  The comic book industry is adapting to new technology though as advertisements and promos for free digital issues are everywhere inside the issues.  But until I can get a tablet the size of a comic book, I'll stick to the real thing.

Weird(cool) Panels: Excel

Work offered an Excel training today and I spotted one Emil Blonsky on the example spread sheet.  Emil Blonsky?  The Abomination from The Incredible Hulk?  Yup, upon further inspection, names like Rick Jones, Sharon Carter (Agent 13), Adam Strange, Henry McCoy (Beast), David North (Maverick), Warren Worthington (Archangel), Scott Lang (Ant-Man), Arthur Curry (Aquaman) and more started popping out before I realized the entire list was made up of names from the comic book and literature world.  For the uninitiated Jones is Marvel's sidekick supreme having been saved by Bruce Banner and subsequently rolled with the Jade Giant on many an adventure.  Jones later teamed up with Captain America and briefly assumed the mantle of dead partner Bucky.  Jonesy later picked up the Nega-Bands, becoming Captain Marvel and fighting in the space set, alien filled Kree-Skrull War.

Some of the names were pretty damn obscure and after investigation came to light as the identities of Amazing-Man, Anaconda, Anarky, Black Canary, The Absorbing Man and Spider-Woman.  That's one way to keep someone's interest during a seminar.  Only I'm pretty sure nobody else got it but that's about normal for me.

That's our Rick:

Weird(cool) Panels: Captain America - Heart Breaker

While Captain America aka Steve Rogers has never been as much of a ladies man as say Daredevil's Matt Murdock or Spider-Man's Peter Parker, he's always managed to hold down a few long-term relationships.  There was S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Sharon Carter, who faked her death to go on a secret mission.  Then you had neighbor and glass blower artist Bernie Rosenthal who dumped Steven when she went to Law School.  In the 90's Stevie got involved with petty thief and Serpent Society member Rachel Leighton aka Diamondback.  The two went on many an adventure together, chasing Baron Zemo around the globe as he tried to complete a long lost alien weapon to fighting the Skeleton Crew and finding out The Red Skull was still alive.  Of course, Cap being the ideal of handsome and heroic yet sensitive made Diamondback swoon.  Upon returning to New York, she's mystified that he has no compunction to shaking hands and moving on.  Not looking for a partner or a girlfriend, Diamondback convinces Cap to agree to a friendly date.  And thus giving us one of the most unexpected, funniest and most memorable Captain America adventures I read as a kid, 1990's # 371, written by Mark Gruenwald with art by Cap and Silver Surfer superstar Ron Lim.

Both sides take the "friendly" date seriously as Steve enlists Avengers mainstay Jarvis to help him find some new threads while Rachel fixes her bright magenta hair.  Of course, this being a superhero comic book, there had to some high powered hijinks to interrupt their evening.  Serpent Society members Ash and Black Mamba trail our dating duo with no clue the handsome blonde guy is actually Captain America.  When Steve picks up Rachel, he's not even sure if she's ever seen him without a mask or knew his name was Steve.  First date cutesiness ensues as the two non-costumed heroes nervously make chit chat on their way to dinner.  Steve is all gentleman as he orders for Rachel and doesn't mind she drinks even though he is an abstainer.

It's amateur super villain night as the duo run into a commotion as police have surrounded the lame ass Gamecock having a dispute with his girlfriend.  Then super powered wrestlers/low level crooks Poundcakes and Jackhammer duke it out in the street.  Luckily, Ash and Mamba take care of the distractions while Steve and Rachel get to know each other.  After dinner and a magic show the two wander the streets of New York where Steve opens up and takes Rachel to the neighborhood he grew up in.  Rachel reciprocates and takes Steve to her former turf close by near Yancy Street, a nod to the Fantastic Four's blue eyed, clobbering machine, The Thing!  At the end of the night the two "friends" share a kiss which leaves them both in a romantic haze. Steve lays in bed thinking about Rachel and then Bernie as he realizes he's devoted too much time to The Avengers and Captain America than his personal life.  Across town, Rachel is smitten and happy that Steve has let her in to his life and vows to give up her criminal activities.  The issue has some great, real life heart to it and we get a sense of the nervous wonder that comes along with first dates and blossoming love.  Of course, all set to the backdrop of being superheroes while still remaining human.

Weird(cool) Panels: Captain America - Mind Freak

As I travel into the cold of winter, eagerly awaiting seeing friends, eating biscuits and gravy, chili cheese burritos and digging through my comic book collection, here's an oldie but a goodie of wondrous Weird(cool) proportions:

We've seen the amazing exploits of the living legend time and time again. Well documented observations have compared Captain America to a panther ready to pounce, as intelligent as he is strong and Marvel's best looking hero, a comic book Robert Redford. But Cap's greatest skill isn't something that can be obtained through radioactive spider bites, cosmic ray bombardment or genetic mutation. The trait that sets Captain America above and beyond his contemporaries, detractors and imitators, is his sheer force of will. The will that led him to risking his life for the chance to be able to fight evil as he subjected himself to experiments that ultimately turned the frail weakling into a super human Olympian.  We take you back to 1984. The stage, Battleword. The event, the Secret Wars. Captain America's trusty and thought indestructible shield has been shattered in an all out battle across the mysterious and remote alien planet.

It lies before him like a wounded friend...How many times has it saved his life?...It is forever broken...Unless by force of will...or sheer desire...

It's not Spider-Man that deserves the Amazing moniker.

Weird(cool) Panels: Bear Kick!

Don't know how or why but I'm currently reading a 1987 run of Marvel's Captain America comics simultaneously with Image Comics' 1994's solo series Backlash.  I'll dig into each later but basically starting in Captain America # 332, the government tries to impart stricter regulations on Steve Rogers aka Cap's activities and want to make him more of a political tool.  Steve refuses and gives up the moniker, costume and shield then disappears to find himself.  Months later in issue # 336, sporting a sweet beard, Steve comes across super powered eco-terrorist Brother Nature who sic's a bear after him.  How does ol' Stevie defend himself?  By karate kicking that Ursus humongous in the mouth! 


Oss!  Bear kick!

Meanwhile, in the good ol' 90's where everything is splash pages, hot dudes, hot chicks, action on every page, straps and pouches on every costume and everybody looks like they're flying even when they can't fly, is mother fudging Backlash.  There's a lot to go through with his background but just know he's got mean fists, a smart mouth and some nifty powers that include turning into mist and psychic energy whips that come out of his wrists.  Was randomly searching the internet and found this awesome image of him after witnessing Cap kick that bear earlier in the evening.


Kiai!  Jump bear kick!

Coincidence?  Maybe.  Destiny?  More likely. 

Weird(cool) Panels: Thor

It's always fun to come across a randomly weird issue of mainstream comics.  Whether it's Bruce Banner's bachelor party or Steve "Captain America" Rogers going on a date, these offbeat stories are usually a nice break from the monotony of superhero comics.

In this case, it started in Thor # 364 from I believe 1984 for several issues in which God of Mischief Loki turns Thor into a frog!  But since he's Thor, he's a super frog with enhanced strength.  Roaming the ponds of New York's Central park, Frog Thor comes across Puddlegulp, a frog who is recruiting other amphibians to fight an army of evil rats looking to poison the water supply of NY with all the traps set out for them.  Throw in some sewer crocodiles controlled by a dude with a flute and you get one of the weirdest comic book scenarios I've come across in quite a while.