ED BRUBAKER & STEVE MCNIVEN - CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 - Marvel Comics
For the second time in seven years, Ed Brubaker helms the launch of a new Captain America series, and just as he did the last time, he does it in style. Apparently picking up shortly after the finale of Fear Itself, "American Dreamers" begins with the funeral of one of Captain America's closest friends from the forties. It's a terrific entry point into Cap's life, and Brubaker takes full advantage of being able to tell just enough of the hero's "man out of time" origins to bring in any new readers that might pick up this book after seeing the movie.
In past projects, Brubaker has had terrific success in bringing A-name artists to his productions, and this one's no different. Steve McNiven, previously known for the Civil War event series, joins the ranks of distinguished talent like Steve Epting, Sean Phillips, Butch Guice and Mike Deodato Jr., providing a dynamic take on the characters in Brubaker's bailiwick while Justin Ponsor colors every scene brightly. Cap and his friends seem to burst off each page, and one can't help but be drawn in.
The plot involves the beginnings of a conspiracy meant, it seems, to bring Cap down--a classic revenge scheme involving players stretching back through the character's storied history. Brubaker sets the stage well, giving readers all they need to know without filling in recent, unnecessary backstory about Bucky and the fates of all concerned in Fear Itself, forging boldly onward. If you're looking for a Cap fix but don't want to have to deal with a major Marvel crossover, the newly relaunched Captain America is for you. At least, do yourself a favor and Read It.
NEIL GAIMAN - DEATH: DELUX EDITION
From the pages of Newbery Medal winner Neil Gaiman's THE SANDMAN comes fan-favorite character Death in a new deluxe hardcover edition collecting her solo adventures!
The first story introduces the young, pale, perky, and genuinely likable Death. One day in every century, Death walks the Earth to better understand those to whom she will be the final visitor. Today is that day. As a young mortal girl named Didi, Death befriends a teenager and helps a 250-year old homeless woman find her missing heart. What follows is a sincere musing on love, life and (of course) death.
In the second story, a rising star of the music world wrestles with revealing her true sexual orientation just as her lover is lured into the realm of Death that Death herself should make an appearance. A practical, honest, and intelligent story that illuminates "the miracle of death."
This new hardcover collects the DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING and DEATH: THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE miniseries, a must have for any fan.
