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Post by Roquefort Raider on Sept 23, 2018 19:57:09 GMT -5
Cap is really a tough mentor...
“A hospital? Just because you were hit by the Hulk? Come on, son... a few push-ups and you’ll be fine”.
Also, why is he keeping a Bucky costume in his appartment? That’s kind of creepy!
None of which makes this issue less than a true classic. Steranko is a magician.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2018 8:03:48 GMT -5
Steranko is a great artist and this picture of Madame Hydra showcase his talents ...  Nice Review on Captain America #110 The Captain and that's one of my favorite stories ...  |
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Post by tarkintino on Sept 24, 2018 17:49:43 GMT -5
One of the greatest Silver Age covers--possibly challenging the cover of Captain America #107. Just two months in, and Captain America was already taking a major turn from the "traditional" Kirby presentation. Steranko certainly excelled at playing every emotional beat Lee could write. After the events of The Avengers #56, one would think Cap would not consider Bucky's death the result of his alleged carelessness--he was actually given the chance to witness it all, instead of being caught in the moment as he was forced to in 1945. One would think Cap would give Rick his triangular shield as his own weapon; Cap still had access to it, as we will see as far ahead as Captain America #247 (July, 1980). While the user could not throw it, at least Rick would have enjoyed greater protection, as it was bullet-proof. Madame Hydra was one of the first, truly malevolent female antagonists of Marvel's Silver Age (certainly a cut above the Enchantress); she's clearly based on the pseudo Bond-ian, dominatrix-esque espionage characters of the period, but she as her own style, formed by her investment into the kind of organization HYDRA was. ...but that water contamination plot...apparently, she was watching episodes from the Adam West/Burt Ward Batman's second season just two years earlier... Another example of Cap being more than a pure physical threat--he can strategize as well as--or perhaps better than most Marvel heroes. Steranko was one of the few Marvel artists of this time (along with John Romita, Neal Adams and Gene Colan) to have a photographer's eye for using every angle and mood to capture--or release emotion. Captain America being a troubled WW2 survivor deserved that treatment, which you were not going to get from basic action layouts. Agreed; Kirby's women all looked like cousins of--or variations of Sue Storm, with the wide faces, and high cheekbones. Steranko gave individuality to his females, so in the case of Madame Hydra, her lithe form was both the aforementioned dominatrix and--appropriately enough-- serpentine, leaving the reader with a deadly first impression. Cap's supposed to be superhuman or near it, so that combined with his mastery of every offensive/defensive discipline would give him a way out of the Hulk's grip. It was a fantastic layout which had the benefit of reminding readers that Cap was one of the more dangerous heroes. I don't dislike Jones at all; his yearning for relevance fits his age; instead of being the then-typical grinning teen sidekick, he was often morose or crestfallen about his status in life (sans--for example--the associated life problems spider-powers caused Peter Parker) which made him more realistic. Blame the writers for having him fall victim to calamities more than he should, but the essence of Jones made sense for a non-powered character. I give it the same grade--but that minus is due to Stan Lee's apparent memory lapse / lack of his self-celebrated continuity with Rick wanting to be cap's new partner, and the reaction to it, as we see in the panel comparisons from the Lee-penned "Their Darkest Hour!" from The Avengers #7 (August, 1964) and this issue just 5 years later--  Its essentially the same scene, which means the one from Captain America #110 should not have occurred at all, since Rick would be trying on Bucky's costume for a second time, and Cap already explored/explained his angst/resistance to anyone being his partner again. Rick's response is different in the CA version, but overall, this had the effect of making Cap and Rick appear to suffer from amnesia, or Lee was just writing whatever suited him and not caring that he covered this matter just a few short years earlier. |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Sept 25, 2018 14:30:00 GMT -5
GCD states that Steranko said he provided the plots which Lee dialogued, but that Rick becoming a new Bucky was Stan's directive.
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Post by tarkintino on Sept 25, 2018 14:47:08 GMT -5
GCD states that Steranko said he provided the plots which Lee dialogued, but that Rick becoming a new Bucky was Stan's directive. ..which still places blame on Lee; he was the head honcho, and wanted Rick as Bucky 2.0, so no matter what plot Steranko dreamed up, Lee should not have hit the repeat button (from The Avengers #7) on Steve's reaction to Rick trying on the costume/wanting to be his partner.
As mentioned yesterday, Cap's guilt should not be as profound since chronologically, CA #110 follows the events of The Avengers #56 (September, 1968), where Cap learned he was not at all responsible for Bucky's death, thus the "I can't lose another partner" / guilt plotting angle should not have been a copy+paste job.
Steve's reaction to Sam Wilson becoming his partner will make more sense, as he's not fearing any imagined loss of a partner (and he encourages Sam), and yes, I acknowledge Sam was not trying to be the spitting image of the murdered Bucky (so that's an emotional element missing for Steve), but a life is a life, with all of the same risks, yet he accepted Sam without the fear of death expressed--in almost the same way--to Rick.
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Post by The Captain on Oct 20, 2018 15:49:07 GMT -5
Captain America #111 "Tomorrow You Live, Tonight I Die!" Writer: Stan Lee Art: Jim Steranko (pencils) and Joe Sinnott (inks) Cover Date: March 1969 NOTE: I was going to post this last week while I was on the road for work, but I only had the Masterworks reprint of the issue with me and I wanted to wait to use photos of the actual issue, because the colors are so much better in the original. As well, the cover above is of my personal copy of the book. SynopsisInside a New York City penny arcade, Steve waits for Nick Fury, who had contacted him about a meeting. Steve glances at his watch and notices that Fury is late, which he notes never happens, just as Steve catches reflections in the glass in front of him, reflections belonging to Hydra agents. They pin Steve down in a hail of gunfire, telling him he is doomed now that they know his secret identity; Steve fights back, taking out as many as he can, telling them he wants Madame Hydra and not small-timers like them, but they refuse to betray their leader. A mechanized cowboy in the arcade sprays bullets at Steve, and while he spends time taking care of the automaton, the Hydra agents escape back to their lair, in which Madame Hydra is holding court and passing a sentence of death on the Hydra agent who allowed Captain America to escape her trap (as seen in CA #110). The man is brought forth and handed a chemical compound which reacts to his body heat and kills him, a fate Madame Hydra intends to Captain America in the future. Later, at Avengers HQ, Cap shows Rick Jones footage of Bucky fighting to teach him, but that just upsets Rick, who feels inadequate to the memory of Cap's first partner. Cap realizes this, but he wants to make sure that the boy is prepared to be his partner, although he understands it is hard for Rick to live in Bucky's shadow. Moving to the workout area, Rick shows Cap some moves he's been working on for days, and while Cap is impressed, he tries to build on it, teaching Rick how to finish his move to be better prepared for his next action, but Rick shuts down and begs off, feeling completely useless. Returning to Steve's apartment, Rick finds a letter slipped under the door and, upon opening it (even though it was addressed to Captain America), he inhales gas from the envelope and begins tripping before collapsing, at which point two Hydra agents enter and take him away. Steve arrives home, finds the opened envelope, and heads out again, knowing Rick has been captured. He catches up to the goons on the street, and although he manages to corral one of them, the fleeing agents shoot their comrade to keep him from talking. They return to Hydra's hideout, where Madame Hydra tells her men they can dispose of Rick, as they will return to the arcade to wait for Cap to show up looking for clues. As two men carry Rick off, he slips away, and as they report back to Madame Hydra, they are told they will pay if Rick is able to warn Cap of her plans. Captain America does indeed go back to the arcade, where he is met by the Man-Killer, a humanoid armored robot. They fight, as Rick leaves Hydra's HQ to find Cap, a task shared by Madame Hydra; Cap and the Man-Killer battle throughout the entire arcade building, eventually winding up on the roof. Cap manages to defeat his robotic foe, but just as Rick arrives to warn Cap to get off the roof, Cap is assailed by gunfire from Hydra agents. Leaping from the roof towards the nearby harbor below, Cap dives through the torrent of bullets, seemingly riddled with them on his way down to the water. Madame Hydra celebrates her victory as Rick watches on in disbelief, while a short while later, a police officer fishes into the water, retrieving Cap's uniform and a mask of Steve Rogers' face, leaving everyone wondering who the man behind the shield actually is. My ThoughtsHands-down, this is the best Captain America issue to date (and probably one of the best ever, at least of those I have read). From the opening scenes in the arcade to the interplay between Rick and Steve to the battle with the Man-Killer to the final panels and Cap's seeming death and looming mystery of his identity, nearly every note is spot-on. The fact that Steve Rogers is publicly known to be Captain America (or is he?) is put to great use here, both by Hydra in knowing how to find him but also because it drives Steve's actions throughout the story. While I am not a Rick Jones fan by any stretch, I really liked the scene between him and Steve at Avengers HQ. Not only is each one able to see the others' point of view, but they both can see their own shortcomings in the relationship, which is a real testament to the character work that Lee and Steranko are putting into these issues. Rick doesn't come off as bad as usual, because his feelings and motivations are explained and the reader can feel for him being in the unenviable position of replacing Bucky. However, in typical Rick Jones' fashion, he does something dumb to endanger Cap. Hey, Rick, it's called tampering with the mail, and it's against the law. That said, gas in the envelope? Wouldn't it have been easier to just have a powder utilized as a contact agent, rather than stretching credulity with having it be a gas-based medium? The two pages of Rick tripping on the gas may be the best two in the series to this point. Along with the first page, where Steranko, uses a series of small, wordless panels to convey Steve's exact location (see below), these pages are unlike anything the traditionalist Kirby ever did with the title. Opening Page:  Rick going on a trip inside his mind...   That said about innovation and doing things differently than The King, Steranko sure can handle a double-page spread just as nicely:  Even though I know she's evil and most definitely nuts, is there something wrong with me that I find Madame Hydra really hot?  The ending sets up a nice mystery that will hopefully resolve the problem of Cap having his secret identity public:  My Grade: A+ I don't have a single bad word to say about this issue, even with Rick Jones afoot. This is as good as Cap has ever been, with killer Steranko art and Stan ably keeping up with him on the scripting front. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2018 16:07:50 GMT -5
I have never, ever had a chance to read Captain America #111 -- Seeing this picture makes me WANT TO SEE IT! Steranko at his very best ... and that Madame Hydra as well. Thanks for the review here ... |
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Post by Cei-U! on Oct 20, 2018 17:39:12 GMT -5
One would think Cap would give Rick his triangular shield as his own weapon; Cap still had access to it, as we will see as far ahead as Captain America #247 (July, 1980). While the user could not throw it, at least Rick would have enjoyed greater protection, as it was bullet-proof. Take a closer look at Cap #147. It explicitly states in that issue that this is the first time he's seen his old Army footlocker, in which the triangular shield is stored, since before he went into suspended animation in 1945. Thus, he didn't have access to it in 1968 and couldn't give it to Rick to use. CeiU! I summon the point of order! |
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Post by tarkintino on Oct 20, 2018 22:47:00 GMT -5
Captain America #111 "Tomorrow You Live, Tonight I Die!" Writer: Stan Lee Art: Jim Steranko (pencils) and Joe Sinnott (inks) Cover Date: March 1969 Okay, this was the most natural, realistic way to handle Rick Jones, and his most mature presentation since his introduction in The Incredible Hulk #1. We are made to see/feel what it must be like to be compared to a tragic legend, and with Bucky being deceased, he's at that monolithic, untouchable level that some dead heroes attain. How can one fight against that--especially when you are trying to be another version of him? Not many. Its easy to feel for Rick; he's not a glory-seeking teen--he genuinely desires to fight crime alongside Cap, but there's that legend again, making him feel as if Cap is always placing him in a box of negatives he will not escape. This was a fantastic final act--with the perfect mix of cliff-hanger, horror (for Rick) and joy (Madame Hydra)...and the edge of mystery with the mask. I'm sure this left readers stunned and puzzled when this first hit the stands, and even if you've read it a million times (*raises hands*), its still a great superhero espionage drama. No doubt. Its one of the the hallmarks of the ever-increasing appeal of Cap as a leading character far outshining his World War 2 publishing era, and one of the best superhero comics of the 1960s. Visually more dramatic to have fumes instead of powder. I've always thought Steranko took inspiration for Rick's hallucination from the experiences of another teen sidekick from Star Spangled Comics #79--  ...it would not be the first time Steranko was inspired by the work of others. Good observation, and Steranko was not the only artist at Marvel to break ground in panel execution, which stood as a stark contrast to Kirby's methods. I give it a straight A. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2018 10:54:59 GMT -5
The Captain -- I emailed the owner of my LCS and asked him to find me a Copy of Captain America #111 and get the best copy of that book and I'm willing to pay up to $50 to $75 tops for that picture that you've shared here and that picture of Madame Hydra as well. It will take him a week to locate one and if he does find one -- I have more than enough Store Credit to pay for it. I have to pay the Shipping Cost of $4 to mail it to me. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that copy alone.
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Post by rberman on Oct 22, 2018 11:49:24 GMT -5
Even though I know she's evil and most definitely nuts, is there something wrong with me that I find Madame Hydra really hot? Is Madame Hydra supposed to be a different character from Viper?   |
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Post by Cei-U! on Oct 22, 2018 12:30:49 GMT -5
Madame Hydra and Viper are the same character.
Cei-U!
I summon the rebranding iron!
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Post by chaykinstevens on Oct 22, 2018 15:49:54 GMT -5
Madame Hydra killed the original Viper and took his name in Captain America #180.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2018 8:45:43 GMT -5
My LCS has a copy of Captain America #111 and it's way out of my price range and the owner of the store will let me look at one copy just to see the artwork and all that. I decided not to pursue it and didn't feel right about it. I will see it this upcoming Friday around 9am before the store open at 10am. I'm picking up this beauty of Action Comics instead ...  The one the hondobrode posted in the Modern Section of this forum. |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Oct 24, 2018 16:16:22 GMT -5
If Captain America #111 is too expensive, a more affordable option might be to seek out Captain America Special Edition #1 & 2 from 1984 instead. These reprinted Steranko's three issues of Captain America, along with a Nick Fury/Cap story by him from Strange Tales #159, his horror classic At the Stroke of Midnight from Tower of Shadows #1 and his romance story My Heart Broke in Hollywood from Our Love Story #5.
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