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Post by Batflunkie on Jul 11, 2022 15:09:48 GMT -5
"Good Guys & Bad Guys--For Captain America, This Has Been A Day When The Distinction Has Grown Vague & He Wonders: Was There Ever A Time When It Was Truly Different?"~ Captain America #267
It's the early 80's and following the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate; distrust in the policies of our great nation, the people running it, and even the American dream are about as sour as rancid gallon of milk. We needed, nay, we longed for something different. It's in these emotional tragedies of the heart that we find ourselves as a nation picking up the pieces to try and make a better world for ourselves. Hell, if we can't do it, who will?!
As humans, I think our most enduring quality is perseverance, even in the face of adversity. And I don't think anybody embodies that quite like Steve Rogers; a frail young man thrust into the impossible danger WWII for the sake of defending peace and liberty. Unthawed years later after being frozen in ice after the demise of his partner Bucky, Steve found himself much like the fabled Rip Van Winkle; a man out of time, out of place and gravely out of sorts. But still, he soldiered on and made friends and many an enemy along the way. After having his memories restored, Steve found a new life for himself as a freelance artist and slowly found belonging in the midst of the sense of community that comes with apartment life. He also found a new lady love after Sharon's passing.
But evil is constant, and over the span of four or so years Steve would be on a journey that would take him from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows under the penmanship of a fella by the name of J.M. DeMatteis; a writer that was often paired along with the artistic chops of Mike Zeck to produce quite possibly one of the most underappreciated runs that ever graced the man in the red, white, and blue chainmail and spandex.
So, come with me True Believers, on a ride through America...
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Post by Batflunkie on Jul 11, 2022 15:11:00 GMT -5
Also would like to thank Confessor for helping to germinate such an idea
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Post by mistermets on Jul 11, 2022 15:51:30 GMT -5
This was an interesting run. I'm looking forward to your thoughts.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,051
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Post by Confessor on Jul 11, 2022 17:22:01 GMT -5
Also would like to thank Confessor for helping to germinate such an idea What?! I thought you didn't want to undertake such a thing? Well, I'm glad you have. I'll try to read along with the issues online (as I only have a handful of issues of this run in my collection), and offer my thoughts. I like DeMatteis generally, especially on Spider-Man, so I'm looking forward to reading what you have to say.
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Post by Batflunkie on Jul 11, 2022 17:34:23 GMT -5
What?! I thought you didn't want to undertake such a thing? Well, I'm glad you have. General boredom from a week off from work can kind of do things to you. I'm not making any promises and I still regret not keeping up with my HTD thread, but I'm willing to try I'll try to read along with the issues online (as I only have a handful of issues of this run in my collection), and offer my thoughts. I like DeMatteis generally, especially on Spider-Man, so I'm looking forward to reading what you have to say. Same here with the lack of issues. I started buying the later Cap Epic Collections because I already had a good chunk of the early Cap stories in Essentials format (and generally had no interest in collecting them again for more money when the Essentials were already as cheap as milk) and everybody kept praising how good "Stern & Byrne" were (didn't think much of it the first time I read it and still don't. Do respect how they were trying to reincapsulate what made Cap so great to begin with). I originally had problems with how DeMatteis wrote Steve (not to get political) as more of an old school liberal and more of general pacifist, but the more I re-read his stories, the more I enjoyed them
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Post by chaykinstevens on Jul 11, 2022 17:36:30 GMT -5
But evil is constant, and over the span of four or so years Steve would be on a journey that would take him from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows under the penmanship of a fella by the name of J.M. DeMatteis; a seasoned writer that was paired along with the artistic chops of Mike Zeck to produce quite possibly one of the most underappreciated runs that ever graced the man in the red, white, and blue chainmail and spandex. I wouldn't say DeMatteis was a seasoned writer at that point. I think when he began writing Cap, he'd been doing super-hero comics for less than eighteen months.
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Post by Batflunkie on Jul 11, 2022 17:38:07 GMT -5
But evil is constant, and over the span of four or so years Steve would be on a journey that would take him from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows under the penmanship of a fella by the name of J.M. DeMatteis; a seasoned writer that was paired along with the artistic chops of Mike Zeck to produce quite possibly one of the most underappreciated runs that ever graced the man in the red, white, and blue chainmail and spandex. I wouldn't say DeMatteis was a seasoned writer at that point. I think when he began writing Cap, he'd been doing super-hero comics for less than eighteen months. Good to know, that was a bit of a typo honestly that I didn't get a chance to correct
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Post by badwolf on Jul 11, 2022 17:55:56 GMT -5
I wasn't a regular Cap reader at this time, but I did have a few issues. Loved the Nomad/Ameridroid/Red Skull arc. I really wish they'd collect the run in an omnibus so I could read/reread it all.
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Post by Batflunkie on Jul 11, 2022 18:05:55 GMT -5
I wasn't a regular Cap reader at this time, but I did have a few issues. Loved the Nomad/Ameridroid/Red Skull arc. I really wish they'd collect the run in an omnibus so I could read/reread it all. Well I wasn't even born yet and didn't really "discover" the comics until maybe the early 2010s or so. Most of my early childhood experiences with Cap were a VHS tape of the old Marvel Super-Heroes show serials, the 90's film, and "farewell tour" comic called "Captain America: The Legend" which was basically a shortform history of Volume 1 ('68-'96) (How I never really came across any Cap comics during my more infantile *age 8-10* collecting days kind of baffles me in a way. I was more of a DC comics person at the time, the only Marvel books that I knew of or read were ones my mom's then boyfriend gave me to read. Most of them being late 70's/early 80's titles)
As far as collecting DeMatteis' run, I think the closest that we're going to get for a while is Epic Collection. They're moderately inexpensive and on good quality paper. The only drawback is the fact that they publish them out of order, which is kind of dumb. But like I think MRP said, it's good if you just want to collect a specific run on a title
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Post by codystarbuck on Jul 11, 2022 21:30:19 GMT -5
I read a respectable amount of this run and greatly enjoyed it. I took me a little while to get used to Zeck's style, as I felt he gave Cap a huge jaw and his eyes are a bit over-the-top; but, I warmed to it after it got going.
I have no personal problems with the idea of Steve as a New Deal liberal. It fits a lot of people, from that time frame, particularly Jack Kirby. At the same time, I think DeMatteis had a good handle on Steve's devotion to the American Ideal, rather than a specific political POV. I felt he was more a humanist, than a politically motivated person. I think that is what drew many to the New Deal policies, as they seemed to address the human side of things, after people felt abandoned and abused. You can debate the reality of it or the effectiveness of specific programs; but, there was a human idealism within it that I think would have been attractive to Steve rogers. At the same time, he has been through war and seen horror and real evil; so he has no illusions about the worst parts of the human psyche. However, he still strives for that Ideal, which is something that sometimes got lost, in the 70s, as Cap was used as an allegory for the scandals and woes of the time. Still, Steve goes through this crisis of faith and finds himself renewed in striving for the ideal.
I don't think you can really do a purely political Captain America and have it not devolve into a farce. Too much in one direction would feel false. I think that has always been the character's strength and why he pops back into prominence, after a writer has maybe pushed him too far. It's why I had severe issues with how Mark Millar portrayed him in Ultimates, as it seemed to far into a caricature of a Conservative mindset and a misunderstanding of American History, in the 30s and 40s.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 12, 2022 8:25:31 GMT -5
I might just have to get an Epic or two after I read the Wolverine one I just got! Glad you decided to go for it!
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Post by Batflunkie on Jul 12, 2022 9:13:01 GMT -5
I might just have to get an Epic or two after I read the Wolverine one I just got! Glad you decided to go for it! Well get them while you can! Dawn's Early Light is thankfully still in print (collects #261-#264), but Monsters & Men isn't
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Post by Batflunkie on Jul 12, 2022 13:51:23 GMT -5
Captain America #261-#263: Captain America: The Movie(Well no, not that one...)Part 1: Celluloid Heroes (#261) Plot: Our story opens with Steve, Josh (Steve's Neighbor), and Sam sharing a few laughs and maybe a few too many pitchers of "the devil's nectar". After they leave, Sam & Steve spy some muggers and race into action; though being heavily inebriated hinders them a little. Next morning, Sam & Steve go to the Avenger's Mansion for a work out session. What they failed to notice was an inconspicuous bag lady who radios their actions to one Lyle Dekker aka Ameridroid ("what could he be up to?" we wonder). In the stately residence bought and paid for by the incomprehensively wealthy Tony Stark, Sam reads a letter to Steve about a little studio called "Galactic Pictures" who want to write and produce a Captain America movie. Steve, ever flattered, rejects such an idea out principle. But then Vision alerts Steve a very interesting sight on the tv; It's man in full costume saving a woman from an explosion caused by an organization called the Nihilist Order. And this man's name? Nomad. After reflecting on his past of what sired and what later lead to his disavowing of the Nomad identity, Cap boards a plane to Galactic Pictures. It's not much later that he's caught in the crossfire of both the media-hound Nomad and the ever scheming Nihilist Order. While Nomad is hyping himself up, Cap is greeted by a rep who shepherds him back to the studio. Meanwhile, we resume our nefarious goings on with Dekker who is greeted by his "teacher", who proceeds to chastise one of the Nihilist Order for not doing their job properly. The Master hooks Dekker up to a machine and we recount his backstory. Back at Galactic Pictures, an imprompto press meeting is held and immediately goes awry thanks in part to the Nihilist Order. Cap jumps in to save the day, but he shield veers off, almost hitting a woman before Nomad jumps in. Cap thanks Nomad for the assist and Nomad swings off for parts unknown. Back at the Nihilist Order complex, the Teacher and Dekker meet Nomad, who claims that Cap is just too much for him and the Teacher slaps him across the room. Cap will rue the day he crossed paths with them, the teacher mutters (paraphrasing) and our story ends To Be Continued... Overall Thoughts: A pretty good start to DeMatteis' run, full of action and intrigue that would not be lost on seasoned readers of the title. Zeck's art is great and adds an element of "cartoonish realism" that I always chased after in my own drawing days years ago
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Post by chaykinstevens on Jul 12, 2022 14:49:13 GMT -5
I didn't care much for Quickdraw Studios' inking on the early issues of this run. GCD says inkers on this issue included Frank McLaughlin, Vince Colletta, and possibly Chic Stone and Al Milgrom. The production assistant character, Wally Lombego, was named after a pseudonym DeMatteis had used a few months earlier, when his script for Star Wars #46 was tampered with. link
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Post by badwolf on Jul 12, 2022 15:03:38 GMT -5
I didn't realize this was JMD's first issue! Great opening arc!
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