Penciller: Steve Epting
It has been almost 9 years since Ed Brubaker started writing the relaunch of Captain America's fifth volume. Along with Steve Epting, the title became an instant critical success when it launched. Looking back, I can say Brubaker's Captain America is one of Marvel's best comic book runs in the past decade. Before this I found the character pretty boring, but Brubaker hooked me in with this title.
Throughout Brubaker's run, he had done a lot of things to the title, including bringing Cap's sidekick Bucky back from the dead, killed Steve Rogers, made Bucky take the mantle of Cap, and then resurrecting Steve Rogers. With last week's issue #19, Brubaker bids farewell to the title.
After Fear Itself, which in my opinion is one of the worst Marvel events ever, the title was relaunched into its sixth volume, but with Steve Rogers back as Captain America. It started strong, but pverall the sixth volume was not as good as the previous one. Along the way, I can see that the stories are detoriating, and soon Brubaker announced he was leaving the title at issue #19.
This issue comes as a surprise. Everything about it feels and reads like it was back when volume 5 started. Steve Rogers talks to an injured William Burnside, the other Captain America, in a hospital. Basically everything they talk about is a recap of Brubaker's whole run on the title. However, even if it is just a retelling, it shows us everything that was great about the title.
I never realized this but when Steve Epting came back for this final issue, I could see that he was a great factor on why the title worked. His art certainly adds to the voice on what Brubaker was trying to tell us with his stories. The espionage, spy, and war themed Captain America fit with Epting's great pencil work. No doubt the cover for this issue is one of the best Captain America covers I've seen.
Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting have done something great with the title and will most definitely be enjoyed with multiple readings for years to come.
Rating: 4/5
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