About Heroes

Author: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Steve Epting
Color: Frank D'Armata
XSimpson: So, I'll kick it off by asking you what you thought of Brubakers scripting on it?
omar69: I thought he did a phenomenal job with what he had to work with. Being forced to kill off the main character of your book is tough task. I really felft for the character of Captain America. Hell it was even written in the style that Superman #75 was written in. That is for new readers to understand what kind of man Steve Rogers was. It made you feel for the character and the rest of his cast.
XSimpson: Yeah I completly agree with you on that front. You know my feelings about Brubaker have been lackluster at best, Deadly Genesis sucked but his Captain America Run was good dispite my personal feelings about bring back Bucky
What I thought was also nice was how the death seemed to culminate with the sotryline already taking place
XSimpson: it made it understandable to have it in Captain America rather than Civil War
omar69: yeah although it was a smack in the face that he died after he just gave up. It was still great to see Cap die the way he did. To protect an innocent life.
XSimpson: yeah that was cool even a plot twist I was surprised by. I thought/and still kinda think Nick Fury has something bigger to do with it. How does this compare with Superman's death do you think? I know you already kind of mentioned it.

omar69: The plot twist with Sharon and Faustust was great. It has been building up for quite sometime, with her going to see the shrink and all.
XSimpson: I thought so too, I'm torn between a really good issue and a really horrible idea.
omar69: What I really enjoyed about this issue is that it is intense. Bru does a fantastic job of building the intesity by going back and forth with the main story. He kept going back to a variety of distractions such as Winter Bucky's, Sharon's and Falcon's memories of Captain America, or went back to the Red Skull, or the news.
XSimpson: right the build up of tension is important and he used good examples of friendship, loyalty, love, and villiany to keep the reader interested in both sides of the story, rather than meaningless flashbacks that are only a distraction
omar69: As to how this compares to the death of Superman? Well I don't expect to their to be a Funeral for Friend or World Without Cap. It's rather silly to think that Captain America (Steve Rogers) is actually dead though specially with so many returns recently. Back then nobody knew when Supes was coming back; but today everyone doesn't give it more than a year until Steve returns.
omar69: To be fair Cap has been dead and replaced before and he always managed a way to come back.Wish they would have told this story at the end of Civil War 7, I mean it would have made more sense to have the story end in that book.
omar69: I thought it was funny that Ms. Marvel mentioned that Cap was not dead in the issue of the Initiative. Yet no where in that book do they say that it's not true. But in an interview on Newsarama they said it was lie.
omar69:Email from Melanie: I know you started to tell me yesterday, but you never got the chance to explain. I thought you meant the actor died .. a student just told me that CAPTAIN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DIED BY A SNIPER OF ALL THE STUPIDIEST THINGS. I am truly angry right now. I can t believe they are that stupid at Marvel to do this, and I don t even follow the character!!!!! What poor, lame writing. I am so angry.
XSimpson: thats the thing though is that the writing was actually good it was just a shitty editorial mandate to make civil war have impact and it didn't even happen in civil war or directly relate to it, it did indirectly but that is all.
omar69: The part of his death that really pisses me off is that Captain America stood for the good that once was. For Christ sakes he was the type of guy that would hold door open for the ladies and help old people across the street. These kind of hero is a person who reminds us of what's great and good in all of us, not just in the US, but good in all human beings. We actually need that more than ever with all the crazy shit happening around the world. What we don't need is fucking validation that the american dream is dead. Where the fuck is Walt Whitman when you need him? O Captain! My Captain! Sorry had to put that there.
XSimpson: yeah, and if they don't spin it somehow I think a lot of people are going to be upset about this in the long run. I know everyone says oh it wont last it never lasts but it still happens and it still hurts everyone involved. Just to make a little extra money that quickly fades away
omar69: Captain Bucky won't cut it. I love Bru and I have high hopes, but this will be rough to pull off.
XSimpson: yeah I don't like that idea at all either it doesn't fit the character. Lets face it no one can fill the Captain's shoes
omar69: Nomad....oh wait he's dead. US Agent John Walker! Ohh wait he's in that shitty Omega Flight
omar69: What did you think of the art?
XSimpson: at first I thought it was a different guy
omar69: how come?
XSimpson: okay I guess it was just a few pages that looked different from Eptings usual stuff
XSimpson: he does shadow work really well and there are just a few panels of broad color screen tv and it looks very bland, but otherwise I of course thought the black and white was fitting for the backstory and everything else was eerie and moody as always so I liked it
omar69: I think the art really carried this story at points. His dark heavy inks keeps the tone of the book grim, while his characters carry a lot of emotion in their faces. The reporter is one great example. I can't think of very many artist that can show that much expression from one character in sevem different panels.
omar69: What would you rate the book?
XSimpson: yeah I noticed the emotion in her face and liked it too, I guess I put a lot of expectation on the mood being dark
XSimpson: given the subject I can't morally give it an A
XSimpson: so a B
omar69: Unfortunately Captain America being killed by a sniper (even if it is Crossbones) and gun shots is still a stupid idea, considering all the guy did was dodge bullets in WW2. But Brubaker did an amazing job with such a plot. Overall I give it a B. Ohh and that variant cover by Ed Mcguiness is really shitty. Nothing to do with the story at all, just Marvel's way to make more money.