Captain America: Reborn #1
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Penciler: Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release date: July 1, 2009

I should be more excited about this. I have loved Ed Brubaker‘s run on Captain America since I picked up the first trade. It’s probably my favorite book that I’m currently reading on a monthly basis. So why is ‘underwhelmed’ the first word coming to mind? I’ll tell you why: it’s mostly that too much of Captain America: Reborn #1 is spent recapping info that was recapped two weeks ago in Captain America #600. So what we get is a second issue in a row of set-up; well-illustrated set-up, but set-up nonetheless.

This issue follows from where Issue #600 left off. Sharon Carter and the Falcon take the gun that killed Steve Rogers to Hank Pym for some investigation. They discuss Sharon’s memories from when she was under the Red Skull’s control and how she saw what could be one of Dr. Doom’s Time Platforms and that the Red Skull may have already brought Steve back. Meanwhile, the current Cap and the Black Widow try to track down the Time Platform so they can see what it really is. Unfortunately, the Platform is in the custody of Norman Osborne, so they have to break into a H.A.M.M.E.R. facility, where all does not go according to plan. Finally, we get a hint of what may be happening to Steve, and how he may be brought back.

Now, while it is a bit underwhelming to me, this is by no means a bad issue. There’s not a lot I can really complain about, from either the art or the writing. The story continues to keep me intrigued and Brubaker keeps the reader interested in all the characters, which is all the more difficult with the number of characters in the story. The only problem I have with the story is that it relies very heavily both on having read the whole story up to this point and also on having kept up with the rest of Marvel continuity. It makes it hard for me to recommend this as a jumping on point. The art by Bryan Hitch is up to his usual standards, at least at the start of the issue, but seems to get less detailed as the issue goes on. The only scenes where you can really see Hitch’s skill are at the beginning and end, where we see the Steve Rogers in the past. The art is just not as amazing as you might be used to if you’re more familiar from his work on The Ultimates.

More than anything, this issue made me want to go back and read everything that’s happened in the last 25 issues. Brubaker continues to build on his long-term story and Hitch’s art is well suited to the style that has been used in this series. I will probably enjoy this more when we get a few more issues, but this issue on its own only scores a 4 out of 5 from me. While this may not be a good starting point, I’ll always recommend picking up the series from the beginning.