Since this series was retitled Captain America & Bucky, it’s been a fun romp through the history of Captain America and Bucky, with the first arc focusing on their origin from Bucky’s point of view. This new issue is a really fun and interesting read, because it focuses on a different iteration of Captain America and Bucky, the one that took up the mantles when the originals were thought dead during World War II. I’m a huge fan of the Captain America legacy, which is why I bought Captain America: Patriot this past year. The focus here is on Fred Davis, who became Bucky after Bucky Barnes’ death, and William Naslund, the first replacement Captain America.
The story is a nice way to blend together the history of the Captain America legacy with a story told in the current day, as an enemy reappears, the same one that killed William Naslund over sixty years earlier. Brubaker writes Fred Davis very well, as the story is told from his perspective, and we get a great insight into the Captain America legacy, what it means, and what the relationship between Fred Davis and William Naslund was. Considering how the first arc focused on the relationship between Rogers and Barnes, it’s a nice counterpoint seeing the level of respect, trust and admiration between the replacement Cap and Bucky.
The artwork by Francavilla is quite well done, it manages to maintain the overall visual tone of the book that Samnee began when this title first changed its name, and the artwork is also appropriately moody and detailed. At times the detail slips a bit, but it looks so deliberate, and so purposeful, that it doesn’t really detract at all from the reading experience.
For fans of the Captain America legacy, this is a fantastic read, because the reader gets a very enjoyable (not to mention rare) glimpse into the men who wore the shield as well as Steve Rogers. This issue was very enjoyable, that’s for sure.
