MEGABEARD COMIC PANEL OF THE WEEK #30
FEAR ITSELF #4
‘Fear Itself’ is in full effect, and even though I promised I would keep away from the crossover individual issues, I am excited as hell. This was a crossover that started off feeling like, well… another cross over. However, it really built in a wat that stands out above ‘Siege’, ‘Shadowland’, and ‘Secret Invasion’.
I liked Siege, but not for the story or what it did for the characters or the Marvel Universe. I loved the unusual and interesting predicament. I loved Norman Osbourn running the show, and how absolutely ridiculous that was. I loved the Dark Avengers, and I deeply miss that book. It was the most interesting villains, playing Avengers, living together in a ritzy building in the middle of NYC. It was a comic book reality TV show, and it was intense, funny, and charming.
‘Shadowland’ had a really interesting setup, much like Secret Invasion, but other than the death of Bullseye, nothing really changed.
At first, I was not excited for ‘Fear Itself’. It didn’t feel like a big deal or much was riding on it’s shoulders. I wasn’t sold. This one came in quiet and blew up in our faces. This is a new arc for the usual Marvel cross over and it’s great! We’ve been fed the stakes with previews, ‘road to’s, setups, and prologues. Marvel didn’t show it’s cards right away, or at all. It’s presented as it is, as it happens. Comic-bookery in it’s truest form.
**SPOILERS**
Best of all, Bucky got his ass kicked! He really reeaaallly gets his ass kicked. I mean, his silly little robot arm ripped off and lasered through the chest ass kicked. I was actually shocked and excited. I loved the idea of Bucky as Heroic Age Cap. I love the suit, the guns, the persona, and the symbolism. It’s when the comic started poking at the Tea Party and politics that I lost interest. Bucky wanted to live up to Cap, but i never felt like that was the main purpose of the book. It was just… political commentary with nothing real to back it up. Bucky just went through the motions. Dick became Batman around when Bucky became Cap, and I have to say, I’ll be sad when Dick goes back to Nightwing in the reboot, but I’m loving Steve coming back to the red, white, and blue skivvies.
Once I saw Epting’s Bucky in the news for being “insensitive” to political parties, and the only real “Captain America-esque” story arc ended. I jumped ship.
Bucky makes a good Bucky. He also makes a good Winter Soldier.
Steve is Captain America, and now Bucky… Bucky is dead.
