Review- CAPTAIN AMERICA BY ED BRUBAKER VOL. 3

CAPTAIN AMERICA BY ED BRUBAKER VOL. 3 (Marvel, 2012; Hardcover)

Collects Captain America Nos. 11-14 and 328 (cover dates April, 1987 (328) and July- September, 2012)

Writer: Ed Brubaker (11-14) and Mark Gruenwald (328)

Artist: Patrick Zircher (11-14) and Paul Neary with Vince Colletta (328)

Every Ed Brubaker book is like a can of Diet Mountain Dew. You crack it open and it is consistently excellent and never, ever disappoints. It's almost ridiculous how good his run has been, and this book is no exception. There is a new Scourge on the loose. We see a lot of old Cap supporting cast members from the Scourge arcs of the '80s return, such as Diamondback and D-Man. The always unlikable Henry Peter Gyrich also rears his ugly head. He's been brainwashed...or has he?

There is a witness relocation program for criminals who rat out other criminals, and this list has been compromised. In maintaining my spoiler-free-as-possible philosophy, I won't tell you which criminals, or the how and why of how they are ratted out. I also won't tell you who is behind the leaks, or what their ultimate motive is. You can find out spoilers elsewhere on the Internet. I'd rather give you an idea and, hopefully, nudge you into buying and enjoying this book for yourself. 

Patrick Zircher is another in a long line of phenomenal artists who have collaborated with Brubaker on his run. He has a tremendous style and his action sequences are fluid and powerful. I love character driven stories and development as much as the next guy, but I also want to see some badass throwdowns. I want my cake and I want to eat it too.

Issue 328 is included because it features the origin of D-Man. I really enjoyed Mark Gruenwald's run on the title, and there are several trade paperback collections available. If you enjoy Brubaker's run and are looking for more great Captain America stories, the Scourge of the Underworld book would be a great place to start as it ties into the events in this book.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Typical Marvel Premiere Edition Hardcover, with the same production values that the format has to offer.

Linework restoration rating for Issue 328: 5 out of 5.

Color restoration rating for issue 328: 5 out of 5.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. Nice thick coated stock with a slight sheen, perfect for modern coloring. It's not quite so good for issue 328, though.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. It's glued, but it's a thin hardcover, so it's no biggie. It's not like it's going to fall apart or anything. I normally lose sleep over books with glued binding, but not with these Premiere Hardcovers.