So the all-new, all-different Captain America carries a gun now. Then what makes him any different from the Punisher? Especially since the Punisher recently went crazy and dressed up like Captain America for a while.
And it’s not a very impressive gun, either–looks like a plain old Colt .45 to me. Shouldn’t Captain America at least have a Magnum or something?
Mind you, I always thought it was a bit silly that Cap only carried a shield as a weapon. Even Batman has batarangs, gas pellets and explosives he can throw at people if need be. But a gun? To quote Mr. Furious, “That’s it? That’s your power? You have guns? Couldn’t you be a little more creative than that?” Again, the Marvel Universe already has a guy whose power is that he has guns.
I don’t know…I might check out this issue (Captain America #34). I wish Marvel had a $2 digital download option for their comics. More likely I’ll wait for the trade paperback, since a single issue of a modern comic reads like an excerpt from a novel these days.
To get on topic, how long until Hasbro releases a figure of the gun-toting Cap? I say he shows up within three waves.
Pete
He would, if Mattel made the figure…
Paul
Cap should have a gun that shoots shields. heh
Poe
OK, so I broke down and picked up this issue. Of course, this is after having never really read a Captain America comic before, ever…so bravo, Marvel marketing department!
I couldn't really get into it because it was so tied in with all the recent history of the Marvel U. The big two comics have entered this weird state recently where they're both pushing their shared worlds–requiring that you read dozens of comics each month to keep up–while also making their stories so long that it's a lot more preferable to buy them in trade paperbacks.
But I digress…I probably don't know enough about the old Cap to really judge this new Cap, but I'll say this. He did use the gun–to shoot out the kneecaps of some AIM thugs. Now, from what I've read, cops and federal agents are trained that if you have to fire your gun, you do it to kill–heart or the head, that's it. The shooting-to-wound you see so often in cop shows and movies is both harder to do and more likely to end up with the officer getting shot himself.
I suppose you could make the argument that Cap is super-powered, so he's not in the same danger from his enemies' weapons as your average cop, but I Marvel is just trying to have it both ways here–have Cap be badass by carrying a gun, but not actually shoot anyone with it. It's like The A-Team.
Either make Cap pull the trigger, or ditch the gun entirely. Or at the very least, give him some kind of special S.H.I.E.L.D. stun gun or some other non-lethal weapon.
Tom-Tom
so can we take bets on how long it'll take for steve rogers cap to return?
Pete
I don
Poe
Yeah, I don't get the chest-shield. Ultimate Cap's outfit was a good enough redesign–they should have just worked off that.
I think the replacement they chose is good–and hey, replacements have worked for DC (Robin, the Flash). But I wouldn't be surprised if this new Cap dons the old-school garb at some point in the near future. That Ross outfit is too Golden Age. It would work in a Ross work like Kingdom Come, but I don't see it lasting long in the mainstream Marvel universe.
OB1
@Paul: Yeah, I totally should have made that association. Like I said, I haven't been following Cap, so I didn't even check on that and it would explain that extra shine! I usually like Ross' stuff, but I agree, sometimes it is a bit too stiff. I think his work on Marvels and Kingdom Come is great. I'm actually looking forward to what he's going to produce now that he's back in the Marvel fold.
I didn't even check out his crotch! (Hahaha) I was too blinded by his head and shoulders. I don't know if it is just the pose or not, but it looks like the old traditional triangle Cap shield to me, just on his uni. An interesting connection.
Paul
OB1, that costume was designed by Alex Ross, a pretty good painter, but not the best costume designers. I mean, what's the deal with the point by his crotch? How does he sit? (I'm not big on Ross because all his heroes look so beyond stiff it isn't funny).
OB1
I have no problem with Cap carrying weapons… he is a soldier after all. The .45 he's wielding is the traditional sidearm of a WWII soldier, so it fits well. He's not Dirty Harry, so Magnum please. What sets him apart from the Punisher is he isn't killing anyone and certainly isn't a vigilante. Frank Castle is running around with M-16's, rocket launchers and grenades all the time, not just a .45 and combat knife. I guess it comes down to scale.
I haven't been reading this Cap series at all, but it is pretty easy to figure out who is under that mask anyway. What I'm wondering is if they'll really keep Steve Rogers dead or if they'll make the dead guy one of the Skrulls so that they can bring him back. We'll see…
Lastly, what's with that cover anyway? Does the new Cap have a little Silver Surfer in him? What's with the chrome effect? Makes him look like a Web 2.0 site… I guess we have Joe Q. to thank for that. I still find it funny that they made a guy who can't ship his own books on time the EIC, and therefore responsible for all the books. I'm not a Joe Q. basher, but I don't love what he's done either.
Tom-Tom
ha! i saw the repeat of colbert (and so can you!)
googum
Oh, it's totally cool to bash Quesada a bit; but Captain America has been a really good book for quite some time now…even if Poe's point about "a single issue of a modern comic reads like an excerpt from a novel" is all too true there. (The Red Skull had something going with a video feed, a secure location, and some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents; that hasn't been touched back on for like three issues. Months. Are they going somewhere with that? If so, when?)
I do kind of miss the days when Cap was so tough he didn't need anything but his shield. Now everyone has to have a utility belt, a heater, a shiv…
Tom-Tom
i think it's funny that the new cap has a gun like punisher and most customizers have been making the new cap with a face-off punisher.
J_Stone_
In fairness to Marvel, Cap carrying a gun is not without precedent. He was WWII soldier, after all. It's certainly not as far out of his established character as say, Batman carrying a gun.
Of course, I'm not really interested in being fair to Marvel of late, as I hate Joey Q. with the passion of a thousand fiery suns.
Poe
Yeah, but I'm not going to reveal it here. It's not really a surprise, though–they went with the most obvious choice, given recent Marvel continuity.
Pete
I'll agree with three waves. Any word on who's in the outfit yet?