Retailers react to new Cap
Retailer reaction was mixed to “Captain America” No. 34, in which Captain America’s former sidekick Bucky became the new Captain America. Though retailers said the new Captain was drawing fan interest, the largest question was about the new Captain America’s use of a firearm.
“The gun, I don’t like,” said George Francis, owner of Ultimate Heroes, 1316 N Kelly Ave. in Edmond. “That’s not Captain America to me.”
Others saw the gun as a natural evolution.
“It’s not like he’ll be out shooting people just for the sake of it,” said Jerry Wall, owner of Atomic Comics, 6006 S Western. “He’ll be using it very similarly to how a police officer would.”
Marvel’s editor-in-chief Joe Quesada told the New York Daily News that he expected some controversy.
“It’s an experiment,” Quesada said. “Every day, every story, I’m ready for backlash.”
Captain America was created in 1941 by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. It started with Steve Rogers, a scrawny teenager who volunteered for a secret experiment. The results of the experiment turned him into a super soldier, ready to fight the Axis powers of World War II.
At the war’s conclusion, Captain America went missing — he was frozen in a block of ice, until being revived by the Avengers in 1963′s “Avengers” No. 4.
Captain America was killed in March 2007′s “Captain America” No. 25 by a sniper’s bullet.
“Everybody hated to see Cap get killed,” Francis said. “That wasn’t the way they saw Cap going out.”
Jim Lane, owner of Dragonfyre Comics, 1501 N Meridian, praised the storyline of “Captain America” No. 34. Lane said the story was “relevant to today’s times.”
“Captain America” editor Tom Brevoort said the upcoming issues of “Captain America” would follow the ongoing plans of arch-villain the Red Skull.
“(Expect) the same kind of high-intensity action and sophisticated suspense that the series has become renowned for, but with a slightly different point of view at the helm,” Brevoort said in an interview with The Oklahoman. “You’ll see the Red Skull’s master plan put into action, and the appearance of another figure who has a different viewpoint on the legacy of Captain America from that of Bucky.”
And, Lane says, he thinks just because there’s a new Captain America, it doesn’t mean fans never will see Steve Rogers again.
“In the back of my mind, I keep saying they’ll find a way to bring him back,” Lane said. “It may be five years down the road, but I think we’ll see Steve Rogers again.”
Other retailers agreed.
Francis pointed out Marvel’s upcoming “Secret Invasion,” in which Marvel has indicated several prominent characters will be revealed as sleeper agents for an alien race, as a possible way to bring back Steve Rogers.
Wall said the new Captain America has excited fans, but he wouldn’t be surprised if it was an intermediary step.
“By the end, we’ll see Steve Rogers back again,” he said.
– Matt Price
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