CAPTAIN AMERICA #17
Reaction by Van Plexico

This issue had me...

bored...

and excited...

and bored again...

and interested...

and really wide-eyed...

and even more excited...

and then...

then....

then.

I guess my spoiler space is getting a little more creative, anyway...

Okay. I started this issue, and thought, "Yep, it's Cap turned back into old wussy Steve Rogers. I've seen this before, complete with the baggy costume, most notably in the Dr. Faustus/Ameridroid storyline from the late '70s. I say thee: Blah."

Then comes more Red-Skull-as-Thanos. Woo hoo. "Waid," I'm saying, "look, you're touching on some nice areas here, but you're really not giving us anything new. I've seen this all before, and done better, with more depth and drama."

Then comes the first big moment-- Cap changes the shield into a sword, and actually runs ol' Skully through. "Okay, now, THIS is a bit more interesting. BUT-- please God don't let this mean we get six issues of Cap-moping-around-dealing-with-his-actions." UGHH!

And then-- NO! We get... dare I say it?? Dare I believe it??? KANG!!!!!! "YAHOOO!!" I think to myself. "Kang's been behind it all! He outsmarted Cap and the Skull both! YES!!! Cap vs. Kang, one on one!"

And THEN-- Massive groan. INCREDIBLY massive groan.

Korvac? KORVAC??!! WHAT THE HELL??!!!

And not only that-- he's in some kind of bargain-basement Galactus get-up!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

And he's talking like some kind of bargain-basement arch-villain! Not the grandiose universal savior from Avengers 177-- he's another Dr. Doom/Thanos wannabe! Not the Michael Korvac I remember fondly from the good ol' days, but another over-powered thug.

Well, hot damn.

Waid, you could have given us Cap vs Kang, a battle for the ages.

Instead...

Bleahh.

Bleeahhhhh.

--Van