Ed Brubaker's "Captain America" run set a new standard for mixing noir and science fiction elements to create epic, long-form plots that have not once but twice attempted an impossible story and made it work. Now, after two years of his original main character, Steve Rogers, lying mouldering in the grave, Brubaker initiates the next big story of his run. Joined by "Ultimates" artist Bryan Hitch on this special event miniseries, "Captain America: Reborn" is an interesting, if not completely successful, departure from the main series. Some spoilers follow.
Picking up from Captain America #600, Steve's old allies (girlfriend Sharon Carter, successor James 'Bucky' Barnes, partner Sam Wilson, and James' girlfriend Natasha Romanova) scramble to track down his body and uncover the truth behind his seeming death. Expanding beyond the typical cast of characters in his story so far, we also get appearances by Ronin (Clint Barton, usually called Hawkeye), Hank Pym, Reed Richards, and the Vision. Meanwhile, the villains (the Red Skull, Dr. Doom, Norman Osborn, Arnim Zola) gather their forces and strike deals, as virtually the whole cast of the series up to this point comes into play.
Contrary to what some critics of this series have suggested, Brubaker's run prior to this was not "grounded" in any real way; the first 51 issues included time machines, a cosmic cube, cyborgs, and all the usual Marvel technology. However, it felt a bit more "real" than much of this, due to a tendency to underplay things; here, Brubaker indulges in a lot more bombast than had previously been the case, giving the sci-fi less of a gritty gloss. There's not a huge amount of room for characterization here, but everyone feels right, and Brubaker does have an excellent feel for his expanded cast. Bryan Hitch takes over for the regular series artists, and while this isn't his best work, he does a good job; it took a while, but he's gotten more of a handle on 616 costumes.
The series ends with the not especially surprising return, but there are also hints at what the next big story of Brubaker's run will be, as Steve's journey through time presented him with glimpses of future scenes. If they're any indication, the heavier presence of sci-fi is sticking.
Recommended.