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Chris Durnell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 February 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1234
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| Posted: 17 June 2009 at 7:34pm | IP Logged | 1
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I agree that Gruenwald's run had many good things about it - and some great moments - and other times was very subpar. The Kieron Dwyer issues were probably the highpoint of his run although the subsequent Ron Lim issues were also very good. The best issue was probably the one during Acts of Vengeance when Magneto went after the Red Skull. Excellent issue.
Other good things was the whole concept of the Serpent Society. They seemed very competent and menacing in Captain America. Too bad outside that title they were used as disposable goons whenever someone wanted a big team to beat up on (this happened frequently to the various Zodiac Cartel incarnations as well, another great concept that rarely panned out). I also liked Flag Smasher and the Watchdogs. Gruenwald anticipated a lot of fringe politics with them.
One bad move was the abandoning of the old supporting cast. Gruenie didn't seem to understand how to handle the secret identity portion of Cap's life. He also had some odd tics that hurt the title on occassion - like his obsession with trying to get rid of the super soldier serum. And I never bought the Cap-Diamondback romance. I liked that Diamondback had a crush on Cap, but that should be merely a hormonal thing. I couldn't buy the whore with a heart of gold, or why Cap would be attracted to her. I think Gruenwald had a thing for punk/offbeat chicks - he had Quasar go with the somewhat trashy Kayla Ballantine.
I didn't like his revamping of the Red Skull was a nihilist as opposed to a Nazi, but he did a great job at making the Skull a legitimate menace with an expanded group of henchmen, Crossbones was awesome as was the concept of the Skeleton Crew.
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Joe Zhang
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 12842
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| Posted: 17 June 2009 at 8:22pm | IP Logged | 2
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I really liked the "Captain America no more" stories. The Bloodstone stories were fun. I do think he stayed on the title for a bit too long.
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Flavio Sapha
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: Brazil
Posts: 12912
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| Posted: 17 June 2009 at 8:27pm | IP Logged | 3
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And I never bought the Cap-Diamondback romance. I liked that
Diamondback had a crush on Cap, but that should be merely a hormonal
thing. I couldn't buy the whore with a heart of gold, or why Cap would
be attracted to her.
+++
I concur.
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Dave Phelps
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4189
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| Posted: 17 June 2009 at 8:34pm | IP Logged | 4
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Overall, I'm a fan, but stories tended to get more hit and miss after Ron Lim left. The only major complaint I had was that he never properly tied up the Diamondback/Captain America relationship, especially since no one who has done the book since has shown any interest in messing with it.
(The weird thing is that the way Mark Waid handled the returned Sharon Carter during his initial run on Cap seemed to owe more to Diamondback than to how Sharon was portrayed before she was killed off. IMO, anyway.)
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Don Zomberg
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Joined: 23 November 2005
Posts: 2355
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| Posted: 17 June 2009 at 9:07pm | IP Logged | 5
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...the Red Skull is too prevalent.
Hm. Substitute Bucky for Red Skull and we're in total agreement.
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David Lopez
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 03 July 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1343
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| Posted: 17 June 2009 at 11:52pm | IP Logged | 6
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One of my favorite Cap runs. A few duds, but overall, great stuff.
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Stephen Churay
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 25 March 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 8369
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| Posted: 18 June 2009 at 12:23am | IP Logged | 7
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First Cap. book I ever bought was the Death of M.O.D.O.K. issue
by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary. 10+ years, great run.
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Leigh DJ Hunt
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 February 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1569
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| Posted: 18 June 2009 at 3:53am | IP Logged | 8
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Love love love this run. People bring up things like Cap Wolf as the punchline to jokes but there were so many good storylines in this run such as the Serpent Society arc and the introduction of US Agent and The Captain. MG was good at creating interesting new villains (Flag Smasher) whilst re-using the best of Marvel's b-list.
I for one loved the Diamondback romance, my only problem with it was that Crossbones has never ever paid for what he did to her - and as with other characters who have earned a bad-ass reputation for hurting women (like Sabretooth) the fans seem to sickly enjoy such things and so they will never fully pay for it as they will be kept around.
I really hope that Fighting Chance (albeit a bit weak) is the first of many trade collections of this run.
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Stéphane Garrelie
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Joined: 05 August 2005
Location: France
Posts: 4283
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| Posted: 18 June 2009 at 5:22am | IP Logged | 9
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I enjoyed a lot Streets of Poison.
There were lot of other good and yes bad stories.
Quasar was more regularly good, but when Cap was good it was better than Quasar.
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Matthew Panek
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 152
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| Posted: 18 June 2009 at 6:10am | IP Logged | 10
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His run on Cap is classic.
Serpent Society, Crossbones, Super-Patriot and "The Captain", the Hotline manned by the young geeks - all good stuff!
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Bruce Buchanan
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Joined: 14 June 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4797
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| Posted: 18 June 2009 at 7:19am | IP Logged | 11
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And I never bought the Cap-Diamondback romance. I liked that Diamondback had a crush on Cap, but that should be merely a hormonal thing. I couldn't buy the whore with a heart of gold, or why Cap would be attracted to her.
****************
I totally understand it. Captain America is a caring, empathetic person who believes in the basic goodness of the human race. I think it's natural that he would be drawn to someone with a checkered past who was making a genuine (that's the key) effort to become a better person.
Plus, it's the whole "opposites attract" dynamic!
Totally agree on the Serpent Society, Flag-Smasher, Crossbones, etc. Like Leigh said, Gruenwald did a great job of expanding Cap's rogue's gallery.
Too bad subsequent writers (even the good ones like Waid and Brubaker) have largely ignored what Gruenwald brought to the book.
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Vinny Valenti
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Joined: 17 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 8586
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| Posted: 18 June 2009 at 8:42am | IP Logged | 12
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Whatever happened to Diamondback, anyway?
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Topic Closed)
