snap judgments

Okay, so we’ve all seen the Captain America redesign, yes? Go click, ooh and ahh, then come back.

I have to admit, aside from a little burlesque there with the black sheath slipping down to show you Cap’s all chromy insides, I don’t think it’s horrible or the best thing since sliced bread. As much as they want to make a big deal out of it, I don’t think the internet’s all that broken over something… this simple. It’s a costume and marks the change of Steve Rogers holding the torch to the next guy.

Which… come on. The black? The knife and gun? Unless Thunderbird’s taking a break from the X-Men, we all know who’s in there. Considering December will herald the last clash between Iron Man and the Winter Soldier, it only makes sense that some CHANGE COME FROM THE CONFRONTATATION. A novel idea I know, but with Brubaker at the pen, I don’t think Winter Soldier will suddenly realize he’s been wrong all this time and walk off to be arrested nor will Iron Man once again get his butt handed to him to go slink off and lick his wounds while still being in charge. No, Steve left a letter for him asking him to both save Bucky and continue the Captain America tradition and Tony’s a smart enough gut to know how ot do both at the same time and maybe earn a cookie for the effort.

Now, when talking about this at the store with my illustrious and savvy fellow employees, I got into the fact that should Bucky accept the role that’s been set for him as the new Captain America, this is some good story. For one, think about this: ever since he was a kid, he’s never really been his own man, starting out as a mascot for the WWII war effort, then manipulated into the Winter Soldier… and now given this new hat to wear as an American icon? Mind you, there’s no terrible communism or torture involved, but still, it’s a lot to think about and digest.

Plus, there would be no way that Bucky would want to wear the traditional Captain America uniform. The man was like a father to him, this shining exemplar of everything Bucky knew was right and good and all that… it’d be uncomfortable for a man like him to step into the same mold because it simply wouldn’t measure up. It’d be like wearing your dead father’s old suit, creepy and way too uncomfortable, I said, then realized once again why I think Brubaker knocks it out of the park for me.

I was worried about the way a character would feel about a change in costume.