The Four Color Media Monitor

Marvel's website published an interview with Ed Brubaker (via Robot 6) about his work there, including Captain America, and when it's something written by the company themselves, you know it's not going to be challenging. One of the questions asked and answered was:

Marvel.com: That's a thing I wanted to ask about because when Steve died, the initial reaction was, "When's he going to come back?" But now that Bucky has really taken that role in a big way in the recent arcs, the discussion has become more of "Well, who needs Steve?" Did that surprise you?

Ed Brubaker: Bucky seems to be the Little Engine That Could. Everyone who was completely resistant to the idea of Bucky coming back totally embraced him as a character after about a year. There's probably one or two that didn't, but most people were like, "Wow! They pulled it off. Unbelievable." And then when Bucky became Cap, it was the same thing. "Oh, this is terrible." But now, the book is selling better with Bucky as Cap than it ever did with Steve as Cap. It's funny. I get more comments now from people where at first it was all, "Bring Steve back! Bring Steve back!" but now the comments are "Don't bring Steve back! We like Bucky as Cap." That's kind of funny. People have really come around to him as a character I think. And that was one of my goals: how to make Bucky viable as a character.

Really? Well what about Steve Rogers? If you can make Bucky viable, I'd think the same can be done with Steve too. Because Bucky with a mechanical arm doesn't seem like an idea with much mileage. And as for selling better, I don't think 62,000 copies is something to crow over.

And as for comments saying not to bring back Steve, I'm not one of those. My comment is, bring Steve back, with more satisfying writing that's got a point to it. And don't kill him off in defeat, as was done following Civil War. Whether or not Bucky is characterized okay does not excuse the bad plot used to kill off Steve to begin with. Not these days anyway. I'm quite tired with their pretending Steve couldn't be written well and acting as though only the successor could.

Marvel and Brubaker can pat themselves on the back all they want, but they may not be laughing all the way to the bank for long.

Labels: Captain America, golden calf of death, marvel comics, moonbat writers