Captain America #8: Review

Mar 2003

John Ney Rieber, Trevor Hairsine

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Story Name:

(No title given)

Review & Comments

Rating:

Captain America #8 Review by Librarian (February 15, 2010)

Other writers: Chuck Austen.

Captain America #8 Review by Peter Silvestro (June 16, 2010)

Comments: “The Extremists, Part 2 of 4 [sic]” on cover (it’s really 5). Review: A bitter cynicism about America overwhelms the series with this issue: Captain America is presented as following “a higher ideal than the country whose name he shares.” Well, yeah, he’s a comic book character but that isn’t to say that America always betrays its ideals. Cap credo is presented here: “The better American is the man who does what his heart tells him is right for the betterment of all mankind—not just for other Americans.” Sounds nice, but the inherent flaw in this ideal becomes clear in the next issues.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Captain America #8 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

In Washington, Inali Redpath reflects on Lincoln’s words at Gettysburg and wonders whether Lincoln had forgotten that his people stole the land from the native inhabitants. He calls Samantha Twotrees, reveals he is still alive and asks for Captain America. When she hangs up, Inali ponders his course of action and wonders how much he owes Cap…. His mind drifts back to when they were on a mission in the Balkans: Steve thought it was humanitarian until Inali told him it was a cover for a SHIELD operation to liberate a prison camp. Steve suits up as Captain America and joins him. On the mission, Cap stops Inali from shooting a guard and frees the prisoners with no casualties on either side. He made Inali believe in America that day, but he didn’t realize the difference between the nation and the man…. He contacts Barricade to stop him from interfering with Cap and backs up the warning with a tornado—but he is too far away to do any real damage to the mad soldier. When Captain America rides into the ambush, he avoids the enemy’s flame thrower attack and launches himself into Barricade and his troops. Alone against the massive madman, Cap beats him up demanding to know where Inali is. A school bus passes at this inopportune time and Barricade halts it and threatens to set it aflame with the children inside unless Cap chains himself. Cap complies—and the madman casually tosses a flare toward the gas-soaked bus…. A massive wind whips up, extinguishes the flare, and kills Barricade with a blow to the head. Inali Redpath has arrived."Hello, Steve. It’s good to see you again."

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