Or - “This Just In! Former Captain America Steve Rogers is STILL Dead…”

Let’s say you were living in the year 1985, enjoying Mark Gruenwald’s run on Captain America Volume 5. He’s been crafting interesting stories every month (even the stuff with Flag-Smasher) but suddenly, a time machine appears, and out steps a wild-haired madman who tells you of the far-flung autumn of 2007! “Uhhh… Marty! Marty! We’ve got to do something about the future!! Captain America is dead! Bucky, the Falcon, and Sharon Carter are headlining his book! We’ve got to go… Back To The Future!!!!” Would you expect during this conversation that the stories would actually be not only good, but REALLY good? ‘Cause if not, then expect Biff to give you a few quick raps on the melon… “Hello? McFly?”

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Hear ye! Hear ye! The Hulk is smashing his way through Manhattan this week in World War Hulk #4. While we can’t bring you the blow by blow action, Marvel has graciously provided us with previews of its other titles arriving this week.

In this installment ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST - QUASAR 3, AVENGERS CLASSIC 4, CAPTAIN AMERICA 30, IRREDEEMABLE ANT-MAN 12, JACK KIRBY’S GALACTIC BOUNTY HUNTERS 6, MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR 28, MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS 16, MARVEL ADVENTURES TWO-IN-ONE 3.

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For a dead guy Steve Rogers is sure making the rounds in the Marvel U. In the Chosen, David Morrell of Rambo fame, tells the tale of Corporal James Newman’s life as a soldier in Afghanistan who ends up getting a little help from Captain America. I’m not sure if it is supposed to be part of regular continuity or not (it seems to be a Marvel Knights tale), but if the sudden appearance of Cap to a soldier having a crisis is a clue, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to find out Mr. Newman ends up wearing the red, white, and blue at some point.

If you didn’t get the first issue, Marvel has announced it will be going back to press, with the reprint arriving in stores October 17, 2007 for $3.99.

Take the jump for the full look at the all new cover by Mitch Breitweiser.

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It’s a long weekend, and I’m sure while you are waiting for the hot girl next door to layout in her bikini for one last time of the summer, you’ll want something to keep you occupied. It’s going to be another huge week for Marvel, so we’re splitting the sneaks up again. This installment features ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST - WRAITH 3, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE CHOSEN 1, DAREDEVIL: BATTLIN’ JACK MURDOCK 4, EXILES 98, FANTASTIC FOUR AND POWER PACK 3, INCREDIBLE HULK 110 (WWH), IRON MAN: ENTER THE MANDARIN 1, MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN 31, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE 3

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Sorry true believers, Captain America is still rotting away somewhere (for now), yet for some reason we’ve been seeing him pop up in more Marvel titles lately. Take Avengers Classic #4 for example. Marvel Comics has sent Major Spoilers a sneak peek of the issue that features a brand new story of Captain America written by Dwayne McDuffie and Michael Avon Oeming as well as a remastered retelling of Avengers #4.

Bizarre? Maybe, but no more strange than say, Wolverine Origins #16.

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Yes, Captain America is still dead, but his friends are out for revenge. Winter Soldier (aka Bucky Barnes) finds himself up against a Mighty Avenger and Crossbones.

Marvel promises Captain America #30 will conclude the Death of Captain America story and leave your jaw on the floor. (psst… please let us know if your jaw is really on the floor)

To loosen that mandible, Marvel sent Major Spoilers a sneak peek of the issue.

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Kicking off in Origins #16, the Our War arc features an untold tale of Captain America and Wolverine during World war II. The issue was so popular it sold out at Diamond comics Distributors. Marvel hasn’t announced if it will go back to press with the issue, but it has sent Major Spoilers a sneak peek at issue #17.

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Is the new Captain America Frank Castle or Bucky? That’s the question Marvel Comics posed to Major Spoilers when it sent a sneak peek of Punisher War Journal #11. Bucky doesn’t seem to happy the Punisher is wearing Cap’s duds.

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It’s not the official return of Captain America, but in the new Marvel Knights The Chosen series, Steve Rogers searches for a replacement. Written by David Morrell and illustrated by Mitch Breitweiser, Captain America: The Chosen looks at how the world is affected by the man in the red, white, and blue.

Marvel Comics sent Major Spoilers a sneak peek of the series that debuts September 05, 2007.

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Or - “This Just In… Former Captain America Steve Rogers Is Still Dead.”

Trust me… In the right context, that joke is hysterical. The good Captain has been gone for four issues now, but the threads that led to his assassination are still unraveling. Tony Stark and Natasha Romanov have a mole in their organization, Sam Wilson and Sharon Carter have no leads, and the Winter Soldier has murder in his heart. Add in a new Serpent Squad, Red Skull’s continuing battle for dominance of Aleksandr Lukin, as well as continuing drama about exactly WHO pulled the trigger on those fatal shots, and we’ve got a recipe for a strong act two. Call it “The Barnes Supremacy” if you like, just don’t call it late for dinner…

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Marvel Comics has announced the big project Alex Ross will be working on that features Captain America in an in-continuity story.

The title of series is Avengers/Invaders:
Set in current continuity and featuring Marvel’s mightiest heroes from the past and present like never before, this 12-issue limited series will reunite the award winning writing team of Alex Ross and Jim Krueger (Earth X, Universe X) for their first Marvel project in over five years! Ross will also provide covers for all 12 issues, in addition to character designs for the series, which will be penciled by fan-favorite Steve Sadowski.

The series will be packaged by Dynamite Entertainment and will arrive in 2008.

“It means something more to the world today, and that’s of course why we’re taking this confusing thing of the return of Captain America, that essentially is truly the return of Captain America, not in the way you would have expected,” revealed Ross of the series. “A lot of rich, creative room comes from that being opened up to us.”

If you missed our initial report, you can take the jump and see the full cover.

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Alex Ross is coming back to Marvel, and guess what project he is working on?

According to Ross, this project has been in the works for two years.

In an interview with Newsarama, Alex said he would be the designer, cover artist, and co-storyteller with Jim Krueger.

It could mean many things. It implies as much a return of Captain America, sure, as it also implies my return to Marvel – and maybe some other things. But I can tell you that my ego wasn’t fueling the design of that image…

Of course he is being very cryptic in his interview without giving anything major away. It does look like this is an in continuity story, so we’ll have to wait and see what that means.  To me the image evokes a phoenix rising from the ashes, and it looks like Bucky is by his side.  I wonder if Marvel will go down the Dark Phoenix Captain America route, after all it worked before…

Yes, it’s time once again to entertain you with sneak peeks of Marvel titles shipping next week.

In this installment we have ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST - QUASAR 2, CAPTAIN AMERICA 29, FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN 23, MARVEL ADVENTURES HULK 2, MARVEL ADVENTURES TWO-IN-ONE 2, MARVEL ILLUSTRATED: TREASURE ISLAND 3, NEW X-MEN 41.

Take the jump for all the goodness.

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For those who want to get up to date on everything leading up to the death of Captain America, Marvel Comics has announced it will collect the first 25 issues of the Ed Brubaker run, the Captain America 65th Anniversary Special, and Winter Soldier: Winter Kills in a huge omnibus edition.

The collection will also feature 70 pages of extra material, and you can take the jump to get a peek at the goodies.

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Or - “This Just In: Former Captain America Steve Rogers Is Still Dead…”

That joke courtesy of the 1970’s, a time when Chevy Chase was actually funny. Ed Brubaker seems to be following through on his promise to make this death meaningful in more than just a “When will he be back?” fashion. The effect of Steve’s loss on his friends and coworkers is profound, with some seeking redemption, some seeking vengeance, and at least one seeking an outlet for his profound sense of guilt. If you had asked me ten years ago if I thought we’d ever see Bucky again, I’d have called you crazy. But seeing Bucky back in a story where CAP is dead, and having that story not suck is pure gravy…

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