Winter Soldier: The Bitter March #1
If there is anyone in the Marvel Universe that has needed love for a long time, it’s Bucky Barnes. The man was Captain America’s right hand man, then was picked up by the Ruskies, brainwashed to hate freedom and the American way, and finally watched his mentor die when he became a good guy again. To me, Bucky Barnes is the ultimate tragedy, and yet far more interesting than Cap (I’m going to get a ton of flack for that). With the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we now have Mr. Barnes in the present, and of course, looking more bad-ass than ever. Yet, there seems to be a lack of Bucky since the Brubaker run finished, and it is a noticeable omission. Fear no more! Rick Remender and Roland Boschi have teamed up to deliver a five issue mini series detailing the legend of the Winter Soldier. And damn is it good.
The story takes us through the trippy 60’s, and the espionage tales of the day. We follow a dashing Nick Fury, and an equally formidable Ran Shen, as they James Bond their way into a mountain-side Hydra castle to rescue Nazi scientists. Of course, they are discovered (due to Shen’s showmanship, in a perfect tie in to Remender’s own Captain America series), and end up dealing with the Winter Soldier himself. The story was quick, well laid out, and gave a solid narrative of a cookie cutter beginning. You came in knowing that the Winter Soldier was going to appear somewhere in this mess of a plan they attempted, and that the competitive nature between S.H.I.E.L.D’s number one and number two agents was going to come into play. Boschi’s art was crisp, reminiscent of cold war era spy books, and helped give us an understanding of the atmosphere we were dropped in. The dialogue between Ran and Nick was brilliant, and the wagers they kept making were witty, with enough tension to see the rivalry budding between the two.
But what about the Winter Soldier, you ask? The mythos made an appearance in the last few pages, stealing the scientists from the duo, and gliding away. It is interesting to note that he was seen as a legend to most agencies and very few, if any, had escaped a meeting alive. The aura surrounding him was a solid start for the series, and I feel that we will be getting a lot more Bucky in the upcoming issues. If there is any problem is that we want more Bucky Barnes.
Remender is a stud, and I wish this was an ongoing, but this is whetting my appetite until the Spring. This is the perfect compliment to the Captain America series, growing the tale of the Iron Nail, and also for your Marvel collection. Pick it up, or else The Winter Soldier will find you. Comrade.
8.5 out of 9 Panels
(W) Rick Remender
(A) Roland Boschi
Marvel Comics
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ali Abouomar
@xpressingit
