Highlight On: Bucky Barnes

The only constant in the world of comics is the illusion of change — anonymous

If the quote above is to be taken into consideration, then you wouldn’t expect anything shocking to happen in the world of comics. Well, a few years ago, the fan community was alarmed to find out that Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, was shot dead and he was going to be eventually replaced. Despite the fact that Captain America has died and has been replaced several times before, this particular instance struck a chord with people. Was it something truly unexpected? Was it the fact that Steve died in such a mundane way? Who knows, but it had fans taking sides and older fans spewing vitriol. Now that Steve is back and the mantle he once held is now secured by Bucky Barnes, I figured it’d be a great time to look at the transition the character of Bucky has made; and with that in mind, I sought out Brubaker fan, Murs of 47, to give us his thoughts. These… are his opinions and if you hate them… then he’ll be at the corner store on Monday.

1. The transition between Steve and Bucky was something that caused a bit of strife in the comic reading community. How do you feel it was handled?

The best way possible. People hate change and luckily Brubaker was really patient in having Bucky take up Steve’s mantle. The role of Captain was taken very seriously with all the characters in the series, including the then villain, Tony Stark. The next Captain America wasn’t a light decision to be made. In some instances, it seemed like the decision was never going to made; that there would never be another Captain America. It wasn’t until a little over a year [that] Bucky took up wearing the shield. People hated it, of course, but they would have hated anyone else, so why not pick the best candidate? Bucky trained, fought, idolized, and accompanied Steve in their own era. Who better knows what Captain America was about than Bucky Barnes?

2. Many feel that Bucky is a better representation of “America” in its current time and that Steve was out of touch. Where do you stand on the issue?

Ignorant, complacent, selfish, and impatient aren’t attributes I’d attach to Bucky. So no, I can’t say he’s a better representation of current America, if any at all. What Steve Rogers represented was the idea of America; the strive for perfection. And while Bucky himself may not think he represents those same ideas, he shows through his decisions and actions that he does. It’s not hard to understand Bucky’s point of view either. When you live in the shadow of a legend it’s only natural to have feelings of insignificance. Especially when you’re trying to fill the shoes of that same legend.

3. Bucky returning from his death bed was obviously a controversial decision that seems to have worked out in the long run. How do you feel about that particular bit of retro-activity?

The issue that explained in detail how Bucky survived and was in the present is my favorite issue of Captain America, hands down. I guess I just love a good origin story. Especially one with a great blend of history, espionage and science fiction. It really doesn’t get any better than that. Leaps and bounds over what DC did with the return of Jason Todd. As much as I loved the return of Jason, reading the cause of his return was about as exciting as watching a dog excrete on your front lawn. Just terrible; so terrible in fact, it probably made Bucky’s return even better.

4. When it was revealed that the “New” Captain America would be carrying firearms, the fan base was decidedly split into three factions with two sides being very vocal. Did Capt’s use of firearms bother you at all?

I love how people say it’s so “un-American” to wield a gun. Really? Did the United States obtain its sovereignty by using sticks and stones against Britain? Was the Third Reich defeated with slingshots? Did Abraham Lincoln abolish slavery with a boomerang? The answer is no. (The Abraham Lincoln line was a joke, stop crying.) Owning and carrying a weapon is one of the most American things you can do. The problem is [that] they’ve been demonized by the fearful. How so American it is to trade civil liberties for security, right? Well now the people in charge and the criminals are the only ones with weapons; thank you, courageous citizens of the United States.

Now you may think I’m some rifle toting redneck that goes around shooting defenseless animals, but really, I’m the son of a boarder hopping Mexican that has only wielded a gun once in my life. What I learned on my own accord that day was that weapons were a serious responsibility. A responsibility I did not want to burden myself with, so I decided that day I would never again pick one up until I was ready for it. That day has not come yet.

Let’s look at the facts. A gun on its own collects dust. In the hands of someone responsible, it would still spend considerable time collecting dust; but when used, it would be in a proper situations. In the hands of someone irresponsible, bad stuff just happens. Now here’s the question: is Bucky an irresponsible or responsible gun owner? Uh-oh, it’s time to use our critical thinking skills!

5. With Steve’s recent return, some fans are clamoring that Bucky’s time as Cap may be short and that Steve will eventually return to the mantle he made famous. How do you see the characters progressing over the next few years?

I find it highly unlikely that Steve will return to being Captain America from the financial stand point alone. Captain America is selling the best it ever has not only thanks to Brubaker’s writing, but the mere fact that Steve Rogers isn’t the main character. The character of Bucky Barnes sells, and sells well. Marvel jeopardizing large profit to please a small demographic of fans is simply not going to happen. People need to accept that. As long as the quality of story telling is high, acceptance shouldn’t be a problem. Lets not be little children because things aren’t going our way, ok?

6. As it stands, Brubaker is the only writer to really have a hand in Bucky’s growth as a character outside of his brief appearances in New Avengers and Iron Man. If Brubaker were to suddenly stop writing the character, who would be a good choice to replace him?

Greg Rucka. Reading their collaborations (Gotham Central, Daredevil), the two are so similar that I could not differentiate who was writing what. They are two peas of the same pod and if anyone could continue what Brubaker is doing on Captain America, it’s Rucka. I could also make a case for Joe Casey. While I don’t think his characterization would be as strong, he does have a talent for blending social issues and politics into story without getting preachy. Which I feel is appropriate for a Captain America book.

7. Finally, if you could grade Bucky’s time as Captain America up to this point, what would you give him and why?

A+ without question. “The Death of Captain of America,” “The Man with No Face,” “Red Menace,” and the Winter Soldier stories are easily the best Captain America stories ever told. Bucky isn’t Captain America in all of those, but this series has felt like one long continuing story, making it difficult to exclude any chapter of it. My previous reading experiences with Captain America have always been stale prior to Brubaker’s run. The fact that it has become my favorite “super-hero” book makes it worthy of the A+ grade.

Final Thoughts:

Folks, I read comics for entertainment. I do not spend my hard earned money to get upset; that’s just illogical. A lot of these questions were directed at the more controversial aspects of the Captain America title. Most of the outrage came from fans that were afraid of change or weren’t even reading Captain America in the first place, so my answers are somewhat directed towards those fans. Honestly, folks, don’t knock something unless you’ve tried it. I want to emphasize when trying something, do it with an open mind. If you go in thinking you’re going to have a bad experience and you’re gonna hate every second of it, guess what? You will.