Posted June 10, 2013 | Updated : August 23, 2015

Previous: Civil War Black Panther

Civil War: Captain America give us two things. First, it fills out the greater Civil War story arc. Nothing major but you know what they say : the beauty is in the details. The details revealed herein makes the main event all the richer. The second thing Civil War: Captain America gives us is Bucky. The Golden-Age icon returns and he's wonderful to see. Let's begin . . .

By the time the story starts Captain America has already been through that tremendous scene where he escapes from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier on the back of a fighter jet. Here's Agent 13, Sharon Carter, and Director Hill watching the action.

By this time also, Dum Dum Dugan has already led that ill-fated Capekiller team against the Captain. I love the detail that Mike Perkins gives to these panels.

Sharon sets up a meeting with Captain America.

So I'm looking at this panel and I'm trying to figure it out.

Got it. Steve and Sharon have just done it and are new dressing up. They had a good time too, I mean, just look at the bed. Of course they had a good time; it's a super-soldier and highly trained S.H.I.E.L.D agent.

Capekillers.

I've never seen them this well rendered. Let's see : Full body armor, anti-gravity making them float, then the usual guns.

Because she failed to betray Captain America, Sharon is being investigated. I love her statement to the department shrink about really loving her job.

Wonderful splash page by Perkins

See the man climbing the building? That's Bucky Barnes. And look at this building. Nothing special right? A bit rundown, it's obviously a tenement building. Nope. This is one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s high tech facilities and Bucky is infiltrating it on Nick Fury's orders. Inside, Bucky slips through unseen.

Now Bucky is in a room with . . .

. . . , to the left, a real-time hologram of Fury, giving Bucky instructions. To the right is an LMD or Life Model Decoy of Fury. The pair are modifying the LMD so that Fury can use it for spying on his old group. Before long, allusions are made to Bucky's past; after his "death" in 1945.

So Bucky was some kind of mind controlled assassin?

Soon enough Bucky launches into action against the Capekillers.

He's very competent in battle.

Another great scene : Latveria, and an alliance between the Red Skull and Doctor Doom.

Sunset over New York and the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier flying overhead - beautiful panel.

This is the best Cap action sequence I've seen in a long time.

The art is so realistic I can even imagine myself doing it. I mean its an amazing physical feat isn't it? Diving into an empty warehouse, must be a hundred feet diagonally, then rolling to break your fall then diving out again to land in a nearby roof. That's breathtaking action. Now let's see what Cap is looking at.

Perkins has such a realistic pen that I'm convinced this is what Hydra operatives will look like in real life - look at them, just sauntering into some place.

Oh! Beautifully classic double page spread : Captain America vs. Hydra!

What's Hydra without the war cry right?

Cap takes care of Hydra, but this being Civil War, the Capekillers come knocking. Cap is rescued by Sharon using one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying cars.

Look at that dashboard. Porsche 911 right?

While the Civil War storyline is going on, Brubaker is also developing subplots, in one of them we see this:

Armin Zola! He is so freakishly fascinating.

The story includes "Winter Soldier Winter Kills" were we get to know Bucky a little bit more. It starts with a fantastic flashback section of London circa 1944. Look at this great panel. Art by Weeks, Guadiano and Hoberg

That's bombed out London. And those two guys walking are Toro and Bucky Barnes! Just perfect perspective, shadows are spot on, evocative silhouette in the distance and Matt Milla's "flashback" palette is perfect.

Bucky walks around the streets of New York and remembers the most classic Marvel fight of all.

The Golden Age battle between Namor and the original Human Torch.

While he is in a subway, Bucky gets a call from Nick Fury.

I'm thinking, this pair have to be secretive right? Under the radar. My experience is if you talk on a cellphone in a train, your forced to shout a bit, so everybody near you can hear.

This is a great panel of Bucky crouched in the rooftops of New York. Great looking gun too.

It is a measure of Nick Fury's respect for Bucky's abilities that he sends him out to subdue this three:

Let's see, the Patriot, a super soldier. The new, better-looking Hawkeye, long distance capability. Most powerful of all, a young Vision - density control, super-strength, flight, heat beams from the eyes, intangibility. During the 70s the Vision was the third most powerful Avenger after Thor and Iron Man.

There's a bit of a scuffle but soon enough the three go up against Hydra.

All throughout the Young Avengers have no clue who they're fighting with. But the Vision, with his built-in database, figures it out. This is a great scene.

This is another wonderful scene, a couple of old Invaders meet beside the grave of Toro.

Welcome back Bucky Barnes.

Next: Civil War Fantastic Four