Captain America #605

Captain America #605: Writer: Ed Brubaker. Pencils: Luke Ross.
Last Issue: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Review: Bad Cap and his Watchdogs open this comic by attacking the men responsible for guarding the Hoover Dam, while Bucky watched helplessly. Bucky tries to reason with the hero Bad Cap used to be, but Bad Cap responds by simply going off on one of his anti-America rants. While Bad Cap is ranting, one of his men alert him that they had lost contact with the train the Falcon was being held aboard, and upon hearing this, Bucky breaks out of his handcuffs and decks Bad Cap. Bucky then grabs one of the Watchdog's weapons and shoots a few of them to thin out the ranks. The Watchdogs go to counter-attack, but Bad Cap orders them to hold their fire since he wanted to defeat Bucky himself. While that is happening, Falcon manages to derail the explosive laden train he was trapped on, while hopping a nearby Watchdog helicopter. Bucky and Bad Cap continue their battle all while Bad Cap's scientist continues to put together the bomb that was going to be used to destroy the Dam. Realizing his time was running short, Bucky begins to avoid contact with Bad Cap, causing Bad Cap to throw his shield at Bucky with the hopes to slow him down, which was exactly what Bucky was waiting for. Bucky catches the shield and throws it at the scientist by the bomb, knocking him out cold before he could put the timer onto the bomb. This action causes Bad Cap to really lose it, and he attacks Bucky with renewed vigor, just as Falcon lands the helicopter on the Dam and begins to clean up the remaining Watchdogs. Sensing the end was near, Bad Cap makes a mad dash over to the bomb and tells Bucky that although the timer wasn't attached, he could still detonate the bomb manually, even though it would kill him(not to mention all of thebpeople atop the Dam). Bucky tries to reason with Bad Cap one final time, but Bad Cap finally comes out and says that the current America is a place he can't live in, and that he'd be better off dead. Realizing Bad Cap was moments away from pulling the lever to detonate the bomb, Bucky grabs one of the Watchdog's discarded guns and shoots Bad Cap several times, causing him to plumet off the Dam to his appearant death. Later on, the FBI arrives on the scene to take away the remaining Watchdogs, and this issue ends with Bucky quietly watching as the Feds search the water for any traces of the remains of Bad Cap.

What I Thought: As usual(or maybe I shpuld say as always)this was an excellent comic book. The pacing here was just great, and the battle between Bucky and Bad Cap was extremely well done. Granted this wasn't one of my favorite Brubaker/Cap stories, but it was still better then more then 90% of the stuff I read monthly. I'm not exactly sure what next month will bring, or how Ed is going to use Bucky and Steve Rogers in this series, but needless to say, for as long as Ed is writing this series, I'll be eagerly anticipating the next issue.

Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.I like how Bad Cap refers to Bucky as the "worst" Bucky he had ever seen...