Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America, Vol. 2

Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America #2

by Joe Simon, Jack Kirby (Illustrator), Stan Lee

From the heart of comics' Golden Age come the earliest adventures of the greatest patriot to grace the four-color page: Captain America! Created on the eve of America's entry into World War II, these stories are full of jaw-busting battles against the Nazi menace, mad scientists, crazed carnivals and mysteries at the ballpark that could only come from Joe Simon and Jack Kirby - two of the medium's greatest visionaries! But there's more to enjoy than just the adventures of Cap and Bucky; you'll also meet Stan Lee's wartime correspondent, "Headline" Hunter; the mighty Hurricane; Father Time; and Tuk, Cave Boy - and enjoy house ads, Sentinel of Liberty updates and puzzle pages in these complete and fully restored collections of the rarest hits from the Marvel archives!
Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #5-8.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, War, Superheroes, Collections, Action

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Joseph Henry "Joe" Simon (born Hymie Simon) was an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.

With his partner, artist Jack Kirby, he co-created Captain America, one of comics' most enduring superheroes, and the team worked extensively on such features at DC Comics as the 1940s Sandman and Sandy the Golden Boy, and co-created the Newsboy Legion, the Boy Commandos, and Manhunter. Simon & Kirby creations for other comics publishers include Boys' Ranch, Fighting American and the Fly. In the late 1940s, the duo created the field of romance comics, and were among the earliest pioneers of horror comics. Simon, who went on to work in advertising and commercial art, also founded the satirical magazine Sick in 1960, remaining with it for a decade. He briefly returned to DC Comics in the 1970s.

Simon was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1999.

Reviews

[Michael Neno · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with Vol. 1, Golden Age Captain America Vol. 2, reprinting issues 5-8, pairs Jack Kirby penciled stories with various and lackluster backup series (the most ludicrous being the scythe-bearing Father Time, who stops crime in the nick of..you know). As the issues progress, Kirby's attention (or the time he had to devote to the stories) begins to diminish. He's most strong on the book's covers and especially the splash pages and story openings (including at least two double-page spreads) which are expansively cinematic in nature, and utilize more careful, elaborate inking. Though the stories are often rote, some single images powerful in their nascent form stand out. A full-page diorama drawing of a submarine shaped like a sea-dragon could be mistaken for a page from Nick Fury, Agent of Shield twenty-five years later. In the book's first tale, "Captain America and the Ringmaster of Death" (the Ringmaster being one of two Marvel villains of the same name and temperament), Cap is knocked unconscious, his head banging into a brick wall. The fury shown in his bruised and battered face when he awakens ("Captain America's eyes gleam with a strange light. His face muscles tighten as his words hiss from between his bared teeth") is a prototype of Kirby's 1970s Orion, when his Apokoliptean nature takes hold. Kirby's at his best when he tapped into his own real emotions and I'm feelin' it here.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nearly 300 pages of the 2nd set of earliest Captain America comics. After reading the Joe Simon biography (Which I recommend), I sought out the 3 sets of the first issues of Captain America comics that Simon, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, etc, created to see the results of the endeavors chronicled. i was also curious to see the comics my father read way back then.

The stories are mighty good. Better than being produced today. The artwork is not to my liking, but I was bred with the comic illustration work of Neal Adams, Jim Aparo, Joe Kubert, etc. that were more accomplished in figure drawing and facial rendering. Simon and Kirby were deficient in that. But, what did they have to compare to at the time? That and a fire was under them that their predecessors did not have.

The presentation of the work is outstanding.

With all that in mind...

Bottom line: I recommend this volume. 10 out of ten points.

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Captain America stories from WWII, along with Hurricane & Father Time stories

[Salvador Bolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Fun adventures from early Captain America comics. The stories are simple, but entertaining. Good reading if you’re a comic book fan.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok.

Mostly nostalgia and era-based stories. Fun times with Steve and Bucky. Don't expect to read something exciting or worth reading/remembering.

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm prepping myself for the upcoming Avengers Endgame movie by going Old School with Captain America, because why shouldn't I? These stories come from right before America's involvement in World War II. (There's a foreshadowing story published in August 1941 of our hero trying to thwart some 'Asiatics' who are planning to destroy the American fleet stationed in Hawaii.) When he isn't fighting Nazis, C.A. is solving some Scooby Doo-esque mysteries. There's even a moment when an unmasked criminal basically grumbles how he would have gotten away with it if not for that meddling hero. I'm fully expecting Bucky to say, 'Ruh Roh, Cap!' It will probably happen any day now due to all those head injuries young Bucky receives in his many adventures with Captain America.

Seriously, Bucky, you need to get away from this guy.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Kirby's Golden Age artwork oozes with raw charm. The team of Simon/Kirby's WWII propaganda is fascinating to read from both a historical and politically incorrect perspective. These issues were released prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I often laugh out loud when reading these, thinking Oh my God, I can't believe that this was printed and sold to children! There is lots of fighting and graphic violence in these old comics, with people getting killed left and right, often because they "deserved it" or "had it coming".

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of the Golden age Captain America stories. Very recommended to comic enthusiasts.