Captain America: Death of The Red Skull

Captain America (1968) #290-301

by J.M. DeMatteis, Bill Mantlo, Mike Ellis

Collects Captain America (1968) #290-301. One of the Sentinel of Liberty's greatest conflicts with his hated arch-nemesis is finally collected! Join Cap and Co.- including Nomad, the Black Crow, the Avengers, and more - as Marvel's First Avenger must contend with the diabolical daughter of the Red Skull, embarking for the Secret Wars, and an untimely encounter with old age, all before one stupendous showdown with Herr Skull that will leave you gaping in star-spangled wonder!

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1986

About the author

Also Credited As:
DeMatteis, John Marc
Ellis, Michael
Lombego, Wally

Bio:
J.M. DeMatteis was a professional musician/singer and rock music journalist before entering comics in the late 70's.

Credits include Spider-Man, Moonshadow, Brooklyn Dreams, Justice League, Abadazad, Hero Squared, the Life and Times of Savior 28.

Created I, Vampire , Creature Commandos, Moonshadow, Hero Squared (co-creator), Abadazad, Stardust Kid, Savior 28 and more.

Reviews

[Sophia]

I read these as individual issues but if you wanted to read my opinion on this story line, I’ve added links to my reviews 😊

Captain America #290
Skipped issue #291
Captain America #292
Captain America #293
Captain America #294
Skipped issues #295-296
Captain America #297
Captain America #298
Captain America #299
Captain America #300
Captain America #301

If you don’t want to, I’ll just tell you that this story line was not my favourite.

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Marvel Comics started collecting story arcs from the eighties, J. M. DeMatteis' Captain America run was at the top of my wish list. Exploring the meaning of patriotism, freedom, equality, and being an American, it was one of most intelligent and bravest superhero comics of the era. And it all built up to the final battle with the Red Skull, in which the Skull, aided by his daughter and the new Baron Zemo, went after Cap through his friends, inculding, in a metaphor for the victims of World War Two; Cap's Jewish girlfriend Bernie Rosenthal, his gay friend and neighbor Arnie Roth, and his black superhero buddy The Falcon.


Unfortunately, the collection editor(s) missed the mark. We only get the final battle, not the adventures leading up to it, which, to be fair, would have needed multiple volumes. But we do get a fill in issue by a different writer and artist with a story that interrupts the main arc and is completely unnecessary.

And how about that spoiler of a title?


I still feel that DeMatteis' run is one of the best. He had the guts to introduce a gay character when the editors or the comics code wouldn't allow him to actually say the words gay or homosexual. There were conscientious objectors and Native Americans and what they all meant to a man wearing a flag for a uniform. So, I enjoyed this re-read of a story at the end of one of my favorite arcs. It's very dated, but the themes that I enjoyed still hold up. But I have no idea if this would seem half as good to someone who walked into it cold.

[Natalie Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I say this after every Cap comic, but this is my favorite Cap comic. For the first time in forever, reading Captain America is not like snorting testosterone and instead like reading the adventures of the most Gryffindor man to ever Gryffindor. The amount of diversity in this comic is astounding, and each character is allowed emotion, vulnerability, AND badassery. Like, seriously, Steve is friends with gay Jewish black disabled pacifists. I'm not talking just subtext here. Explicitly in the text, both Steve's best friend Arnie Roth and fiancee Bernie (btw, I love Bernie, I want to be best friends with Bernie and invite her over for board games and frame all her lines of dialogue on my wall and shove them in annoying people's faces) are Jewish. Falcon is Falcon, and dealing with a failed election campaign. Steve's other other best friend is Dave, a Vietnam veteran who is now so devoted to pacifism that it literally withstands bad guy brainwashing. And then, AND THEN, readers would have to have the most heteronormative goggles ever to see Arnie as anything but gay. People with more sensitive slash goggles can see Steve as bi.

The only diversity point that didn't sit right involved a hero called Black Crow. It seemed like DeMatteis did some of his research on Native American issues: I was impressed with the depictions of economic struggles both on and off reservation, the changing of traditions, the multiplicity of tribes, and the possible Navajo-accurate costume. However, this was interspersed with literal "Indian magics," "Earth Spirits," and background drawings of "Navajo" teepees. You couldn't read just a couple more encyclopedia entries, dude? Come on, you did so awesome with the others.

But I haven't even gotten to the fight with Red Skull yet. The fight with Red Skull is hilarious because Red Skull is all dramatic, "I am a dark god, Captain! You are a beacon of light! We will now die together and battle for eternity!" and Steve is like "WOULD YOU SHUT UP: WE'RE JUST TWO CRANKY OLD MEN FEEBLY PUNCHING EACH OTHER. THIS IS EMBARRASSING." Beautiful stuff, right there.

In conclusion: read it. Read it and giggle.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book from what I think of as the "intermediate" era of Marvel Comics. If you've read any of my other "graphic novel"/comic book reviews than you've undoubtedly read that I started reading and collecting Marvel comics in the "so called" Silver Era, the early 1960s. My favorite super hero, bar none, was (and I suppose still is)Captain America.

Here we see a sort rematch/death match between Cap and his arch enemy, the Red Skull. This is the battle to end all the battles (supposedly) where Cap and the Skull have a battle to the end. Of course things don't go exactly as expected especially by the Skull.

This is a compilation of Captain America #290 through #301 and we get some other stars and super-baddies that will continue to play a role in things right up to the present era of comics...and of course at least one from Cap's past beside the Skull.

You're going to get your requisite dose of slam bang action here. The story/stories aren't bad with some good writing and some fair. The art isn't really top notch and I've seen Cap, his friends and his adversaries drawn better. Still, it's "okay" and doesn't really detract (a lot) from the story. Well worth reading for it's place in Cap's history and enjoyable....

But really, can the Red Skull actually be gone??????? Think about it.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here we have a Ronald Reagan era Captain America collection. There's little in it that is political except for one thing. And it's a doozy!

Now for you younger folks, this is LONG before laptops, smart/mobile phones, civil unions/gay marriage. This is the era I grew up in the era of AIDS. In 1985 it had been around and spreading for a handful of years. We weren't sure how it was spread. Not at first. There were no drugs effective against it. There was no such thing as gay rights. There was no such thing as National Coming Out Day. This was before Pride Month. There was no Pride Flag. There were no civil rights for gay folks. Every state had laws on their books against gays and against gay sex.

Where I grew up there was a serial killer targeting young gay men. It wasn't covered much in the real local newspapers or the local televisions stations. It was featured in the gay newspapers if you could find one. If you were old enough to get into a gay bar. That is if you knew where to find a gay bar. There were no gay guidebooks. Because in most parts of the country there were no gay bookstores. Year after year after year after year more young gay men went missing.

It was in this atmosphere I lived, in a closet. And I wish I'd read these Captain America comics back in 1985 when they were first published. It would have had a great impact on me then. I think. I was young and in the closet and was very troubled and conflicted.

This book contains a very touching story of Steve's friendship with an old Army buddy, Arnie Roth, who's just lost his partner to AIDS. Captain America was completely unafraid to include among his best friends a gay man. And to defend him against assault because he is different.

So yeah, for me as a gay - this one was very, very sweet. I wish I'd discovered it long ago. I sure could have used Cap and his shield at my side in 1985! I love you, Steve Rogers.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

'80s comics are a lot fun to read, especially the first time through. The only issue in this book that I owned back then was number 300. The cover grabbed me, and I bought it off of the spinner rack at the 7-11 in September of 1984. (Cover dates were 3 months ahead on newsstands, 4 months ahead in the Direct Market.) Issue 300 was the climax of a nearly year long arc, and I didn't really care for it back then. Reading all of these issues through adult eyes, and appreciating the amount of work that J.M. DeMatteis put into mapping this epic out made issue 300 far more enjoyable to me here in 2012.

Like many comics back in the '80s, there was a pass the baton vibe between creators, all done by editorial mandates to keep the books shipping on time. Once DeMatteis and Paul Neary locked into a groove, they really cooked up something cohesive and special. Paul Neary is a decent artist but a better storyteller, meaning that his layouts and sense of pacing are clear and easy to follow. Lots of technically great artists are not good storytellers in this medium. There is a distinction, and many people fail to grasp that.

This was the supposed death of the Red Skull, who began aging rapidly after the effects of suspended animation began to wear off. Comic book deaths were still somewhat significant during this era. Soon, they would become sale gimmicks and, eventually, punchlines. This arc also features Nomad II (the '50s Bucky) and the Falcon. I applaud J.M. DeMatteis for featuring a homosexual supporting character back then. Nowadays, it would be a press release and fodder for hatemongers like Rush Limbaugh. It was extremely bold for that time, and more importantly, it was done as a storytelling device rather than a sales gimmick. The Red Skull was a Nazi, and discrimination against the weak and “inferior” was what the Nazis were famous (or is it infamous?) for.

This is an entertaining and worthwhile read, worthy of both of your time and money.

[Jdetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure this is quite the epic final confrontation between Cap and the Red Skull that was intended, but it's certainly a collection of solid stories.

[Will Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was fine but it really felt dated in the writing.

[william purcell]

A Classic Cap Story

This was written in the 80s and, in my opinion, is one of the best showcasing Captain America as a person as well as a hero.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

J.M. DeMatteis sure does likes his sympathetic portrayals of psychopathic super villains. In this case, the Red Skull, sworn enemy of Captain America, and quite possibly the most evil baddie in the Marvel Universe. Created in the 1940s, as the epitome of Nazi corruption, the Red Skull has always been a pretty two dimensional character. But J.M. DeMatteis, a writer well known for exploring the twisted psychology of any character he gets his hands on, isn't going to rest content with the central antagonist of his piece being a stereotypical super villain. Especially not when this is the final confrontation in the decades long war between said antagonist and the hero (at least, it was supposed to be, but we all know what comics are like). So, instead, we're treated with one of the most interesting explorations of the Red Skull there's ever been.

Before making his name, with such comics as 'Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt' and 'Justice League International', DeMatteis' wrote a lengthy run on 'Captain America'. 'Death of the Red Skull' was the final story arc of that fan favourite run (barring an annual, which was released shortly afterwards). The age of this story definitely shows, and it's clear that DeMatteis was still some way from his creative peak in the late '80s and early '90s, but many of the attributes that would make him such a prolific comic book writer can be found here in an earlier, rougher, form. As I already mentioned, we have the sympathetic super villains, the Red Skull and his daughter, Mother Superior (now more commonly known as Sin), who makes her début within these pages (and if you've ever read Ed Brubaker's fantastic Captain America run, this will fill you in on why she's so demented). Also, like Spider-Man in 'Kraven's Last Hunt' and Batman in 'Going Sane', we have the hero come face-to-face with his own mortality, and a psychological exploration of what it means to be a hero as two major themes. There's no doubt that this story definitely paves the way for DeMatteis' most famous work, the aforementioned 'Kraven's Last Hunt', and many of his other stories to come, for that matter. With that, DeMatteis is able to do something that only Ed Brubaker has ever been able to do for me since, make Captain America a believable and interesting character.

But, as a single story with a beginning, middle and end, this book suffers from the same faults that most trade paperback collections of older Marvel comics endure. Back in the 1980s, comics weren't written with a collection in mind like they are now, so as a single unit, this is haphazard and somewhat arbitrary when compared to modern TPBs and graphic novels. References are constantly made to previous stories, things happen that are resolved elsewhere (like the short digression which ties into 'Secret Wars') and it feels incomplete. This isn't just because of the nature of old comics, but also due to the fact that this is the final story arc of a lengthy run of stories by the same writer, tying up lots of loose ends from his previous arcs and, at the same time, intentionally leaving a few open for the next writer to take up (like the unresolved ending!). Furthermore, the writing has definitely dated. Anybody expecting the level of sophistication of 'Kraven's Last Hunt' or Ed Brubaker's Captain America run will be disappointed for the most part, as the early glimmers of DeMatteis' genius alluded to earlier in this review don't become apparent until the last few issues. Most of this is your typical light-hearted superhero action fare, full of all the cheesiness and deus ex machina that you'd expect from a Marvel comic during this period. That said, however, both the writing and the art (which is great, I should add) hold up far better than your random 1980s superhero comic by lesser talents. Add the fact that one of the supporting characters in here is gay (though he's never directly attributed as such), and it's clear that J.M. DeMatteis was way ahead of his time when he wrote this.

As much as I enjoyed this book and would love to give it a four star rating, I have to be pragmatic about it. I need to bear in mind that many of the people drawn to this book will be coming to it fresh from the films, and possibly also being used to the far more sophisticated style of modern comics. Therefore, I can't rate this without comparing it to today's standards and expectations, and the disjointed nature of this collection and some of the juvenile and contrived plot points knock off a star. After all, many 1980s comics do still hold up to today's generally far higher standards of storytelling in the areas where this doesn't. But, if you can suspend some disbelief, look past the melodramatic old-fashioned dialogue and read it for what it is, 'Death of the Red Skull' is a worthwhile read and an integral part of Captain America's history.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story proves hard to rate as it is by far the best Captain America story up to the date of its publishing but that is in the company of generally lesser product. Am I reviewing it in relation to the other Cap stories I have been sprinting through? Perhaps. Oh well. It achieves the 4 stars.

The culmination of J. M. DeMatteis’s time on the Sentinel of Liberty, DeMatt goes out in epic form more akin to modern creative runs than those of yesteryear. It pulls from various threads of DeMatt’s progressing tapestry to give an ending to much of what has come before.

Now onto Gruenwald (who had been the editor throughout DeMatteis): I hear great things but I hope it is not nostalgia goggles).

[Adam Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book shows us the Death of the Red Skull as told in the 1980s by JM Demattens. This was not the final word on the character (who'd be resurrected in less than 50 issues) but it was an event. The book captures that event in a year's worth of Captain America Comics from Issue 290-301. The first three issues and the last issue are probably the best in the book. The first 3 set up the fact that Cap is now partnered with Nomad and engaged to be married to a Jewish lady named Bernie. The dialogue is a tad corny, but the story is enjoyable for what it is. However with Issues 293-299, the story becomes a long slog of melodrama and over the top supervillain speeches. The story crawls with way too many characters operating within the same and chewing up scenery. One character in a coma was in multiple issues with his wife by his bedside and nothing happened to him. It was as if DeMatteis wanted to assure us the character was still in a coma. It had to be maddening to have to wait a month to read a story that went slow and went nowhere.

The story picks up with the actual death of the Red Skull in Issue 300, though this issue also features Captain America being saved by a magic Indian. Issue 301 is a solid conclusion actually as the Avengers come to help Cap with the aftermath. There's a nice moment where Hawkeye comes representing the West Coast Avengers with praise and respect for Cap after their troubled past.

Overall, this book was not a fun read. It has its moments, but its way too long for the little that happens, there are too many characters, and the dialogue is too florid, stilted and soap operatic.

[Brian Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic 1980's Captain America, which I read a friends of at the time and now have to pick up in these collections. It's not high art but it's good clean fun.

At the end of this chronology is Cap 300, which gives us the 'death of the Red Skull', which was a very solid wrap up for that villain (though they brought him back in a cool way leading up to issue 350, but if he had ended here it would have been fine). Cap is engaged to be married, and J..M. DeMatteis is hammering home certain points about the Captain America as a progressive FDR Liberal: One of his oldest friends is gay, widowed and Cap adamantly supports that and Arnie's love for his dead partner; Cap is engage to a Jewish girl and dealing with the integration issues with her family dating a Goy. His teammates are the Falcon and the just came out of the suspended animation from the 1950's Nomad, who Cap has to keep schooling about how since he didn't live through the 60's he has no right to denigrate anti-war pacifists.The book has a depth of time behind it, and a sense of changes being settled.

If you look at the rest of the Marvel line at this point you'll see the same thing - Alpha Flight is dealing with the death of Guardian, Spider Man has left Grad school and is rekindling what would become his marriage to Mary Jane, Byrne's run on Fantastic Four is in full swing and showing the happily married family life, Simon's run on Thor is redefining the character. They were still at the stage where they knew how to use their history rather than have it confine them.

It's a shame it didn't last.

[Devero · Rating 3 out of 5]

De Matteis ha voluto creare la storia definitiva del Teschio Rosso e il suo scontro finale con Cap. Operazione riuscita?
All'epoca in cui lessi la storia pensai, effettivamente, di sì. Mark Gruenwald riprese anni dopo la rivalità tra Cap e il Teschio, e fece tutto sommato, meglio. Non che questo sminuisca la storia, ma dimostra come possa sempre migliorare la qualità con il trascorrere del tempo, quando alcune idee appena abbozzate vengono riprese da scrittori con capacità diverse.