"This isn't your father's Captain America."

In March of this year, the unthinkable happened - Captain America was gunned down. As shocking as it was for comic book fans who grew up with Captain America as he battled Hitler and the Red Skull, nothing has changed.

Cap is still dead.

Scratch that.

Steve Rogers is still dead.

Marvel Comics announced today they would be bringing back the Captain America character at the beginning of next year. For me as a comic book fan, I'm thrilled. I loved the entire Captain America persona because he was always about doing what was patriotic. He fought against Iron Man because he believed the rights of superheroes were being infringed upon when they were enacted by Congress to register their secret identities with the government. But more so, Captain America represented a generation of young boys and young men who went off to fight Hitler's Nazi Germany in the 1940s during World War II. For those who don't know, Captain America was a project by the U.S. government to build a supersoldier and what came out was Steve Rogers as Captain America.

Now with the induction of a new Cap in January, Marvel decided they would make changes to the ever classic Captain America costume - a way to update it and give it a slightly unique touch to the new Cap yet still capture what Steve Rogers had.


Comic book artist Alex Ross and company were asked to design the new Cap suit and right now it looks pretty damn amazing. The most important costume changes are the stripes around Cap's midsection have been made to come to a point at the pelvis. It also has shed the fish scale look at the top of the chest and replaced it with a sleek material. They've also added stars to Cap's shoulders and one to his back which add a nice visual touch to the formerly bland looking body parts. Colorwise the major shift is from Cap's classic red fold-over boots which now are black. Overall the costume looks really spiffy.

But there's two new additions for the new Captain America that weren't there for Steve Rogers - a gun and a knife. Cap's only weapon had been his shield. Yet, now he carries a gun and a knife? Some think it's a sign that Cap's former protege Bucky Barnes will take over as Cap. Bucky had originally died early on in the Captain America series but within the last year returned as the "Winter Soldier." Apparently now he's trying to avenge Cap's death and maybe it's a sign he will be the new wearer of the stars and stripes. But the image of Captain America had always been the idealism of America. Are we now a country who identifies killing weapons with our patriotism? Some would say yes, others no. While the weapons add a new dimension for the new Cap, it's a shame they will have to be used. Alex Ross said it best, "This isn't your father's Captain America."

I think the absence of weapons is why I liked Batman so much. Bats had no guns or knives to use on people. He didn't even have superpowers. He only had technology and his intellect. I guess the new Cap won't be as intelligent or as confident in his abilities as Steve Rogers was. Too too bad. But in January there will be an ushering in of a new hero with ties to the old and hopefully, this hero's run will last just as long as Steve Rogers'.