Lower Decks

This review contains spoilers for Marvel’s Captain America through the latest issue (#44), originally published November 26th, 2008 with a cover date of January 2009.

My copy of Captain America #44 finally arrived.  For reasons even I don’t fully understand, I continue to subscribe to Captain America through Marvel Comics.  Only a few days ago I renewed my subscription for another year.  I suppose it is just easier to pay a yearly amount (and save a good chunk of change over the cover price) and not have to worry about missing an issue.  Still, delays and the occasional damaged comic have made me think about switching to another avenue. But that is neither here nor there.

Captain America #44 is the second part of “Times Arrow” and continues more or less where issue #43 left off.  The last page saw Batroc talking to his employer, a man who kept to the shadows and was quite thrilled to discover that James “Bucky/The Winter Soldier” Barnes is the new Captain America.  As issue #44 opens, we’re in 1968 and the Winter Soldier is off on a mission in China for his Soviet handlers.  They want him to kill Professor Zhang Chin.

In the present, James and Natasha meet with Ollie, the fellow from the United Nations who brought in Captain America and the Black Widow to investigate Batroc’s thefts.  Unfortunately for Ollie, doing so cost him his job in the United States; he’s being shipped off to Madripoor.  Whatever it is Batroc is after, the United Nations doesn’t want Captain America to know about it.  James heads out to track down the mercenaries Batroc was working with while Natasha attempts to find out what it is the United Nations is hiding.

To make a long story short, James knocks some heads around, gets a name and finds some clues.  Batroc, after “negotiating” with a kidnapped scientist, learns that “the package” is being moved the following day.  He calls his boss and confirms that he has left a trail for Captain America to follow.  And he did.  The clues James found, including a map and some money, lead him to the street where the United Nations is transferring something important under heavy guard.

James shows up just as Batroc and his goons attack.  As Captain America, James battles Batroc when suddenly a man in a flowing trench coat and a hat punches him.  Hard.  The man indicates that James knows him.  We’re back in 1968.  Professor Chin is confronted by the Winter Soldier, who he recognizes from their earlier meeting (when Captain America and Bucky freed him from the Germans during World War II).  The Winter Soldier, of course, isn’t quite sure what is going on.  Professor Chin wonders if he is going to die.  The man in the trench coat and hat appears behind him and says, “Not as long as I’m here.”

With that, the issue ends, with the rest of “Times Arrow” to be revealed in issue #45.  I was hoping we would learn more about the mysterious man Batroc is working with and why he is so interested in James Barnes being the new Captain America. It looks like I’ll have to wait for this month’s issue to figure out exactly what is going on. I assume its none other than Zhang Chin but that does seem to be the obvious choice. I’m also curious as to the identity of this caped, behatted character. Not to mention whatever it is the United Nations is trying so hard to keep from James. Lots of mysteries in “Times Arrow” and two issues in we don’t have any answers. So, the final issue in the trilogy had better be a humdinger.