The Classics - Tales of Suspense #59

   Here's a cover with Captain America and Iron Man behaving much more like gentlemen than they do in that Civil War trailer.

   Of course, the '60s were a gentler time.

   Cap, of course, was created in the '40s, faded out after the war, returned briefly in the mid-'50s, and then disappeared until his return in the mid-'60s.

   As I've written before, at the end of the original Avengers #3, there was a blurb promising the return next issue of Captain America!

   I thought to myself, "Who the heck is Captain America?"

   It didn't take long after his initial appearance for Cap to get his own comic - sort of - as he shared space with Iron Man, starting with this issue (each had 10 pages of story to fill).

   What a blast this first issue is, showing the mastery of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and inker Chic Stone in crafting a small masterpiece!

   Consider that the story consists of: a splash page; two pages to set up the story (wherein Cap is on monitor duty at Avengers Mansion and a group of criminals decides to make an example out of him, so the Avengers will leave them alone - or something like that); and seven pages of all-out action as Cap demonstrates why, powers or not, he's no pushover.

   It's a stunning display of how to do an action sequence - it flows logically and forcefully (you can almost feel those punches), and it's choreographed perfectly. The dialogue is fast and funny and never gets in the way of the action.

   I already liked Cap from his appearances in the Avengers, but this story just cemented my feelings for the character. When he's done "right," he's the hero you want to be - resourceful, powerful, never at a loss, decisive, calm and courageous.

   What's not to like?

Grade: A

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