Wednesday is Comic Day!

Marvel surprised or shocked absolutely no-one, this morning, when they announced the obvious. Steve Rogers is returning in the already announced Reborn mini-series. Two and a half years ago, writer Ed Brubaker had the character of Steve Rogers (Captain America) assassinated on the steps of a courthouse. It was a huge media story and there were shortages of the comic, everywhere. Marvel is attempting to create a similar publicity storm, this morning. Today, they announced, in the New York Daily News, Steve's return, in conjunction with the release of Captain America #600, a jumbo sized issue that will actually hit stores today, instead of the usual Wednesday.

I really can't see this being a big media story. It's too soon. Most press outlets are likely to say "um, you only just killed him..." or they just plain won't care because bringing a character back to life is not a big a story as killing off a 60 year icon.

I, too, think they are bringing Steve back too soon. And I say that as the biggest Steve Rogers fan, with every issue of Captain America, from the mid 60s to today, in my collection. I think it cheapens the original event by undoing it so soon. That said, the even is in the hands of Marvel's best writer, Ed Brubaker. When Ed killed Steve and put James "Bucky" Barnes into the mantle of Captain America I thought it was a bad idea, but Brubaker made it work. The last 50+ issues of Captain America have been excellent.

Steve will return, somehow, in a five issue mini-series called Reborn, written by Brubaker and drawn by Bryan Hitch. Click here to visit Marvel's official Reborn website.