Review of Winter Soldier #1 (2018)

[Marvel: Winter Soldier #1 (2018)

Writer: Kyle Higgins

Artist: Rod Reis]

So I have now purchased and read the first issue of Marvel's new series focussing on the Winter Soldier.

The storyline has a good premise. The Winter Soldier is on a new mission -- to help those who want to live a good life by escaping their current lives of crime and violence. You can understand how such a mission would resonate with Bucky Barnes -- after all, who needed a shot at redemption more than the Winter Soldier? He got his second chance and now he's using it to help others in similar situations.

Fittingly, he's aided in this new mission by two other Marvel comics characters who also understand the need for redemption after making big mistakes -- Tony Stark (who is bankrolling the mission) and Sharon Carter (who is handling logistical support).

[found here,

excerpted from

larger post]

The art is okay and at times, quite good. But to be fair, it does suffer by comparison to the very best of Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes fanart available on the internet.

I think as well that the whimsical, humanizing touches in the writer's portrayal of the Winter Soldier also owe much, quite frankly, to standard tropes in fanfiction. For example, Bucky now has a white cat and has taken up meditation.

[found here,

excerpted from

larger post]

All in all, I enjoyed issue #1 well enough and look forward to reading issue #2. However, when I think of all the super high-quality fanfiction and fanart available on the web for free, it is a bit grating to shell out $5 for something that does not really come close to reaching that standard. But it makes me appreciate and be even more grateful for the creativity of the Stucky/Starbucks/Wintershield fandom!