Monday, July 24, 2006

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Shield

I realize this is going to sound odd, but bear with me here: Captain America #360 may, in fact, be one of the ten greatest Marvel Comics ever printed.

Coming in as part four of Mark Gruenwald and Kieron Dwyer's "The Bloodstone Hunt," (the first chapter of which features a teenage Captain America setting a bad example), "Blood in the Sea" is one of the forgotten classics of the art form.

And not just because it features a duel of accents between Batroc the Leaper and Baron Zemo, or even that it involves pages upon pages of a soaking-wet Diamondback kicking it on a luxury yacht in a ripped-up costume. As enjoyable as those things are, they are mere prelude to the real entertainment.

Because in this issue... Captain America Punches Sharks

"You all know me. Know how I earn a livin'."

"Ten thousand dollars for me by myself. For that, you get the head, the tail..."

"You get the whole damn thing."





BONUS FEATURE: The ISB Poetry Corner


And now, in honor of Scipio, a Haiku inspired by that last panel:

Introspective Cap.
Underwater Shark Punch: "Poont!"
Sound effect: Awesome.



Feel free to add your own, or simply marvel at the fact that with a single use of the phrase "underwater shark punch," I have mastered Japanese poetry.

12 comments:

  1. Underwater shark...

    Hmm.. Freaking out..

    Dammit, there's a reason I always skip Haikusday.

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  2. Shame on you captain,
    Those sharks, they are endangered,
    Alas, now extinct.

    :-)

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  3. Gruenwald is awesome.
    Adventure Cap fights Nazis,
    fights underwater.

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  4. I give all kinds of bonus points to comics that have French guys go 'Zut alors!" or German guys go 'Vas is los?', so much more cultured than having Luke Cage babble on in pseudo street speak. Punching sharks is just a bonus really.

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  5. red flippers stylin'
    Batroc iz a beeg pusay
    traitor sharks abound

    ReplyDelete
  6. "He's in ze soup now!"
    I exclaim with feigned delight
    Please don't punch me, Cap

    ReplyDelete
  7. Does it REALLY beat going after sharks with two chainsaws attached to the end of a bo? I think not.

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  8. Man, would you look at that shark Cap punched in the last panel? He's hanging back in the upper right corner there, next to one of his buddies, and he just looks so sad. Like all he wanted was to be friends with Cap, and then got punched.

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  9. Ha, that is pretty funny with the guy hitting the sharks, I know it could not happen in real life! For example sometimes it is hard to hit things in the water, it is like the water is thick and makes your hand slow down. But anyway I guess because it is the comic book it is okay, also Captain America is pretty strong, maybe he can move through thick water? It is a superpower.

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  10. Somebody give brian his own blog.
    Gold, baby.

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  11. Aquaman's going to
    be pretty pissed off when he
    finds out it was him.

    Why bother? Those sharks
    don't have frickin' laser beams
    attached to their heads.

    Much comic goodness,
    from the Captain who brought you
    "Punches Hitler's Face".

    Sharks Under Water:
    the Snakes on a Plane sequel.
    Both should be awesome.

    Man against nature!
    Man against his fellow man!
    English class lessons.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Really useful information, thanks so much for the article.
    site

    ReplyDelete