Review by Frank Plowright

In 1980 X-Men may not have been among Marvel’s biggest sellers, but it led the way with critical attention, much of which focused on John Byrne’s contribution as both dynamic artist and co-plotter. Roger Stern wasn’t greatly known to the wider public at the time, but was an old fanzine colleague of Byrne’s and together they produced the most highly regarded run of Captain America for years.

War and Remembrance is a compact nine issues, yet manages to encapsulate so much about Captain America. He’s well down the power scale, yet takes on Dragon Man, then old foe Batroc teamed with the monstrous Mr. Hyde; there’s a World War II spotlight featuring Bucky Barnes; the novelty of Cap facing a vampire and the possibility of Cap running for President. Stern and Byrne didn’t introduce all the supporting cast, but they certainly gave them a larger role so broadening diversity, and Bernie Rosenthal, Steve Rogers’ long running Jewish girlfriend is their creation.

Extensive thought balloons rather than narrative captions signify the 1980s, while the earlier chapters really cram in the dialogue, while monologuing villains are clumsy. However, weigh that against the flood of engaging ideas, the way the stories move at pace and Byrne’s amazing storytelling maximising the visual possibilities and most of War and Remembrance still reads extremely well. No story runs beyond two chapters, and compressing the idea of Captain America as a presidential candidate into twenty pages is admirably concise while still covering multiple viewpoints. All the while there’s action and excitement, but also a sardonic view applied, especially to Batroc. Great cliffhanger endings are par for the course and Stern and Byrne’s Cap will still surprise on a couple of occasions.

There’s much reflection on the past. Captain America being discovered frozen in the sea by the Avengers and his World War II activities both with the Invaders and solo feature. Stern and Byrne begin by ingeniously revising some ill-fitting earlier continuity and end with Cap contemplating days gone by. Full enjoyment does mean getting over the writing styles of the era, but quality remains quality, and that these stories are in print decades after their original publication speaks to a consistent demand.