Winter Soldier: The Bitter March #1 Review

Setting a story during Winter Soldier's past is a daring idea. As you are probably aware, the Winter Soldier was a bad guy. A very bad guy. He is not the main character of this issue, and probably not this series. Instead we focus on Nick Fury and Ran Shen on a secret mission during the Cold War. It's got a heavy James Bond feel, with lots sexy action. The Winter Soldier doesn't make an appearance until the end, and he's a real force of nature, but it's weird how little of him there is in this book. It'll be interesting to see how this thing plays out, since we can all assume how it'll end.

Rick Remender does a great job with this pulpy tale. There are times when it feels a bit wordy and things are over explained, but mostly it's fun, super-spy mayhem. It's firmly rooted in the Marvel Universe, but this seriously feels like a James Bond movie. Gadgets, evil organizations, femme fatales and tuxedoes all factor prominently. The outlook is not good for the characters going up against the Winter Soldier, but that's half the fun.

Roland Boschi's art is fantastic. He's an underused resource at Marvel, and his storytelling in this issue is top notch. The only part that looks a little shaky is the scene where the Winter Soldier first makes an appearance. Speed lines look more like spikes, to the point that I thought for a moment that the title character was wearing a spiky, armored suit. Other than that, this comic looks great and the action is slick. Winter Soldier: The Bitter March #1 goes down smooth and leaves you satisfied.

Benjamin is the co-writer of Captain Ultimate, the co-host of the Assemble After Dark podcast and a vicious lover of Godzilla #bailey4godzilla. Follow Benjamin on Twitter @BenHBailey, or find him on IGN.

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