JMS Writing New Captain America Ongoing

[Vordan]

https://gizmodo.com/j-michael-stracz...eal-1850499840

io9 can exclusively reveal that Straczynski—the renowned comics and TV writer already in the midst of returning to one of his other iconic works, the sci-fi series Babylon 5—will team up with Jesús Saiz for the relaunch of Captain America later this year. The series will see Steve thrust into a shadowy plot to prevent Captain America from changing the world of superheroes forever as he did bursting onto the scene in the age of heroes... and a sinister foe that wants to plunge the world into darkness, no matter the cost.

More at link. Says he wants to focus more on Steve the man then later he’ll explore the relationship Steve has with America as a country.

io9: Tell us a little bit about what you have in store for Steve in this new run. What do you want to say about Captain America?

Straczynski: Here’s the thing: I come from television, where the #1 rule is that you must service the main character above all else. When I took on The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter had been all but lost in a crowd of supporting characters, so I set them aside to delve deep into him, his relationships, his fears and his dreams, along the way setting the stage for the Spider-Verse. I did much the same when I came aboard Thor, and began asking what it actually means to be a god, and putting Asgard in Oklahoma to see how he and the others relate to the mortal world, making them both more god-like but also more personal. Ditto for Supreme Power and Mark Milton. Again, it’s all about servicing the main character first and foremost.

I’ve often heard writers say how hard it is to write for Captain America because in recent years he’s become a symbol more than a person, and because they see him as “a man out of time,” which is true but that needn’t define him. In a sense, we’re all people out of time because the world we live in at age 30 isn’t the same it was when we were six. It doesn’t change the fundamental question: who is this character at their absolute core? Push them to their limits, put them up against a wall, make them stand when standing is the hardest thing in the world…and what do you see? Who do you see?

One thing about Steve Rogers that’s never really been addressed is the period between when his parents died, and when he became Captain America. We’re talking about a sickly, skinny 17 year old kid, trying to survive on his own for because he’s stubborn and independent, on the street for several years, hustling for any gig he can get, even if it’s bigger than he is, trying to afford food and a place to stay. So we will counterpoint a present-tense story in which Captain America faces off against a new villain of supernatural origin, with a story about his younger self, with both stories tightly interwoven.

Because there’s one other, key aspect to that period that we will be addressing. The years young Steve was on his own were the same years during which the American Bund – for all intents and purposes the Nazi Party in America – was growing very powerful in real world New York, blocks from where he lived. They held public marches and rallies, harassed people, and spread hate, all part of an effort to get America on the side of the Nazis, a campaign that came to a head with the biggest Nazi rally on American soil in history, as tens of thousands of people, Nazis and Nazi sympathizers, crammed into Madison Square Garden to celebrate their dream of a thousand-year Reich.

We are going to put young Steve right into the middle of that real-life vortex, where despite terrible odds he will make a crucial difference at an even more crucial moment. For a young Peter Parker, the murder of his uncle Ben was a transformational event putting him on the path to becoming Spider-Man. This story will be equally transformational, putting a young Steve Rogers on the path to being the hero he eventually becomes.

To balance all that, the contemporary story has a lot of fun and action, and in both storylines we get to see more flashes of humor from Steve, because I think that range is essential to good storytelling. We will loosen him up, and make him even more of a compelling character on his own terms.

[K7P5V]

Sounds interesting. Looking forward to it...

[Marvell2100]

Should be a pretty good read. I know he talked about Steve being the main focus but I wonder who will be in his supporting cast. I hope Sharon makes it.

Also, I wonder if Sam will still have a solo?

[hbomb450]

So Steve will be revealed to be the chosen champion of the totem god of shields?

[Vordan]

Should be a pretty good read. I know he talked about Steve being the main focus but I wonder who will be in his supporting cast. I hope Sharon makes it.

Also, I wonder if Sam will still have a solo?

Sam’s movie comes out next year right? He’ll probably just keep his current book, far as I know that isn’t ending.

[Marvell2100]

Sam’s movie comes out next year right? He’ll probably just keep his current book, far as I know that isn’t ending.

I hope he keeps the same creative team if they relaunch.

[clonegeek]

This might be good, curious what the event mini that Marvel wants JMS to write

[Chris0013]

I know it is a fool's hope...but I really want someone to give D-Man and Vagabond a real update and take them seriously.

[JT221]

I will give this a try.

[Username taken]

Considering the way he left Marvel, I'm legit surprised JMS came back.

Then again, Quesada isn't at Marvel anymore so I guess that kind of opened the road for his return.

I'm hot and cold on JMS. When he's good, he's very good, when he's bad, we get Superman walking and moping around America.

[K7P5V]

I know it is a fool's hope...but I really want someone to give D-Man and Vagabond a real update and take them seriously.

I know, right?! I feel the same way about Jack Monroe: The Scourge

[charliehustle415]

holy ****, one of my favorites writers is back at MARVEL!

I will definitely grab this

[Bruce Wayne]

Considering the way he left Marvel, I'm legit surprised JMS came back.

Then again, Quesada isn't at Marvel anymore so I guess that kind of opened the road for his return.

It was two-fold. The exit interview over OMD on Newsarama probably pissed off Joe Q, but Marvel/Brevoort/Quesada also let Bendis mess with the Thor related stuff to do Siege and kill off Loki without JMS's consultation (he was the writer on the Thor book) and JMS going by his issues of Thor had larger plans for Loki and Asgard down the road.

But it shows that current Marvel does seem to be making some effort to getting back many of the Quesada-early Alonso era writers. Maybe Fraction and Remender will be next.

[Chris0013]

I know, right?! I feel the same way about Jack Monroe: The Scourge

Yeah...but he is dead dead...there is a body and everything. And yes...I know people have come back from worse...but how do we get him back?

[Vordan]

This might be good, curious what the event mini that Marvel wants JMS to write

OMD II

Considering the way he left Marvel, I'm legit surprised JMS came back.

Then again, Quesada isn't at Marvel anymore so I guess that kind of opened the road for his return.

I'm hot and cold on JMS. When he's good, he's very good, when he's bad, we get Superman walking and moping around America.

Bunch of comics writers on Twitter said they expected some Hollywood guys to try comics while the WGA was on strike. Guess this probably helped JMS take the gig.