This week’s Winter Soldier #14 was the final (for now?) Bucky Barnes story by Ed Brubaker. The writer who resurrected and redeemed Bucky during an incredible 8 year Captain America run left Bucky at a turning point in his life and with Black Widow. Brubaker and Butch Guice delivered an action packed and moving finale to Black Widow Hunt.
New creative team Jason Latour and Nic Klein take over next month with Winter Soldier #15 out February 6th. Marvel shared the variant cover of June’s Winter Soldier #19. Writer Latour will begin providing covers with this issue. His style reminds me of Mike Allred. The cover makes me wonder what is Bucky doing in space?
My favorite new book of 2012 will get a new writer in 2013. At the AvX panel at Fan Expo Canada Marvel announced that Jason Latour will take over Winter Soldier.
Ed Brubaker brought Bucky Barnes back as the brainwashed assassin and set him on a path of redemption during his acclaimed Captain America run that continued with the Winter Soldier series.
Comic Book Resources talked with the writer turned artist (his creator owned title Loose Ends and Untold Tales of the Punisher MAX) about taking over.
“I was surprised to get the chance, simply because I didn’t think this character would ever be in play. Brubaker’s work on this character has been great. He’s really built such a strong and compelling foundation– that when the possibility was introduced my mind went off like a nuclear test site.
As for how it came about — I’d drawn a few stories for my editor, Lauren Sankovitch, in the past and I’d made it clear I was interested in writing for hire, too. Fortunately she seemed to like my creator-owned work and when the time came to cast the book she asked me if I would be interested.”
Brubaker has several issues left. Latour takes over with January’s issue #15 with Bucky in a dark place.
“A darkness has washed over The Dude — Like I said, it’s the pain that sticks. He’s done some awful things — things that he’d like to believe were independent of his control. But when Cap fixed his mind with the Cosmic Cube, it’s telling that he used the phrase “Remember who you are.” That didn’t just return him to “Gee wilikers, Cap, I sure like pinball” Bucky — it kept intact a lot of memories he’d rather have seen erased.
Recently his past has come home to roost — and each time he found himself asking what his role in creating the situation was. It’s made him feel very powerless. People he loves keep getting thrown into harm’s way, and he’s trying to look in the mirror and see how much of it is his old habits. Who he works for is just where he starts.”
Latour says he’ll create a new villain.
“Two people who were once caught in the Winter Soldier’s swath. Our big antagonist is a new take on Bucky’s rogues’ gallery in the sense that she’s the first indirect casualty of his actions. She’s got plans much larger than revenge, but their personal connection is going to make things very complicated for Bucky.”
