Marvel Comics: 50 best Marvel comic books of the 2000s
By Mark Lynch
20. Captain America: Out of time, Winter Soldier
Writer: Ed Brubaker
There were rules that certain comic book characters wouldn’t come back from the dead. Among them was Bucky Barnes. Ed Brubaker didn’t just bring Bucky back to life. He changed everything about him. He was no longer Captain America’s scrappy young sidekick. Bucky was the Winter Soldier. A deadly assassin that even S.H.I.E.L.D. thought was an urban legend.
The entire Captain America run by Ed Brubaker was great, but this was top-tier. Red Skull was gone, but Steve Rogers knew that he was still around despite seeing the dead body. On top of that, Rogers had to come to terms with his friend being a killer and working for his enemies. It’s a wild fourteen issues, but it’s done close to perfection.
19. Wolverine: Old Man Logan
Writer: Mark Millar
What would happen if the villains of the world united and put the right villains against the right heroes? Mark Millar shows us. Most of Earth is inhabitable and the United States is mostly a wasteland ruled by the Red Skull, his generals, and a Hulk that’s gone insane and his literal inbred kids. There are a few heroes left, but they’re either too old or defeated to try and help. Now, enter Old Man Logan and a blind Hawkeye.
The story of Old Man Logan is deep. Finding out why he stopped fighting was one of the most devious things a villain has done. It made sense that he vowed to never pop his claws again. While seeing what happened to the world is intriguing, the best part is the journey of Logan becoming Wolverine again.